ecifically in favor of abortions, while VP candidate Gov. Sarah Palin has announced her pro-life stance. Still, abortion has not been nearly an important talking point: "Barack Obama was playing down his support for abortion rights and searching for common ground with conservative voters. John McCain, an opponent of abortion rights, didn't appear comfortable bringing up the old "wedge" issues to rally the Republican base" (Ewers 61).
There continuers to be evidence that many women- chances are the majority of women-still strongly believe they have a right to choose whether to have an abortion or not. These women see it first as their Constitutional right. Next, they feel it is their moral right to decide anything having to do with their bodies. It is, to some women, as simple as elective surgery. They can elect to have it. They can choose not to. Why do some women choose abortion? It is often an economic choice. Families are already too large. Income is not sufficient to raise a child. There are also conditions of emotional problems: unmarried women, especially teen-agers who have had unprotected sex and know that the father is neither willing nor able to help support the child, and that the teen's parents would be (or are) mortified at the pregnancy. Incest and rape also figure in the decision to abort.
Congress is still considering legislation called the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA). Section 2 of this bill spells out exactly what its purpose is:
"A woman's decision to commence, prevent, continue, or terminate a pregnancy is one of the most intimate decisions an individual ever faces. As such, reproductive health decisions are best made by the woman, in consultation with her medical provider or loved ones, without governmental interference."
(Obama has signed on as a 1007 co-sponsor of the Senate version of the bill, but McCain wants to overturn Roe v. Wade).
Of course, there are propon...