Women have one stereotype throughout history. We clean, cook, and have babies. We’ve always been expected to follow those stereotypes, and have been shamed for calling it out. Whether discussing colonial times when women had zero rights at all, or present times when women are still fighting for their full rights, there are hopes for 2022 and years to come that women will feel they are as equal as men. Kentucky’s Constiusional Admendment two, “No Right to Abortion” is causing a stir and is the remaining answer to whether or not this reality will come true. 

On Tuesday, November 8th, 2022, Kentuckians and citizens across the country will vote in favor or against the legalization of abortion for their state. Back in June, the Supreme Court voted for abortion to be illegal across the United States 7-2. Politicians heard the uproar from both women and men as they expressed their feelings on the overturn of Roe V. Rade. With some agreeing with the decision, and those not, people from all over the world also chimed in, worrying for the future of the United States. The tv show, “The Handmaid’s Tale” takes a look into a futuristic world where women have no rights once again, and are taken away from their families to produce more babies for the country because of the slow population growth. Women I spoke to (who did not want their names to be published) felt “scared” because the decision reminded them of the gorey show since “not having free and safe access to abortion was invading rights”, similar to the Hulu original. 

I had the chance to interview four different women on their opinions of the right to abortion, two pro-lifers and the other two, pro-choice. Talking to a variety of ages, women aged 15-64 shared personal stories, and explained to me why their opinions were the way they were. “I lived before Roe vs. Wade” Sue Oneill says, “women were still having abortions- dangerous- you will never stop abortions- they’ll just make it harder and more dangerous, especially for poor women.” Sue goes on to explain that any procedure done is between a woman and her doctor, and a politician has no right to invade. Speaking to the other side, a student from Bourbon County High School who asked to go unnamed, spoke on the behalf of teenagers, and how abortion rights are not benefiting them. She says, “I think there’s a large pressure on young people to get abortions when they are pregnant. I think that a lot of teenagers don’t get a way out, that’s everyone’s first reaction to a young/teen pregnancy.” The student also spoke for, more specifically, African American babies. She shared a statistic that out of all the babies aborted, a high number of African American babies are unwanted. Courtney Schneider, a woman involved in the horse industry shares her intake on the matter. Coming from a different background then the three other women, she tells me of the men in the industry as well, how “…they believe abortion is murder. I remind them that for as many times as we ‘pinch twins’ (a system that is popular in the horse industry due to mares incapability to carry both fetuses to term) the men don’t count that as murder, which doesn’t make sense to me. They ‘mansplain’ how an aborton works, like I don’t know, and explain to me the fetus has the right to live. However, if so protective of an unborn baby, why aren’t they as protective of an unborn foal? Is it to protect the mare, protect their own equine business? Why aren’t they protecting women who are probably going through just as much trouble, if not worse?” The last woman I discussed with was another high school attendant of Bourbon County. She chose to go unnamed- The student first shared a personal story, informing me how doctors pleaded for her mother to abort for the sake of her own health, and the likelihood of the baby dying. “For someone who had finally gotten their miracle baby, this was crushing, however, not long after this was said, it was found out that the doctors were wrong. My brother was fine, and they tried to make her get rid of him.” That story reminds her of the unfairness unborn children have, and she makes that known. She speaks for the ones who are unspoken for, and continues sharing that her brother is now an adult, perfectly healthy. Women across the county, across the state, across the country share their views on the matter of legalizing abortion. They all have their own stories, and continue sharing them for the sake of what happens on Tuesday. Since June, hundreds of protests have been held all over the country, with signs being thrown up in the air such as ‘KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY BODY’, ‘FEMINISTS ARE THE MAJORITY’,‘MY BODY MY CHOICE’. 

*On Tuesday evening, the votes determined Kentucky will keep abortion accessible to anyone across the state. Compared to other states, Kentucky was one of the few who voted against the Amendment.