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 come together. Abortion poses a moral, social and medical dilemma that faces many individuals to create an emotional and violent atmosphere. 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. .
There are many points of view toward abortion but the only two fine distinctions are "pro-choice" and "pro-life". A pro-choicer would feel that the decision to abort a pregnancy is that of the mothers and the state has no right to interfere. A pro-lifer would hold that from the moment of conception, the embryo or fetus is alive. This life imposes on us a moral obligation to preserve it and that abortion is tantamount to murder. .
However, there does seem to be some affiliation between the social status as well as age of a woman and her likelihood to have an abortion. Women with incomes fewer than eleven thousand dollars per year are over three times more likely to abort than those with incomes above twenty-five thousand dollars per year.
