AL.COM
JACKSON, Mississippi -- Mississippi voters Tuesday defeated a ballot initiative that would've declared life begins at conception, a proposal that supporters sought in the Bible Belt state as a way to prompt a legal challenge to abortion rights nationwide.
The so-called "personhood" initiative was rejected by more than 55 percent of voters, falling far short of the threshold needed for it to be enacted. If it had passed, it was virtually assured of drawing legal challenges because it conflicts with the Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that established a legal right to abortion. Supporters of the initiative wanted to provoke a lawsuit to challenge the landmark ruling.
Opponents said the measure would have made birth control, such as the morning-after pill or the intrauterine device, illegal. More specifically, the ballot measure called for abortion to be prohibited "from the moment of fertilization" — wording that opponents suggested would have deterred physicians from performing in vitro fertilization because they would fear criminal charges if an embryo doesn't survive.
Opponents said initiative supporters were trying to impose their religious beliefs on others by forcing women to carry unwanted pregnancies, including those caused by rape or incest.
Amy Brunson voted against the measure, in part because she has been raped. She also has friends and family that had children through in vitro fertilization and she was worried this would end that process.
Hubert Hoover, a cabinet maker and construction worker, voted for the amendment. "I figure you can't be half for something, so if you're against abortion you should be for this. You've either got to be wholly for something or wholly against it," said Hoover, 71, who lives in a Jackson suburb.
Specifically, the proposed state constitutional amendment defined a person "to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof."
Mississippi already requires parental or judicial consent for any minor to get an abortion, mandatory in-person counseling and a 24-hour wait before any woman can terminate a pregnancy.
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I think abortion is a bad way to go,although there are many complications towards the subject.I know that there needs to be some type of balance towards it and all that,but if we could rid abortion i think the world would be happier.Even though there are accidents,I believe everything happens for a reason.
ReplyDeleteChristopher W. 1
First off, I'm for pro-choice policy. Personally, however, I'm pro-life. Enforcing rules on others based on religious beliefs is wrong in my own opinion. Making that decision should be your personal choice, not that of your peers. In this case, I find it somewhat pointless as the substance the new wording creates doesn't actually change much--just causes confusion for some people.
ReplyDelete^^^ Zane H.
ReplyDeletei disagree with abortion because i think there is always another option even if you were rape and you don't want the baby you can give it in adoption but i don't think people have the right to take life from others specially when they can't even defend themselves, and i also agree that life starts at conception and if they are against that because they thins that is something that is in the bible they are wrong because there is scientific research that proves it, so in my opinion, abortion is not a good option at all.
ReplyDeleteLucy M. 7
I disagree with abortion. You are killing a human being. How could someone do that? Some people can't have children, or they have miscarriages, and they would give anything just to get pregnant and have a child. I understand being raped, and getting pregnant is one thing, but you could always give the baby up for adoption, but even then the baby is still a human being. Abortion should be illegal. If you don't want a baby, then perhaps you should think before you take your actions.
ReplyDeleteSavannah T7
If John Wilkes Booth can get in trouble for assassinating Lincoln, then someone who kills their baby, whether inside them or not, should be prosecuted. Life begins at conception. A mother, normally, doesn't know she's pregnant until roughly 6 weeks along. By that time the unborn baby already has a beating heart that is pumping blood to the closed circulatory system, is gaining nourishment from the mother's diet, and even has fingerprints and fingernails. Just because a baby is inside a mother, doesn't mean it's part of her body. She has no right to kill it; it's a separate person. That would be like my mom saying to me, "I can kill you because you're living in my house and that's not convenient for me." Whether or not the baby is convenient for you, no matter what the situation may be, it deserves to live. THAT is a fact. This could be a religious view, and I believe it is because I'm a strong baptist, but that's not what I'm basing this off of. I'm saying murder is wrong. It doesn't take religion to know that. So why would you kill an innocent child who has no way to fight back? That's why I'm pro-life and I believe COMPLETELY that life begins at conception.
ReplyDeleteMolly M. P.1
I don't think abortion should be and option. Everybody deserves a chance at life. If someone thinks they wont be able to take care of a baby, then they should think first and if they don't that's their fault. They should consider adoption before an abortion because that way, the baby will have a chance.
ReplyDeleteMicaela C. P7
I agree with Molly. Even if your in a bad situation the baby deserves to live. If you didn't want a baby why didn't you prevent it. Some people try every day to have kids while others are just going to kill them? That doesn't make any sense. There are plenty of families out there that would love to adopt it and have the opportunity of raising a child. Give it the same shot at life you had. Maybe it will be the next president, but if you kill it how is anyone supposed to know the possibilities it had in life. Abortion isn't something you think about. You should just know for a fact that it is wrong!
ReplyDeleteElle O.7
I do not agree with abortion. It makes me sad when people are either thinking about abortion or have already done an abortion. I mean its a child? If you don't want your baby, then i think the best thing to do would be to give it up for adoption. Many families would love to adopt a child.
ReplyDeleteSteph C.3
I think an abortion is the women’s own decision, she is the one who has to go through the nine months and has to birth that baby. When a 16 year old kid is pregnant her life isn’t going to be the same but she has still the obtion that she can say do i wanna grow up a kid am i read or not, can i make enough money and who supports me and if something of this points is not gonna happen why shouldn’t she have a abortion? And when you don’t have enough money and no support isn’t it then better to don’t have a kid and first „clean up“ your own life, cause with a baby you have to spend more money how do you pay the college, when you don’t go to college you have a job with a not good payingthen you maybe have not enough money for you and your kid, so should your live and the kid his life be messed up or do JUST you have a good life? Everyone makes mistakes and i think the first time someone makes a mistake you shouldn’t be punished for this but when you do the same mistake two time it’s your own fault and then you shouldn’t have an abortion. I also think when someone gets raped they deffintitly should be allowed to have an abortion, cause it wasn’t their decision to be pregnant.
ReplyDeletesophia k7
I agree with Molly and Elle. A child is a child. Not a choice. If you wouldn't kill your children, you have no right to kill an unborn child. Life absolutely starts at conception. If you are going to make unresponsible choices in our lives resulting in an unwanted pregnancy, you'd better be ready to deal with that consequence. Or in my opinion, you'd better be ready to deal with the one thing that can change your life for the better.
ReplyDeleteThis proposal states that birth contol would be illegal. I disagree with that. I think that A woman should have her choice whether or not to be on an anticonceptive but only because it has other benefits other than just preventing pregnancies. So, that I think is wrong.
But the subject of not being able to abort a child resulted in rape and icest should be the mothers decision. I believe that that child would not be comfortable walking around the world knowing that he was the result of a violent crime. That is the womans choice to make, but like I said before, if you're just making the choice to abort the pregnancy due to your lack of planning and thinking, is a different story. THAT SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE COUNTRY OF FREEDOM AND LIFE. Or any other country, for that matter.
Lissa F1
I think abortion should be illegal, because I think abortion is like killing a baby, if they didn't want a baby they shouldn't have did it.Amy Bruson, got raped, but, she could give birth, and put in in a foster home.Thats why I think abortion should be illegal.
ReplyDeleteGrace Eichenberger
@ Sophia K.
ReplyDeleteIt's true, everyone does make mistakes, but having a baby is NOT a mistake. It's a choice. You take the steps to making that baby, then you can deal with the consequences. And even if it was a situation such as rape, there are always other routes to go, rather than abortion. You can give the baby up for adoption. In which case, you don't have to pay for anything dealing with birth. Also, as far as college goes, if you're worried about college and all the finances that go along with it, you shouldn't even CONSIDER being sexually active. That would eliminate all the trouble in the first place. Like I was always taught, "If you're not ready to be a mother, you're not ready to be sexually active". And aside from that, why would you kill an innocent child after something so tragic [such as rape]. Everyone deserves a fair chance at life, even a child. It's absolutely 100% unethical, coldblooded, heartless murder. As Elle said, there are so many parents out there who are not able to conceive, and a 16 year-old girl who's "accidentally" pregnant is going to kill a baby that isn't convenient for her? I might not always make the best judgement, but I at least know that is wrong.. in all aspects. It's not abortion, it's murder. People need to realize that.
Molly M. P.1
I think its wrong to be going for abortion. I also think well if you give up on your child your going to regret it in the future. I also think you should be more proud than ashamed.
ReplyDeleteMacKenzie N. 1