To the editor:
I am writing to express my strong opposition to House Joint Resolution 73. This proposal is not just an attack on reproductive rights, it is an attack on democracy itself.
Missourians have already made their voices heard on this issue. We’ve faced this battle before, and when the people spoke, lawmakers didn’t like the outcome. So instead of respecting our votes, they stripped us of our voice. Now, they’re trying to force their own rigid, religious beliefs into our state constitution through HJR 73.
This resolution would outlaw nearly all abortions in Missouri, even in cases of rape or incest. It would take deeply personal medical decisions away from individuals and their doctors and hand them over to politicians. That is not freedom. That is not justice. That is theocracy.
Let’s be honest: This isn’t about protecting life. It’s about control. It’s about forcing every Missourian to live under the narrow moral code of a few powerful legislators. And it’s happening while they continue to ignore the real crises facing our state: crumbling infrastructure, underfunded schools and a growing mental health crisis.
We, the people, deserve the right to make our own decisions about our bodies and our lives. We deserve elected officials who respect our votes, not ones who rewrite the rules when democracy doesn’t go their way.
HJR 73 must be stopped. Missouri deserves better.
Sincerely,
Cammie Storm
West Plains
