Alexia Rodriguez 12-07-11
Making the Ultimate Choice With the evolving moral standards of society, abortions are becoming more and more justified. Abortion, the practice of removing a fertilized egg from a mother, has become a controversial issue in American society, but should be generally supported because of women’s rights, religious and personal beliefs should not interfere with government and laws, in case of rape or incest, abortion is a safe medical procedure, and even with responsible use of contraceptives unwanted pregnancies still occurs. A woman's right to choose abortion is a fundamental right recognized by the US Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade since Jan. 22, 1973. The Roe v. Wade decision held that a woman, with her doctor, could choose abortion in earlier months of pregnancy without legal restriction, and with restrictions in later months, based on the right to privacy. Abortions during the first trimester of pregnancy were invalidated by Roe v. Wade. State laws limiting such access during the second trimester were upheld only when the restrictions were for the purpose of protecting the health of the pregnant woman. The court case legalized abortion in the United States, which was not legal at all in many states and was limited by law in others. The Supreme Court chose to base its decision on the Fourteenth Amendment. The fourteenth amendment is based on the fact that U.S. citizenship is a birthright and blocks states from taking actions that deny people civil rights. A criminal statute that did not take into account the state of pregnancy or other interests than the life of the mother was deemed a violation of due process. The decision to have an abortion is a personal choice of a woman regarding her own body and the government must Rodriguez 2 protect this right. Women have the right to affordable, safe and legal