Student groups react to new Texas abortion bill
On Sept. 1, Texas Senate Bill 8 went into effect. The bill bans abortions for women at six weeks from their last menstrual cycle. The bill has sparked reactions from both anti-abortion and abortion rights groups on campus.
Yotes for Life is an anti-abortion group at USD. David Holt, USD student and member of Yotes for Life, shared his view on the new bill.
“I feel that the new Texas abortion bill is a step in the right direction for the advancement of the right to life in America,” Holt said. “The pro-life movement is sweeping the nation, and Yotes for Life is excited about the progress that we are seeing in America today. We are hopeful that the new bill in Texas is only the beginning of a wide-reaching pro-life revolution.”
Yotes for Life does not support abortion, Holt said. The student organization believes in full-term pregnancies for the unborn.
“I am pro-life because I believe that all innocent human life deserves protection, including that of the unborn in the womb. Yotes for Life strives to be a positive voice in defense of the unborn, as well as for pregnant women and new mothers, on the USD campus and beyond. While the Texas law may not have jurisdiction in the Vermillion area, it has certainly energized our movement both nationally and locally,” Holt said.
Students for Reproductive Rights (SFRR) is a student organization at USD standing for women to have the right to choose what happens to their bodies regarding pregnancy. Lexi McKee-Hemenway is the president of SFRR.
“On top of the gross negligence and violation of basic human rights, the number of self-induced abortions has been climbing in the state. this practice is deadly. Folks with uteruses are under attack. This is nothing but a move of control and the start of the war on those who can get pregnant. This bill has stripped the rights of so many people,” McKee-Hemenway said.
Along with McKee-Hemenway’s stance on the bill, she also went into detail on why she stands for reproductive rights and why it’s so important to her for women to be able to choose.
“I am pro-choice because I have been treated as a lesser form of a human just because of the reproductive organs I was born with. I have been told I have basic human rights which include healthcare, shelter, food/water, safety, etc. However, because I am a female and I have the reproductive organs that allow me to potentially get pregnant, I am treated as less-than,” McKee-Hemenway said.
The opposing viewpoints of Yotes for Life and Students for Reproductive Rights is just one example of the way this bill has inspired others to speak out about what they believe in, McKee-Hemenway said.
