The state constitutional amendment proposed in Mississippi called initiative 26, or the “personhood amendment” has been rejected. With 58 percent of participants who voted against it and 42 percent of voters who were for it. Initiative 26 was set out to be an anti-abortion which deemed that a fertilized egg would be considered a person with full rights. This law would put a ban on birth control and other contraceptives as well as well as in vitro fertilization.Another outcome of this law being passed would have defunded planned parenthood. This type of education teaches women not just about being abstinent, but knowledge about birth controls and contraceptions that would prevent pregnancy. Even though it has been outlawed, the push for states to overturn Roe v Wade is steadily increasing. This amendment has been criticized because it has high potential of putting women in danger. This law would not allow doctors to save women's lives if this meant having to rid of the the fertilized egg. Also abortion would still be illegal for victims of rape and incest. The main concern with this proposition was putting restrictions on women's choices.
Many found Initiative 26 to infringe on women's right because it is not allowing women to choose what they want to do with their bodies. This amendment has been criticized to be like the Jim Crow laws of today making it seems as if it is for the moral good of the people, when really it is restricting the freedom of choice. Having a chid completely changes the lives for women socially and more drastically economically. “The wage gap between working mothers and women without children is greater.” This amendment has an underling message of respectable women not having a sexual life without being free of reproduction. That is she has a child, then she must be willing to give up her education and a well paying career to take care of the child. That even women who have unintentional miscarries would could be criminally investigated. This law would cause restrictions for women to not express what they choose to do with their own bodies. That this law would be protecting the child, but at the same time could cause complications for the women which in turn could cause problems for the children later in life. Many people who have children young drop out of school, are unable to get a job, and end up living in poverty with the child. Abortion is a tricky subject, but I think it should be a choice of what women want to do with their bodies. It is their body so it is their right.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/nov/08/personhood-amendment-misogyny-mississippi?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487
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