November 2, 2024

Dear Editor:

As a mom, I have many concerns about the parental rights that could be lost if Amendment 3 were to pass.

The Amendment states in Section 36.3 “The right to reproductive freedom shall not be denied, interfered with, delayed, or otherwise restricted…”

No one, including parents, would be able to deny a child the right to make decisions about their reproductive health care.

A child is not old enough to make health care decisions for themselves. A parent’s role is to train and guide their children. A parent should have the right to be involved in these decisions and have the freedom to make the final call on what type of reproductive health care is provided to their own children.

Reproductive health care is a broad term that includes, but is not limited to, abortion and birth control. According to the University of Chicago’s Trans CARE “Reproductive Health” services include gender-affirming surgeries.

This means a child could be influenced, by someone other than their parents, on reproductive health care choices, and the amendment would make it illegal for the parents to interfere or delay the health care.

I have yet to meet a parent that doesn’t believe that, as the parent, they should have more say in their children’s upbringing than anyone else in their child’s life. If passed, Amendment 3 would remove those liberties that we hold dear.

Angie Kroeger
La Monte, MO