A peaceful protest was held on Saturday, July 2 at 1 p.m. at the Eastern District Courthouse in Piggott. The Clay County Reproductive Rights Rally was the idea of Jenna Little of Rector. Little said she decided to hold the rally due to the overturning of Roe v. Wade as she felt an overwhelming urge to stand up for herself as well as her sisters and niece. “Every single one of my sisters and I have faced miscarriages and a few of us have had to receive medical “abortions,” also known as a D&C, as a result of incomplete miscarriages. I feel, at the rate we are going now, abortion bans will continue to become even more strict and incredibly dangerous for the women of Arkansas,” explained Little. “Many legislators have no medical training and are not qualified to determine what an emergency is when it comes to pregnancy complications. This is problematic in cases that lead to sepsis and ectopic pregnancies. Women that are victims of incest and rape should have their rights protected if either result in pregnancy. Arkansas, I believe, ranks second in the nation for rape cases. We must protect our women and our children from being forced to birth the children of their abusers. The government has no place dictating what anyone does with their body.”
