“People want to claim it’s a sexist issue; I don’t think that that’s necessarily true.”

When discussing if Roe v. Wade was a sexist issue, this was the response given by Max Pacheco, 11. The controversial topic created a large debate between students.

The discussion of Roe v. Wade began in the summer of 2022. When each state was given the right to vote, many expressed their opinions by voicing them, putting bumper stickers on their cars, or placing signs in their yards.

Students began to get their opinions out as well in hopes to influence the Kansas vote.

“I was a bit disappointed [with Kansas’ decision on the vote],” Pacheco said. “I was a little sad to be honest, but I can’t say I wasn’t surprised because Johnson County is a very liberal county.”

 

 

When people heard the debates, many picked a side. Even after the vote was made, many still remained strong with their side.

“I do not believe that it is a Constitutional right; I actually believe it actively goes against the Constitution,” Peyton Sherron, 12, said. “We have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness which I believe applies to the unborn as well. Even if you argue that they are not yet living, you’re taking away their right and their chance to live their life.”

A large portion of the argument was whether to use the term “fetus” or “child.” In some cases, it could be traced back to religion. In other cases, science.

“I believe that at conception the baby’s life is at value because once the baby is conceived, it has its own chromosomes, it has its own DNA, it’s no longer a part of the mother’s body,” Sherron said. “It’s in the mother’s body, but it’s its own being so it’s not her body, her choice; she is just nurturing it.”

Some people consider it a radical measure.

“I think people try to justify the killing of a child by saying it’s not a child yet, when in a lot of circumstances abortions do take place pretty early on, and I do know that,” Pacheco said. “But regardless, I believe that life begins at conception, and I think that that’s still a baby. It is still a child that you’re killing.”

In the case of an abortion, both sides are able to agree on the fact that there should be limitations in place.

“I think it’s a good thing that a lot of states that want to ban abortion can be allowed to now, not necessarily as a whole, but with heartbeat bills like Texas did a couple months back, or places like Alabama and Mississippi who just had instant bans,” Pacheco said.

 

Both sides also see clear problems that could be the cause for why someone needed an abortion and reasons they shouldn’t get one, they just didn’t agree on whether they should get it or not.

“Even in the instances of rape and incest, I don’t believe abortion should be allowed,” Pacheco said. “I don’t believe that the sinful nature of the father should result in the death of a child.”

 

In some cases, the argument to not have an abortion was that the child could be placed into foster care or similar systems. This brings that system into the argument.

 

“Adoption agencies and foster care at least give the baby a chance. I know there’s a lot of problems with that system, so I think we need to reevaluate the way we have set up our society and reevaluate the foster care systems and adoption agencies, so that killing the babies is not the only option,” Sherron said. “There is more to do than resorting to killing the babies.”

 

This introduces the concept of whether people truly back up their side by helping the organizations they claim are helping their cause.

“I think there are a lot more resources available to people, especially mothers or single parents, who may feel like they don’t have an option when they absolutely do,” Pacheco said. “I do donate to their organizations. I quite literally put my money where my mouth is.”

 

Something taken into serious consideration was if the life of the mother was at stake due to the pregnancy.

“Personally, I do not believe abortion should be an option unless the mother is at a serious risk if she continues with the pregnancy because typically when the mother continues with the pregnancy and she’s at risk, the baby is also at risk, so you’re risking two lives opposed to just the baby,” Sherron said.

Additionally, Sherron bridges from the physical side to the mental side of health.

“A lot of people talk about rape and incest, which is an absolutely terrible thing, but I couldn’t tell somebody who was conceived from rape or incest that their life was less valuable based on how they were conceived,” Sherron said. “They had no control over that.”

Oftentimes, within this debate, people discuss whether or not the father should have a say in the mother’s decision to possibly terminate the pregnancy.

“Takes two to tango, and I understand that obviously the mother has the pain of going through pregnancy and having that child, but again I don’t think that should completely diminish the guy’s right to say what happens to the baby,” Pacheco said.

 

This discussion also traces back to school. Some believe it is their responsibility, or at the very least in the curriculum, to teach about sex education, contraceptives, and consent.

“I’m trying to think of the last time I had sex ed here in school, freshman year I think it was,” Pacheco said. “I think I literally left the room at one point because the images were so disgusting; I literally was about to throw up.”

However, some, like Sherron, believe that responsibility should fall to the guardians and religion, too.

“Something that the Bible does teach is waiting until marriage. The way the Bible teaches it is set up to be you wait until you’re ready for the possibility to have a baby,” Sherron said. “I would say most people know that if they’re going to do that they realize, it’s just kind of really a choice I feel like.”

Some believe there is a lack of teaching consent which is linked into the debate as well.

“[Schools] don’t push it enough, consent, but obviously they should be pushing it, and I think that they did a good job with me,” Pacheco said. “I’m obviously not going to force myself upon anybody, but I don’t know if [the school is] doing a good job or failing.”

With everything to consider about the court case, it leaves everyone with their own final opinion.

“It’s not necessarily how the baby was conceived; it’s that it was conceived,” Sherron said. “It doesn’t change my point that it is killing a baby.”