Abortion Laws

By Rasna Ekra

Abortion Laws (Planned Parenthood)
Abortion has been a topic of heated discussion in this presidential election. Where most of the democratic candidates defend Planned Parenthood, the republicans want to defund the program. This raises a big question on women’s rights, do they have the right to decide for their body and health? 

Most republican candidates wants to make abortion illegal unless it is the matter of life or death for a woman. Well, what about the women that is raped and gets pregnant, will the law still force her to give birth to a child? The important question is would she be in a mental state for motherhood? If a woman is not ready to be a mother, would it be a fair to her child? If Planned Parenthood is defund, people will go to private clinics to have abortion, which will cost the government more money through the medical insurance than if they invest in planned parenthood.

Influence of Religious Beliefs
Some Republican candidates have put their faith front and center like Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum all speak about how their religion has shaped their character and their choice to run for president. Other Republican candidates speak less personally about their religious practice, but still prominently include on their websites religion-linked issues such as restrictions on abortion; cutting funding for Planned Parenthood; and allowing businesses and individuals to opt out of providing services for abortion, contraception or gay marriage. Jeb Bush, Donald Trump and Chris Christie have no religion-related positions listed prominently on the issues sections of their websites, but they also support the banishment of planned parenthood.

See where the presidential candidates stood on abortion