Huzzah! Hooray!
I never thought I would be saying this, but kudos to the voters of Mississippi.
I mean that in the best possible way, Mississippians. Let’s be honest, the Bayou State is not exactly known for forward-thinking liberal policies.
Hence the total lack of surprise when the “personhood” ballot was introduced. This initiative “would amend the Mississippi Constitution to define the word ‘person’ or ‘persons,’ as those terms are used in Article III of the state constitution, to include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof,” according to the language of the ballot itself.
This has many scary repercussions. Women’s rights are under attack here — a woman’s right to choose and the right to birth control and contraceptives. Also at risk if this legislation had passed are doctors’ and hospitals’ options when it comes to the health of a mother.
If aborting the pregnancy will save the mother’s life, most hospitals will perform the procedure. But amend the constitution like this, and you have a problem. Which life is more important — if they’re both people, who should decide?
The initiative itself was murkily worded and unclear, but its intentions were not. The organization behind it, Personhood USA, is after women’s rights.
They'd rather see Mississippi, a state with one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy — it's fifth in the country according to a Guttmacher study — be unable to protect its women and their right to choose rather than see their precious values ignored.
Looking at their website, it is clear that this organization has never heard of separation of church and state. Pretty much their only argument is that God has told us human life starts at conception. This is all well and good for the religious folks out there, but that’s no grounds to amend anyone’s constitution.
This was a resounding loss for Personhood USA. They raised nearly $50,000 to fund this ballot proposition, and the opposition raised a meager $250. Personhood USA spent nearly 200 times more money, just to lose the fight.
Again, I say, huzzah!
It gives me great pleasure to write about a triumph in common sense and liberalism instead of a loss. It's a rare sight these days.
I am impressed that Mississippi of all places voted this down. There is only one abortion clinic in the whole state. But they are not the first state to have defeated this outrageous ballot. Both Nevada and Colorado shut the initiative down before it could get started.
This is a rare occasion. Sense and rationality have won out, and a state commonly known for its conservatism has realized not everything right wing is good.
Maybe the rest of the country can jump on that bandwagon.
Reach the columnist at omcquarr@asu.edu
Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
