The Story of the Roe v Wade Abortion Decision

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Recommended: minors should not have to get consent from parents to have an abortion

Abortion has been a controversial topic plaguing our society for quite some time now. There seems to be two clear cut stances on abortion: pro-life and pro-choice. But then what a lot of people fail to realize is that there are many people who cannot make up their mind whether they agree with abortion or not. Many believe that abortion is against their religion, that taking another's life is wrong, but they also are haunted by questions such as: 1) What if a woman is raped and then becomes impregnated? No one wants a reminder of such a tragic event, especially a child who would have half the rapist's chromosomes. 2) What if giving birth to a child would put the mother's life at risk? 3) What if giving birth to a child would most likely result in the death of the mother and the child? 4) What if a woman becomes impregnated via incest? Does she really want to have a child that would be fathered by her father or other close relative? How can one choose either stance when both would contradict their morals? This gray area is what many people find themselves falling into. The Case: Roe vs. Wade An example of the complexity of choosing a stance on abortion rights is the legal battle of Roe vs. Wade. In the early 1970s abortion was illegal in Texas. This anti-abortion law had been in effect since 1859. The Plaintiff: Norma McCorvey a.k.a. "Jane Roe" "Jane Roe" was a 21-year-old single divorcee who became pregnant, but didn't want to have the baby. She couldn't have an abortion because it contradicted the Texas law that abortion was illegal unless it was necessary to save a woman's life. Obviously Roe didn't fit this criterion because her life was not in danger; she just did not want to bring a child into this world.... ... middle of paper ... ...upreme Court rulings in 1973, the spotlight has been put on whether or not parental consent for an abortion is mandatory for minors. Many are saying that this is unconstitutional and also infringes on one's right to privacy. What will happen with these arguings? Possibly another Roe vs. Wade in years to come? Bibliography Palmer, Louis J. Encyclopedia of Abortion in the United States McFarland & Company, Inc. 2002 "RoevWade.org" Women and Children First © 1997 - 2004 2 November 2004 Cullen-DuPont, Kathryn Great American Trials New England Publishing Associates, Inc. 1994 Mount, Steve "The U.S. Constitution Online" Steve Mount UsConsitution.net 14 June 2004 2 November 2004 http://www.usconstitution.net/choose.html Sass, Lauren R. Abortion: Freedom of Choice & the Right to Life New York 1978

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