Abortion is a major topic of discussion that divides candidates and fuels intense debate every election season. It is often a controversial topic to discuss because it deals with two very fundamental human rights: the right to life and the right to free will. Much of the issue surrounding this topic is reliant on the fact that religion and personal privacy conflict with each other. Pro choice advocates argue that the option of exercising an abortion is solely up to the family and the government has no jurisdiction to get involved in such sensitive decisions. Meanwhile, pro life supporters place heavy emphasis on morality and ethics, stating that such actions are deemed as inhumane and is a violation of both religious beliefs and human rights.
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Much like the split between Americans, both presidential candidates bare different views toward abortion and reproductive health. For example, Hillary Clinton’s stance on abortion coincides with pro-life supporters and she believes that women’s reproductive rights should remain a top priority among many other issues. Clinton’s plans include making abortion more accessible and removing many of the barriers that prevent women from seeking the service. In addition to expansion of abortion access, Clinton wants to make abortions safer for women. She stresses that making abortions unaccessible or illegal will not eliminate the issue. Instead, women might seek out unsafe methods of abortion and could put their lives in danger. As someone who has always advocated for freedom on abortion, Clinton states that, “. . . [W]e need to protect access to safe and legal abortion — not just in principle, but in practice. Any right that requires you to take extraordinary measures to access it is no right at all,” (Van Oot & Demara, 2016). Furthermore, Clinton believes that the decision for abortion should be a private matter between the woman, her family, and her doctor. Like pro-choice supporters, Clinton advocates fully for the right to privacy and stresses that the government has no right to control a woman’s reproductive choices, (Clinton, …show more content…
Trump’s views align with pro-life supporters and he believes that abortions should only be allowed in extenuating circumstances such as rape, incest, or jeopardy of maternal health. However, according to Trump, other aspects such as abortions without reason in the first trimester should not be allowed. Trump, as well as his running mate, Mike Pence, have stated in their campaigns that they strongly oppose abortion. One of the main items on Trump’s agenda includes the defunding of Planned Parenthood and placing stricter barriers on abortion. Trump states that Planned Parenthood’s services that include reproductive health are very beneficial to society, however, their main concern is making abortions available to women, which is something he does not support. If elected, Trump claims that he will seek to overturn the Roe v. Wade supreme court decision, thus, reforming the restrictions placed on abortion and limiting women’s right to privacy (2016 presidential candidates, 2016).
As an attempt to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, Trump plans to appoint Supreme Court justices that are pro-life and hopes to rid of the first trimester abortion law. Trump believes that the unborn child should have constitutional rights and plans to enact the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” to limit abortion practices, (2016 presidential candidates, 2016).
Much like the split between Americans, both presidential candidates bare different views toward abortion and reproductive health. For example, Hillary Clinton’s stance on abortion coincides with pro-life supporters and she believes that women’s reproductive rights should remain a top priority among many other issues. Clinton’s plans include making abortion more accessible and removing many of the barriers that prevent women from seeking the service. In addition to expansion of abortion access, Clinton wants to make abortions safer for women. She stresses that making abortions unaccessible or illegal will not eliminate the issue. Instead, women might seek out unsafe methods of abortion and could put their lives in danger. As someone who has always advocated for freedom on abortion, Clinton states that, “. . . [W]e need to protect access to safe and legal abortion — not just in principle, but in practice. Any right that requires you to take extraordinary measures to access it is no right at all,” (Van Oot & Demara, 2016). Furthermore, Clinton believes that the decision for abortion should be a private matter between the woman, her family, and her doctor. Like pro-choice supporters, Clinton advocates fully for the right to privacy and stresses that the government has no right to control a woman’s reproductive choices, (Clinton, …show more content…
Trump’s views align with pro-life supporters and he believes that abortions should only be allowed in extenuating circumstances such as rape, incest, or jeopardy of maternal health. However, according to Trump, other aspects such as abortions without reason in the first trimester should not be allowed. Trump, as well as his running mate, Mike Pence, have stated in their campaigns that they strongly oppose abortion. One of the main items on Trump’s agenda includes the defunding of Planned Parenthood and placing stricter barriers on abortion. Trump states that Planned Parenthood’s services that include reproductive health are very beneficial to society, however, their main concern is making abortions available to women, which is something he does not support. If elected, Trump claims that he will seek to overturn the Roe v. Wade supreme court decision, thus, reforming the restrictions placed on abortion and limiting women’s right to privacy (2016 presidential candidates, 2016).
As an attempt to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision, Trump plans to appoint Supreme Court justices that are pro-life and hopes to rid of the first trimester abortion law. Trump believes that the unborn child should have constitutional rights and plans to enact the “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act” to limit abortion practices, (2016 presidential candidates, 2016).