| To the editor:
Abortion is an issue of paramount importance to many people. When does human life begin? There are differences of opinion on this issue.
What do we know?
In Roe vs Wade (1973), the Supreme Court ruled that in the first trimester of pregnancy, any decision to terminate a pregnancy must be left to the woman's physician. In the second and third trimesters the state may promote their interests. (http://www.lawnix.com/cases/roe-wade.html) In other words, abortion is a legal option when a woman is faced with a difficult pregnancy.
What can we do?
Abortion is not an option that anyone desires. However, the decision should be left up to the woman faced with the pregnancy, along with her family and medical providers.
What should we do?
We can lessen the number of abortions, a goal which everyone desires, by providing people with the education and the means to prevent unwanted pregnancies. This is a goal our elected legislators can work toward, to give schools and social agencies the means to educate, inform, and provide ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies, thereby sharply decreasing the desire for abortions.
Lewis Campfield, Forsyth, Missouri Go Back | 
