Baylor students say abortion is a big issue in the 2024 election

By Ashlyn Beck | News editor

In a particularly contentious election season when many Americans are voting against their party, a few issues could sway this election one way or another.

One of the biggest issues impacting voters’ decisions is abortion, and Baylor students are no exception. Texas law currently prohibits abortions except in cases where the patient’s life or health is at risk.

Allen junior Abigail Fair is president of Bears For Life, an anti-abortion group on campus, and said the candidates’ pro-abortion stance was one of the biggest factors influencing their vote in this election.

“I oppose all abortion and try to vote based on that belief because I believe human life is the most important issue,” Fair said. “I always try to vote for the party and ticket that causes the least loss of life.”

Heartbeats can be detected from the sixth week of pregnancy. However, Fair said she believes it is never justified to have an abortion, even before a heartbeat is detected.

“It will always end a human life at any time, whether it is early in pregnancy or not,” Fair said. “Every abortion causes a heart to stop beating.”

In contrast, Glendale, Arizona senior and Texas Rising campus organizer Brynley Jones said that while Texas Rising is a nonpartisan organization and takes no position on the issue, it fully supports abortion in all cases.

The issue of abortion is full of misunderstandings, Jones said. Many believe it is a form of birth control, but Jones believes that is simply not the case.

“There are just so many different scenarios at play that people have the privilege of not having to think about it,” Jones said.

Additionally, the current abortion ban in Texas often puts medical professionals in difficult situations. Texans who have abortions face life in prison or fines of up to $100,000. Doctors in the state have already been sued for performing the medical procedure.

Jones said anti-abortion laws take away a woman’s right to make her own decisions about her body.

“I don’t think it’s my job to make decisions about what you can and can’t do with your body,” Jones said.

Despite these opposing and controversial views, Jones and Fair agreed that it is important to speak politely about the issue. Although they take opposing positions, both recognize that the issue is deeply personal for many women and that charity and grace are essential in these conversations.

“I think it’s so important to recognize that this topic can be extremely intense and emotional for many people, especially women, to talk about,” Fair said.

It’s possible and important to have conversations that don’t attack specific people or their views, Jones said. Conversations can simply explore the logic and science of the topic to hopefully reach a similar conclusion.

“There are people with whom I have had really passionate conversations [about abortion]Jones said. “We didn’t find a solution, but it helped me understand them and their perspective better.”

Jones said she sometimes found it difficult to discuss abortion at a Baptist university. Nevertheless, she continues to campaign resolutely for women’s rights.

“I’m really sad about the idea that I don’t care about babies,” Jones said. “I also care about mother’s rights just as much. I care about human rights. I care about physical autonomy. I believe in personal freedom.”

Jones said she finds creative ways to advocate for women’s rights and thinks it’s important for people to continue to have tough conversations.

“If no one talks about women’s rights, they become smaller and smaller,” Jones said.

Jones said it is tragic that abortion has become so politicized and it is now the responsibility of voters to make the changes they want.

According to Fair, who expressed her distrust of the candidates, both have said what it takes to win their party.

“[Harris] supports abortion in all nine months, up to the time of birth,” Fair said. “This is really problematic because obviously life begins at conception, so any abortion at any point would mean a loss of life.”

Although Fair said she supports the Trump administration, she acknowledges that Trump does not have the strong “pro-life” platform he claims, but keeps saying what it will take to get the majority of Republican votes to win.

“My overall message to all voters if they are interested in addressing this issue… [is] Ultimately, fewer babies will die under the Trump administration,” Fair said.

Jones encouraged students on both sides of the abortion issue to get to the polls and do thorough research on both potential governments before voting.

“I want to be clear that I don’t care how you vote. I just really want you to vote,” Jones said.