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TheongoingconflictoverabortioninAmericahasbeenamajorsocialproblemthatfirstemergedasanissueinournationovertwocenturiesago

GroupB

TheAbortionDebate

GroupMembers:

EddieHopely

AlexandraCarr

SusannaChon

RafaelHarari

JuwitaChavez

TheongoingconflictoverabortioninAmericahasbeenamajorsocialproblemthatfirst
emergedasanissueinournationovertwocenturiesago.However,inthe1960'sand70'swiththe

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TheongoingconflictoverabortioninAmericahasbeenamajorsocialproblemthatfirstemergedasanissueinournationovertwocenturiesago

coincidingcivilrightsmovementandwomensrightsmovement,abortionbecamethenewnationalissue
westillseetodaybetweentwoopposingideologies,groupedintosidescoinedasprolifeandprochoice.
Itisthisstruggleoverwhosedeeprootedmoralsandbeliefsareadequateforoursocietythatmakethe
abortionissuesuchacontroversialanddivisiveone.Firstitisimportanttounderstandeachside,their
beliefs,theorganizationstiedtothem,andtheirwishesforpoliciesinournation.Thenitmaybe
possibletotakeacourseofactionthatwillbenefittheAmericanpublicasawhole.Wemustlookatthe
evolvingnatureofabortionthroughouthistory,eachsignificantissueinconflictbetweeneachside,the
profilesofthepeoplewithinthegroup,aswellasrelevantstatisticsthatprovideempiricalevidenceto
theresearch.Itisthenwiththisanalysisthatthefoundationforawellstructuredabortionpolicybest
suitedforAmericacanbeenacted.

Whileitmayseemthatabortionhasalwaysbeenanissue,itreallyonlybecameoneinthemiddle
ofthe19thcentury.Intheearly1800s,abortionswerepermittedintheUnitedStatesiftheyweredone
[1]
.Abortionswereforthemostpartmorallyacceptedat

beforethemothercouldfeelfetalmovement

thetime,butanumberofstatelawslimitingabortionweresoonpassedduetoaneffortbymedically
traineddoctorstoputillegaldoctorsoutofbusinesswhopracticedwithoutanyformaltraining.By
opposingabortionsonmoralandscientificgrounds,theformaldoctorswerelackinginwhatthe
untraineddoctorsprovided,andtherefore,formaldoctorshadanincentivetoattempttobanabortion.
Priorto1847though,thedoctorsweremostlyunsuccessfulintheirbanastheycouldnotrallymuch
[2]

supportfortheircauseevenorganizedreligionseemeddisinterested.

In1847,theAmericanMedicalAssociation(AMA)wasfounded,andthroughthisgroup,the
doctorswereabletoconductahardhittingcampaign.Withthehelpoftheantiobscenitymovementand
theComstockLaws,whichbannedthedistributionofbirthcontrolrelatedmaterials,aswellasthefearof
adeclinationofthewhitepopulationandincreasedbirthrateofimmigrants,theantiabortioncampaign
wassuccessful.Allstatespassedcomprehensivecriminalabortionlawsbytheendofthe19thcentury.

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TheongoingconflictoverabortioninAmericahasbeenamajorsocialproblemthatfirstemergedasanissueinournationovertwocenturiesago

[3]
BecauseoftheriseinillegalabortionsduringtheGreatdepression,doctors,socialworkers,and
professionalsalikemadeinitialactionsforreformoftheabortionlawsinthe1950s.Theybelievedthat
undercertaincircumstancesabortionswerejustified,andadoctorsinabilitytoperformthemwasseenas
aharpontheirownmedicaljurisdiction.Doctorsdiscussedabortionasanactofdesperationbywomen
[4]
Furtherinto

whodidnotdeservetodieinabackalleyandwhoshouldbedealtwithmorehumanely.

the1960s,asaresponsetoincidentsofarubellameaslesepidemiccausingfetaldeformity,andthe
consumptionbyoneSherriFinkbineofadrugthalidomidewhichalsocausedfetaldeformity,the
abortionissuehitthemediaspotlight.TheZeroPopulationGrowthMovementandtheWomens
Movementalsoraisedabortionissuesandgeneratedgreateraction.TheWomensMovementofthe
1960ssawmanyreformandrepealgroupsform,includingtheNationalAssociationfortheRepealof
AbortionLaws(NARAL)in1969,andtheriseofcivillibertiesgroupsandfamilyplanningactivists.It
wasduringtherevolutionary1960swhenabortionsdefinitionwaswidelyacceptedamongprochoice
[5]

peopleasawomensrightnecessaryforwomenscontroloftheirownbodies.

Theabortionissuecontinuedtogrowwhenin1973,theSupremeCourtoverturnedaTexas
interpretationofabortionlawsandmadeabortionlegalintheUnitedStatesinRoev.Wade.Based
primarilyupontheConstitutionsNinthAmendmentprotectingapersonsrighttoprivacy,thedecision
heldthatawomanhastherighttoanunrestrictedchoiceofabortioninthefirsttrimesterofpregnancy,
thatthestatehastherighttoregulateabortioninthesecondtrimester,andthatinthethirdtrimester,
[6]
Fromthispointon,thefightbetween

abortionshouldbeperformedonlytosavethelifeofthewoman.

prochoiceactivists,whoseemedtohavewoninthecaseofRoeV.Wade,andprolifeactivists,
whoweremoreralliedtoactionthaneverbefore,explodedwithpassionateandoftentimesviolent
enthusiasmthatremainsconstanttothisday.
PROFILES:
Takingalookatthedemographicprofilesofthewomenwhoactuallyhaveabortionswillgiveus

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