The Ole Miss College Republicans and University of Mississippi College Democrats met to discuss the 2019 Alabama v. Jones case in an organized conversation in Bryant Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 15. 

The event was hosted by The Center for Practical Ethics.

According to the university’s website, The Center of Practical Ethics aims to “(Focus) on pragmatic solutions to pressing and contentious moral and political issues through intensive research, collaboration and dialogue and ethical analysis. The Center fosters civil dialogue on a range of ethical issues through events and programming open to the campus community and the public through its public-facing pillar.”

In Alabama v. Jones, Marshae Jones faced manslaughter charges after initiating an altercation that resulted in a miscarriage. The case was dismissed by Jefferson County Bessemer Cutoff District Attorney Lynniece Washington, who stated that “families on both sides of this matter suffered,” according to ABC News.

Jake Barksdale, a junior political science major and member of the UM College Democrats, shared how he thinks the students’ conversation went. 

“(Our discussion) was a lot less controversial than I thought it was (going to) be,” Barksdale said. “You’re just sitting across from a person four feet away. I definitely think that I gained new perspectives, and I like to think that I provided new perspectives as well as clarifications on people’s perspectives that I hadn’t had before.” 

Barksdale said the two sides did not see eye-to-eye on certain points of discussion. 

“There was definitely disagreement on whether or not the fetus was a person (in Alabama v. Jones),” Barksdale said. “But there was a general consensus on the case, and it was a civil conversation.” 

However, some members felt that the conversation strayed from being civil.

“I definitely think our group strayed away from talking about why we came here, and at times, it did feel like a debate,” Cade Kelly, a member of the UM College Democrats, said. 

Kelly, a freshman accounting major, shared this sentiment.

“I thought we were just going to talk about the case, which from what I understood was about abortion; however, the child was not aborted, so that wasn’t the case. But I definitely kind of understood (views that oppose mine) a little bit more.”

Cass Rutledge, chairman of College Republicans, shared his opinions on abortion policy.  

“More broadly, I think that mothers and fathers who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies should be supported, whether that’s reforming the foster system or making fathers pay for child support while the mother is pregnant or also expanding tax credit,” Rutledge said.