More than any other contemporary issue, the debate over abortion illustrates the potential for conflict in American society. The fierce and public discourse about abortion leaves our country bitterly divided, with reasonable people weighing in strongly on both sides of the issue. In an era when public apathy has been well chronicled and lamented, the issue of abortion remains highly salient; studies show that almost everyone has a firm belief about abortion. Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that effectively guaranteed the right of women to have abortions, was rendered back in 1973, but the years since have done little to weaken the resolve of those opposed to the procedure. In fact, some historians assert that the Court, in surprising the nation with the Roe decision, polarized both camps and mobilized widespread support for the pro-life movement. Whereas before, the debate could be carried on locally, after Roe, the issue was thrust upon the nation as a whole (Roberge, 23).
During the past quarter century, abortion has joined race and war as one of the most debatable subjects of controversy in the United States. It discusses human interaction where ethics, emotions and law are combined. Abortion poses moral, social and medical dilemmas that focus many individuals to create an emotional and violent atmosphere (Risen,Thomas, 6).
There are many points of view toward abortion but the only two fine distinctions are "pro-choice" and "pro-life". A pro choice person would feel that the decision to abort a pregnancy is that of the mothers and the state should have no right to interfere. A pro-life person would hold that from the moment of conception, that the embryo or fetus is alive. This life imposes on us a moral obligation to preserve it and that abortion is the same as murder. In the United States about 1.6 million pregnancies end in abortion (Hutchins, 10).
