Dear Mr. or Mrs. President,

A major controversy in the United States is the legalization of abortion. In the case of Roe v. Wade in 1973, abortion was ruled legal by the Supreme Court and the 14th Amendment extended to the woman's right to have an abortion. Today, the country is split between both the Pro-Life and the Pro-Choice movements. 

All opinions deserve to be respected but an opinion should never legally determine the safety of a woman. No contraceptive device is 100% accurate and even when used perfectly, contraceptives can still fail. Even if methods of contraception were completely effective, it doesn't mean that everyone has easy access to contraceptives or knows where to get it and how to use it. Choosing to have sex does not equate to choosing to have a child, and should not be argued as such. The 'responsible' choice in the event of a pregnancy is not automatically to give birth. If a mother believes that the responsible choice is to terminate the pregnancy, it should be her choice to make.

Adoption is a viable alternative  but there are more reasons for abortion than to avoid raising a child. The cost of both the pregnancy and the hospital stay during the birth are huge, and even with the support of loved ones, having a child can be financially straining. Not to mention, there are a countless number of  possible complications that could be detrimental to both the mother and baby. Adoption is an option for mothers who are unable to raise their child, but it does not address all of the reasons for abortion.

When performed by a trained professional, abortion is one of the safest medical procedures. What would be unsafe is taking legal abortions away and causing women to perform them themselves or have them performed by someone not trained. Women should have the right to their own body and should be able to legally make decisions regarding their health and safety without any restrictions from the government. We already fought for our rights 43 years ago, don't make us do it again.

Sincerely,

Olivia Asuncion