TO THE EDITOR:
House Bill 465 is another example of the N.C. General Assembly’s long-standing policy of chipping away at reproductive justice for the women of North Carolina. While the focus of this debate should be on women’s issues, it is important to note another violation this bill creates.
Section 5 states that no employee of either UNC or Eastern Carolina University medical schools may, “perform or supervise the performance of an abortion as part of the employee’s official duties.”
The similarities between this case and that of creation-science laws would be laughable if they weren’t so sad. The government is attempting to tell schools what to teach so that the legislative body’s Christian majority can protect its viewpoint in both cases.
In both cases, state governments are clearly overstepping their limits. Academic freedom is the concept that universities must be free to go about their business in an effort of furthering civilization as a whole. University systems should be allowed to decide what and how to teach students, regardless of what a group of politicians believe.
Without this freedom, schools could just be a training ground for whatever policies the party in power wants, instead of a center of ideas.
Abortions are going to happen in North Carolina. This section of the bill would only hold back the education of students. The General Assembly should be embarrassed by this bill. But I’m sure this will not be the last bill suppressing the rights of their constituents. That’s the problem when you elect people who have agendas other than protecting people.
Brandon Morrissey
Sophomore
