Over the past century, abortion in the Western Hemisphere has become a widely controversial topic that affects every human being. In the United States, at the current rate, one in three women will have had an abortion before the age of 45. The questions surrounding the laws involve moral, social and medical dilemmas that are based on the most fundamental principles of the law. ethics and philosophy. At the center of the debate are the not-so-clear lines that dictate what life is or is not and where the fetus fits among its meaning. To answer this question, legislators establish public policies dictating what a woman can and cannot do while taking into account her reproductive rights. The downside, however, is that there is no agreement on when life begins and when one crosses the line between the inalienable right to murder. In 1973, in what became a landmark decision for women's rights, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of a woman's right to abortion. Since then, individual states have adopted, modified and/or mutilated the executive order to suit their agendas – including Texas. However, the justices' decision in Roe v. Wade failed to set clear and indisputable dividing lines, allowing a fiery debate to consume the nation. Rather than establishing a legal ruling on what life is or is not, the Supreme Court has remained silent on the issue. In the absence of an agreement determining when life begins, state sovereignty has given state legislators the power to shape a state's policy on life. abortion. So what has happened in the United States is the ability for states to pass laws that place severe limitations on when and how a pregnancy can occur... middle of paper. .. otherwise the rights of the majority lose their meaning. Works Cited Al-Arian, L. (April 25, 2014). With the new laws in Texas, voluntary abortion is likely to increase. Al Jazeera America. Retrieved April 25, 2014, from http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/fault-lines/articles/2014/4/25/with-new-laws-intexasselfducatedabortioncouldrise.htmlDave, P. (April 16, 2014). ). Judge rules North Dakota's ban on abortion after 6 weeks unconstitutional. Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. Retrieved April 24, 2014 from http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-north-dakota-abortion-ban-unconstitutional-20140416,0,2368017.story#axzz2zxVTvNT4McDermott, LB (2014) . , April 11). Arkansas to appeal ruling on abortion restriction law. Reuters. Texarkana, Arkansas. Retrieved April 25, 2014 from http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/11/us-usa-abortion-arkansas-idUSBREA3A1ZL20140411