Voters will have the opportunity in Tuesday’s election to vote on Proposition 1, a legislative constitutional amendment that would protect Californians’ rights to abortion and contreceptives.
The proposition language states, “The state shall not deny or interfere with an individual’s reproductive freedom in their most intimate decisions, which includes their fundamental right to choose to have an abortion and their fundamental right to choose or refuse contraceptives.”
In 14 interviews with Cosumnes River College students, students shared mixed perspectives on the proposition.
“I voted yes on the protection because I’ve heard in the past for other states that it is banned, which is really the most horrific thing that has ever happened,” said Esteban Moctezuma, a 20-year-old theater arts major. “I’m glad here in California it is still protected, and I think it is best if we have it protected because I know some women would die if it isn’t.”
Nine states provided a state constitutional right to abortion based on court rulings, however these rulings state that provisions related to privacy, liberty, and equality inexplicitly provide a right to abortion, according to Ballotpedia. California is the only state to vote on a constitutional amendment to explicitly institute a right to reproductive freedom.
“I’m all about it,” said Ava Dowdy, an 18-year-old psychology major. “I think women have the choice on whether they want to keep the child or not and it’s their body, nobody can tell them if they should have it or not.”
Similar thoughts were shared by Massimo Giovannini, 23, an allied health major. Giovannini related the proposition to his sister and said he would want her to have the opportunity to make her own choices in regard to her body.
“If something ever happened, god forbid, I would hate for her to have to stop whatever other choices or plans she has in her life because of something that somebody else is making her do,” Giovannini said.
Other students said their family values and religious beliefs informed their position.
Michael Pham, an 18-year-old biology major, said he would vote against the proposition because of his personal beliefs and upbringing.
“I probably wouldn’t support it, I don’t think. Just because I grew up in a Christian family,” Pham said.
As of now, abortion is legal in California up to fetal viability, or after viability if the fetus poses as a health or life risk to the mother. If Proposition 1 is passed, it would be protected by the California Constitution.
Other students said they felt that abortion is appropriate for some situations, but not all.
Dashumba Monberasar, an 18-year-old automotive mechanic major felt that abortion should be situational depending on the financial stability of the parents.
“I wouldn’t say I’m against it or with it because it mostly depends on what the situation is,” Monberasar said. “Let’s say I have a girlfriend that’s 16 or 17, she has a kid, but she also has school, she has college, or maybe she’s in a bad environment, I would say ‘yeah, get an abortion.’”
For more information regarding Proposition 1, click here.