Abortion is probably one of the most controversial issues in the United States today. The laws and ideas behind abortion are discussed on both sides. Some who are pro-life believe that it is up to the mother to decide whether or not the child will die. Pro-choice people believe that under certain circumstances abortion is permissible, which I would have to agree with. In these next paragraphs I will explain the different laws that the government has put in place both pro-life and pro-choice. I will also provide my personal opinion on why I believe abortion should be left up to the mother to decide whether or not to have an abortion. One of the best-known cases dealing with abortion is Roe v. Wade. It's a Texas law that makes it a crime to help women get abortions and also violates their due process rights. The case was ruled 7-2 that the right to privacy under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion, but that right must be balanced against the State's two legitimate interests in regulating the 'abortion. The court rejected the prospect of Roe and started a national debate about whether or not and to what extent abortion should be legal for (Randolph). Roe holds that the person holding the child has the right to abort it until the child is viable. Which, I would have to agree, because ultimately it's up to the child carrier. The Hyde Amendment of 1973 bans the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortions. From a pro-life point of view, a bill called The Sanctity of Life Act was introduced in the House of Representatives. It was introduced first in 1995 and then reintroduced... halfway through the document... to some extent, in cause of some of the cases I have cited in this document. Works CitedThomson, Judith. The violinist. Moral Philosophy, 1971. 173-175. Print.Warren, Mary. Moral and legal status of abortion. 4th ed. 57. Belmont: Wodsworth, 1973. 186. Print.Randolph, A R. “Before Roe V. Wade: Judge Friendly's Draft Abortion Opinion.” Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy. 29.3 (2006): Print.Mohr, James C. Abortion in America: The Origins and Evolution of National Policy, 1800-1900. Oxford [Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, 1979. Internet resource. Singer, Norman. Law on the sanctity of life. 6th ed. 14. Sutherland Statutory Constructions, Web. .The Human Life Amendment. “Highlights of the Human Life Amendment”: United States Congress. 1973-2003. National Committee on the Human Life Amendment. Network. http://www.nchla.org/issues.asp?ID=46