Students discuss abortion debate

It all started with Jane Roe, a mother in Texas who sued the state because it denied her the right to terminate a pregnancy. In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in favor of Roe, declaring that the due process clause of the 14th amendment guaranteed a “right to privacy” that protects a woman’s right to choose whether to have an abortion.

This June, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 to overturn the 1973 court case, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.

The politically charged issue was seen by some as a sudden stripping of their rights, while others hailed the move as the righting of a wrong that will protect life.

Detroit Mercy students interviewed by The Varsity News displayed discomfort in the Supreme Court’s reversal of the law.

Junior Alexa Krauth, who is undecided on her major, didn’t mince words.

“I am disappointed in the Ameri- can government,” she said. “America has always been a place people look at as the land of the free and where you have your rights, and this just put a blemish on what America stands for.”

Isaiah Jones, a freshman Communications major, expressed similar concern.

“I feel for all of the women who have had their rights tampered with and revoked as a result of this new rule,” he said.

To be sure, there are others on the opposite side of the issues. One of the school’s student organizations, Protect Life, is dedicated to “educat- ing students on the issue of abortion, promoting the right to life for all human beings, and developing and promoting pregnancy resources.”

The group will host a kickoff event Thursday, Sept. 22 in Commerce & Finance 104 so those interested in joining can learn about its goals.