Initiative 26 could make the use of birth control illegal

Diamond Jenkins
Staff Writer

Mississippians will vote on Initiative 26, a measure which 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, on Nov. 8, 2011.

The purpose of Initiative 26, according to personhoodmississippi.com, is to protect all life, regardless of age, health, function, physical or mental dependency, or method of reproduction with the ultimate goal of outlawing abortion in the state of Mississippi.

Under current Mississippi laws, cloning is legal. Cloning is performed as embryonic stem cell research where an embryo is cloned and looked at as harvesting profit. This is familiar to in vitro fertilization. ‘The Personhood Amendment’ would stop this practice.

Opponents of Initiative 26 believe, according to the votenoon26.org website, believe that the measure is too extreme and would ban all forms of birth control including the pill.

This initiative has caused controversy across the state of Mississippi, including the Jackson State Univerity campus.

“I think that if birth control was illegal, the birthrate would increase and some women would have an excuse to get pregnant, but some women may be more cautious because they know that they cannot take the pill,” said Xavier Wendell, a sophomore psychology major from Vicksburg, Miss.

JoNathan Milner, a junior music major from Jackson, Miss. said, “I think it’s crazy to do that because what’s the point? Birth control is a way to prevent pregnancy among young teenage girls.”

“I think that we as Jacksonians should exercise our rights on what we believe in. The fact that the government is trying to take over the personal aspects of our lives is bad. I don’t like this idea,” said Samantha Kenner, a sophomore mass communications major from Chicago, Ill.

Many opponents to the initiative believe that if passed, the   initiative would cause increases in Mississippi’s high rate of teen pregnacy, which according to the CDC is the highest of all states at 65.7 percent.

Supporters say however that the initiative would ensure equal rights in Mississippi and protection under the law for all persons, regardless of their size, location or developmental stage.

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, students who are registered to vote should let their voice be heard on Nov. 8 in the JSU Student Center Ballroom.