The Role Of Abortion In The United States

The United States has prided itself on making “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” stated in its Declaration of Independence as accessible for its citizens as possible. Recently, the country has tried both politically and socially to reduce the exclusion and discrimination of any and all groups of people from society as evidenced by topics such as gay marriage, equal pay for women and the frequently debated topic concerning the constitutionality of abortion. The Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution states, “no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States” (US Const. Amend. XIV). Many pro-choice arguments defend that the choice of abortion is a right of women
and that the Constitution, including the Fourteenth Amendment, protects this right. They also cite the implication of the right to privacy in the Bill of Rights which they feel supports the constitutionality of abortion although it is not stated outright in the Constitution. Although the scientific definition of when a fetus is considered a human being is considered to be fertilization, the legal definition decrees that it is much later, thus supporting that abortion is constitutional. Historically, many attempts to restrict when, where and how abortions can take place have been ultimately deemed unconstitutional by the courts which set a precedent that abortion is a constitutional right. Some of the restrictions that have passed or are still being debated, however, do cause women to have more time to consider her decision.