The name “Joe” is used to protect the identity of a pro-life source.
“Stop sex trafficking! Vote NO on Amendment 3,” “YES on 3, end Missouri’s abortion ban,” “Vote NO on 3 protect girls, women and babies.” Driving anywhere pre-election, one would see countless “sign wars” between neighbors. Yards cluttered with political signs with vague phrases like the ones listed above, but what do they actually mean?
In June 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the nearly 50-year-old Supreme Court decision which gave people in every state the right to abortion. After this ruling, each state now has the right to decide whether or not to legalize abortion, what exceptions would be allowed and up till what point in a pregnancy abortions would be legal. For Missouri, this meant a complete ban of abortion with exceptions in cases of “irreversible physical injuries” or death for the pregnant person. After the state made their decision to illegalize abortion in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, 380,000 Missouri voters opposed it and signed for abortion rights to be put on the ballot. This created Amendment 3, which states that all people, regardless of sex, have the right to make decisions over their own reproductive health, including the right to abortions and contraceptives. On Election Day, 53% of Missourians voted to return reproductive rights to the citizens of Missouri.
Delaney Ruyle, junior, said she believes many positives will come from the passage of Amendment 3 in Missouri. Ruyle said she thinks abortion is going to be a reality in Missouri no matter the terms of legalization. Before Roe v. Wade passed, in the 1950s and 1960s, up to 1.2 million illegal abortions occurred according to the Guttmacher Institute.
“The national abortion ban was not a good choice because there’s abortions whether you ban them or not,” Ruyle said. “I believe abortion is a right every woman should have but I think [it’s] something no woman should have to go through. If someone chooses to get an abortion they should get the proper care they need.”
Lily Driscoll, junior, has similar views on abortion to Ruyle. Driscoll said she believes that the passage of Amendment 3 was the right choice for Missouri.
“I would have voted ‘yes’ on Amendment 3,” Driscoll said. “I think we should have more abortion rights because it’s our [bodies] and you don’t know what anyone is going through. [The government] doesn’t know if they’ve been sexually assaulted. [The government] don’t know if they’ve been raped. [The government] doesn’t know if they have medical issues.”
Though some medical exceptions were allowed before the passage of Amendment 3, Driscoll said the expansion of abortion rights will further reflect her beliefs. Gabriel Kaplan, junior, said he would have voted “yes” on Amendment 3, if able. He thinks that the passage of a pro-choice amendment like Amendment 3 will be very good for the state.
“Pro-life is [an] extreme issue, it pretty much cuts off all access whereas pro-choice allows each family to make the choice that’s best for them,” Kaplan said. “I think [the person getting an abortion] should be able to just walk in. It should be an easy process.”
Joe, junior, said he is disappointed with the passage of Amendment 3. Joe said that the passage of Amendment 3 will result in more babies being murdered. “I’m pro-life,” Joe said. “I believe that life begins at conception and I do not believe in unjust murder. I think abortion is fine if there’s a good cause to have it. If the mother’s in danger or she was raped or if there’s incest. But other than that I do not think it is acceptable.”
Though the passage of Amendment 3 is a reproductive rights victory, the pro-choice v. pro-life debate continues. Driscoll said it’s a good thing when women gain a stronger voice over their own bodies.
“I’m very happy that it has been passed because I feel like women have been struggling to have a choice over their bodies and just a voice in general,” Driscoll said. “I think there should be more access to abortion and that [someone getting an abortion] shouldn’t have to tell someone that they received an abortion.”
