People of Richmond: Should voters amend the state Constitution to protect abortion right
on October 27, 2022
“People of Richmond” is a regular series in which reporters pose a question to people in the community. Answers are presented verbatim, though sometimes edited for brevity.
Q: Should the California Constitution be amended to guarantee the right to an abortion?
“Ultimately, yes. I do, personally, although I have family who feels very differently. So it’s always such a heated topic in my family, so I was thinking about them. But on a personal level, I do feel very strongly for it to be a right.” (Rachel Caldwell, teacher)
“Absolutely. Pure and simple. I think it’s terrible that women don’t have a right over their own bodies, it’s as simple as that.” (Rosa Rasazza, retired librarian)
“Women should be the ones in charge of their bodies. Those decisions need to be made by the person most impacted. The right to choose is essential. The woman carrying the baby is the one who should be making the decisions.” (D.A. Watts, ukulelist)
“I don’t think it’s what California absolutely has to do. This is a good state, and I don’t worry about issues like that in California.”
(Liz Solano)
“I think it’s the people’s choice. It should be the choice of whoever wants to get an abortion. They shouldn’t stop abortions because some people get raped. Why would a woman want to have a baby if she got raped or molested? The California Constitution should have the right to abortion.” (Reba Potts, retired)
“Yes. The things that can fall through in our country do. Protect the things we can.”
(Ernesto Chavez)
“Yeah, I do believe it should be. It’s not like it’s our decision of what women want to do with their bodies. And if they decide that’s something that they want to go through, then they should have that right to do it.” (Willie Turner, care provider)
“Yes. That’s not something that there should be a rule about. No one should have enough power to tell people that they can’t do that. That should just be a human right. It should be in the Constitution. It shouldn’t even be a question.” (Gerardo Martinez Jr., warehouse associate)
“Yes, because control of your body is a human right. Bodily sovereignty is everything.” (Leslie Townsend, care provider)
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4 Comments
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It’s a woman’s body and a decision for her and her only.
Offer easy ways to obtain birth control pills, no questions asked. Offer free condoms. Offer safe sex classes. Limit terms of abortion.
No kid wants to go to school. No one was excited about covid shots. We are pissed off when we get a speeding ticket.
Yet laws demanding compliance are created without a general vote of the people. These rules are the traditions and customs of our society. The rules have a merit that does not require a vote. These “merit” values and rules define the success or failure of a society.
The normalization of abortion when a woman is near term is disgusting. It should be a social disgrace, a vulgar act. It should be whispered about in hushed voices and in dark alleys.
Hello David!
Do you personally KNOW anyone who has had a late term abortion? Were the fetuses healthy? Or, was there severe abnormalities?
I know two. Each had painful circumstances that having an abortion was the ONLY solution. In one situation, the fetus had stopped breathing. The Mother had a regular pregnancy until she noticed that the fetus stopped moving and she (w/ medical professionals) did everything to change the outcome. In the 2nd situation, the Mother was an unwilling victim of criminal activity and was shot at 21 weeks. The doctors tried to save both; but, to leave the injured fetus in the Mother til the 28th week was negatively impacting the Mother.
My over arching point: No one willing, intentionally aborts a healthy fetus just because. If the question of abortion is poised at this time, it is typically a result of damage/injury that will ALWAYS result in death.
Does a woman have to go to the brink of permanent damage and/or death before getting an abortion to avoid being shamed/shunned by you?
This is what I see. What am I missing from your viewpoint?