Jackson Free Press

I find it laughable that the state of Mississippi is even considering asking us to vote yes on Initiative 26. Really? We are being asked to make a law to give up our constitutional right to choice. Really.

It's obvious to me that the intent is to monitor and control abortion. But whether intended or not, the initiative only serves one true purpose and that is to strip women in this state of the right to choose what happens with our uteruses. How dare any person, specifically any man, tell us what we can and cannot do with our bodies? We live in a society where we are free to choose any religion we want, and we have an abundance of diverse beliefs here. So, how can it even be fathomable that one blanket statement can speak for all women? That, in and of itself, would take an unimaginable feat.

When does a person actually become a person? Seriously, is this the question that we now face? Our vast differences will never allow us to come to one conclusion that answers this question for everyone; the mere fact that abortion is so controversial tells us that. But even if we could, what gives the government the right to make this decision for us?

Every woman has the individual right to make that decision for herself. Each of us has different experiences that shape our thoughts on the matter, and we have the right to make decisions based on those experiences. Regardless of whether you agree with my decisions, it doesn't mean that I don't have the right to make them.

Could it be that those who support this ridiculous notion have not found themselves in a situation where they had to make a choice? Are the consequences of taking choice away shielded behind the ever-popular Bible-belt rhetoric?

Beyond that, I find it highly offensive that humans who do not have female parts heavily support this initiative. Men are evaluating our rights—men who will never have to carry a baby, never have to recover mentally from having to make a decision such as this and who, even in their wildest imagination, will never know the agony a woman goes through when she finds herself in a situation where she has to consider ending a pregnancy for whatever reason.

This isn't about when a person becomes a person. This isn't even about abortion. This is about women's rights. This is about us having to fight to keep our voice. This is about our right to choose what happens with our own bodies.

This is about standing up and saying: "No! No sir, you will not choose for me. No mister, you will not rob me of my right to decide. You will not pick and choose what happens to my body. This is my choice, not yours, not my husband's, not my baby daddy's. This choice is mine and only mine."

On Nov. 8, we must storm the polls and make our voices heard. Know this: We are headed for a voiceless future if we can't be valued enough to make a decision now. If we let this slide, what happens to our future?

If we don't vote against this, we may be sending the message that we don't value our right to vote, either. One day, we may be faced with loosing the right to work or advocate. Or we might have to vote on how many children we can have or what classes of women can bear children at all.

Do you think this is outlandish? Then you get the point about how ridiculous this "personhood" initiative is in the first place.

Save your voice. We have much to scream about, and this is just the beginning.

Previous Comments

ID

165322

Comment

Besides the constitutional rights and the general well being of women in Mississippi, I think this (abortion/personhood) is also an economic issue. These same people running around the state proclaiming the sanctity of life are probably the same people who decry the public welfare system and public schools. As Jocylne Elders said "everybody loves babies as long as they are attached to some woman's uterus." Once the baby drops and opens wide their eyes upon this "hospitality state" of ours, they are in for a rude awakening. It would be a different scenario altogether if we had a support system, government or otherwise, that nurtured mothers and their children with respect. Mississippi ranks at the bottom of every list on poverty. But in times of fiscal trouble, public welfare programs are the first programs on the chopping board. Who wants to raise a child in a world like this?

Author

dd39203

Date

2011-11-04T14:08:03-06:00

ID

165328

Comment

"These same people running around the state proclaiming the sanctity of life are probably the same people who decry the public welfare system and public schools. As Jocylne Elders said "everybody loves babies as long as they are attached to some woman's uterus." Once the baby drops and opens wide their eyes upon this "hospitality state" of ours, they are in for a rude awakening." @dd39203 - you had me at hello! My sentiments exactly! Its amazing the hypocrisy in politics now? Let's cut public healthcare - but lets do away with abortion and birth control? I mean c'mon, when will common sense ever return to politics?

Author

Duan C.

Date

2011-11-07T12:27:13-06:00