After Roe vs. Wade was decided in 1973, making abortions legal by stating laws against abortion violated a constitutional right to privacy under the 14th amendment, America was divided between believing in a women’s right to choose or the unborn fetus’ right to life.

In November’s election, Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama will go head-to-head on this topic.

If elected McCain has proposed to overturn the decision to make abortion legal nationwide and give states the right to choose whether or not abortion would be legal. He has also stated that he would work to nominate judges who do not try to legislate from the bench.

McCain has previously said that “at its core, abortion is a human tragedy. To effect meaningful change, we must engage the debate at a human level.”

In 1999, however, it is documented that McCain said he would like to see abortion become irrelevant, but thought overturning Roe vs. Wade would be dangerous.

“I’d love to see a point where it is irrelevant, and could be repealed because abortion is no longer necessary. But certainly in the short term, or even the long term, I would not support repeal of Roe v. Wade, which would then force X number of women in America to [undergo] illegal and dangerous operations,” he said to CNN in August 1999.

He has since said that he does not agree with Roe v. Wade and wishes to overturn the decision.

Obama believes that abortion is a very conflicted topic, but he also believes in a women’s right to choose whether or not to become a parent. He also supports preventative services for unplanned pregnancy, such as education and contraceptives.

“I think that most Americans recognize that this is a profoundly difficult issue for the women and families who make these decisions. They don’t make them casually. And I trust women to make these decisions, in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy, and I think that’s where most Americans are,” he is quoted as saying in a debate in April 2007.

Theresa Schwiegert, a representative from Citizens Concerned for Human Life, believes that McCain is on the right track with his stance on abortion.

“The very basic of our human existence is the right to live and it is an inalienable right so far as no one can give or take it away legally. The right to exist has been a cornerstone of our democracy and when the Supreme Court challenges the right to life such as the decision of Roe vs. Wade, it is an entrenchment on the very basis of our democracy,” she said.

There is never a justification for abortion, Schwiegert said, and she would completely support making abortion illegal as it is the basic foundation of taking a human life.

“We have Supreme Court Justices who are fair and go ‘by the book,’ so to speak and make decisions on constitutional law. Any Supreme Court nominee who follows the constitution will see there is no shadow in the constitution that gives a woman the right to choose to kill a child,” she said. “I’m not worried about the McCain option. I think he will be honest and fair with any of those decisions.”

Former Mayor of Saratoga Springs A.C. Riley, a Republican, believes that the government needs to stay out of women’s reproductive health issues in every way other than funding.

“This is the same as any other state issue. The government should support funding for medical needs such as Medicaid, contraceptives and even abortion if needed,” she said. While I am a Republican, I disagree with overturning the decision of Roe vs. Wade. This is one of the issues I consider important, but I don’t like to see it become a partisan issue.”

Riley added that before voters head to the polls, they need to consider their own ethical foundations and where they get their foundation for their beliefs.

“Voters need to pay attention to the issues they feel are important, but also take into consideration there are a lot of other qualities to consider. There are standards to meet all across the board,” Riley said.

According to Saratoga Republican Committee Chairperson Jasper Nolan, he supports McCain’s stance on overturning Roe vs. Wade but said it is a national issue and is not something that can be settled locally.

“I trust McCain’s decision but there is no way to bring this to a local level,” he said.

Linda Scharf, director of communications for Planned Parenthood Mohawk Hudson, Inc., said she believes the main point is safety rather than abortion versus childbirth.

“There will always be a need for legal abortions. The question is do we want safe, compassionate care for the woman or do we want to return to back-alley abortions where desperate women risk infection, infertility or even death. The bottom line is health,” she said.

On the other hand, Schwiegert believes that these risks could be avoided if abortion was outlawed.

“It is incumbent upon the people of our country to decide what is right and what is wrong, and any society that has survived has shown that taking human life is wrong. I think people need to think about that and form their own conscience on the principles of right and wrong,” she said.

Scharf, however, feels the basis of right and wrong lies in the hands of the women making the choice.

“This is a matter of human rights and freedom to choose versus anti-choice extremism. There should always be the choice to become a parent or not and there are always extreme curcumstances in which an abortion is unavoidable,” Scharf said. “If they become illegal, we will be juggling the safety of the women of the United States.”