Abortion is probably the most controversial issue. You are either for it or against it, there is no in between. To some, it's a question of morality, others see it as a religious belief and will not accept abortion under any circumstance. If you are not against the issue, you are the liberal who believes in the right to choose. Considering the country that we live in, a choice should not be questioned by authority, and a woman should not be told what she can or cannot do to her own body.
Abortion by definition is the termination of pregnancy during the first trimester. There are two types of abortions. A spontaneous abortion is also known as a miscarriage. There are some twenty percent of pregnancies that end in miscarriages, majority of them occurring in the first two weeks of conception. In most cases, the mother is not aware that she is pregnant. The other type of abortion is an induced abortion. Induced, meaning a pregnancy is terminated for a medical reason, or a mother simply decides to end a pregnancy. .
Abortions can be traced back to ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. In those times pregnancies were terminated with the use of natural herbs. Abortions were accepted all through the Middle Ages, but by 19th centuries, opinions started to change. Opinions regarding abortion have gone as far as the Supreme Court. In 1973, a decision was made regarding a court case Roe vs. Wade. This decision influenced the right of a woman to choose in the years to come. The Supreme Court made abortion legal during the first trimester of a pregnancy. This decision was challenged in 1992. The Supreme Court upheld a woman right to choose but gave states greater power over discouraging abortions.
In the upcoming election, the abortion issue is a significant difference between the two running mates for president. Governor George Bush, who happens to be a conservative republican, is pro-life and wants abortions to be illegal.