SCOPE:

The battle lines on the abortion issue remain clearly drawn 30 years after the Supreme Court's controversial Roe v. Wade decision established a constitutional right to the procedure during most of a pregnancy.  Anti-abortion groups continue to urge Congress and state legislatures to regulate abortion practices, while abortion-rights supporters say the measures undercut women's reproductive freedom.  At the urging of President Bush, Congress is moving to ban a late-stage procedure that opponents call "partial-birth" abortion although the Supreme Court struck down a similar state law three years ago.  The legislative fights continue unabated in the states, where more than 300 anti-abortion laws have been enacted since 1995.  Meanwhile, both sides are girding for a possible fight over a Supreme Court nomination from Bush if one or more vacancies occur. (CQ Researcher, March 21, 2003)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The following sources will allow you to become more familiar with your topic, will give you ideas for narrowing your topic, and will serve as a starting point for your further research.

SPEECH TABLE ITEMS
CQ Researcher Issues
    Abortion Showdowns 9/22/06
    Abortion Debates 3/21/03
    Embryo Research 1999 p. 1065
    Women and Human Rights 1999 p. 367
    Population and the Environment 1998 p. 607
    Roe v. Wade at 25 1997 p. 1033
    Feminism's Future 1997 p. 181

Abortion: Opposing Viewpoints
Feminism: Opposing Viewpoints  

Ethics of Abortion: At Issue  

Abortion Controversy: Current Controversies  

Taking Sides: Current Viewpoints on Controversial Issues
    Bioethical Issues
    Family and Personal Relationships
    Gender Studies
    Health and Society
    Human Sexuality
    Legal Issues   

Abortion: Contemporary World Issues  

Abortion: An Eternal Social and Moral Issue: Information Plus Series  

REFERENCE ITEMS
Encyclopedia of Bioethics
REF HM 30 .E52 vol. 1 p. 1-42

Encyclopedia of Social Issues
REF HN 57 .E59 vol. 1 p. 1-9

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine
REF RC 41 .G35 vol. 1 p. 6-12

Encyclopedia of the American Constitution
REF KF 4548 .E53 vol. 1 p. 4-15

Great American Court Cases
REF KF 385 .A4 G68 vol. 3 p. 387-470 "Reproductive Rights"

Encyclopedia of Psychology
REF BF 31 .E52 vol. 1 p. 1-5

Encyclopedia of Marriage and the Family
REF HQ 9 .E52 vol. 1 p. 1-12

Human Sexuality
REF HQ 9 .H846 p. 3-8

SUGGESTED TOPICS:

This topic is one which can be studied from a number of aspects and points of view. Some of these might be:

• Should Roe v. Wade be overturned?

• When does life begin?
• Is the fetus a person?
• Is abortion a personal choice?
• Should parents participate in a teenager's decision to abort?
• What role should men play in abortion decisions?
• Does rape justify abortion?
• Do legal abortions exploit women?
• Should the government fund abortions for the poor?
• Should the RU 486 pill be available to American women?
• Should a national health care plan include abortion services?
• Are violent protests at abortion clinics justified?
• Are abortion clinic protestors terrorists?
• Should aborted fetuses be used for medical research?
• Is fetal tissue research ethical?
• Has the anti-abortion movement given rise to an increasingly vocal religious right?
• Has abortion become just another form of birth control?
• Are late term abortions for any reason morally acceptable?
• Should Congress ban "partial birth abortions"?
• Is violence changing the abortion debate?
• Is there a conspiracy linking the attacks on abortion clinics?
• Should the entire pro-life movement share in the blame for clinic violence?
• Are peaceful clinic protests a legitimate or effective tactic in the abortion struggle?
• Is the federal law making it a crime to block abortion clinics fair to anti-abortion protesters?
• Where does free speech end and law breaking begin in clinic violence?
• Is it possible to be pro-life and pro-choice at the same time?
• Is the Catholic Church's position on abortion out of touch with its members?
• Can one be a good Catholic and support abortion rights?
• Is abortion a matter of conscience? If so, does ones duty to conscience ultimately over ride their duty to church?
• Should judges be able to take the place of parents in helping minors decide on having an abortion?
• Is a constitutional amendment necessary to protect unborn children?
• Is the media biased toward pro-choice groups?
• Can/should difficult medical decisions be legislated?
• Has the American moral fiber been weakened since Roe v. Wade?
• Are there always alternatives to abortion?
• Should women who receive abortions be treated as murderers?
• Do American look upon birth as a preventable disease?
• Why is adoption considered a private issue affecting only the people involved while abortion is treated as a social issue?
• Will the RU 486 pill end the abortion debate?
• What are the rights of the unborn over/against those of the mother?
• Is the abortion procedure safe?