This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One positive note from the vice presidential debate was that both candidates said they personally oppose abortion. Democrat Tim Kaine, however, would keep it legal nationally whereas Republican Mike Pence favors repeal of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision to legalize.
After 1973, reported abortions soared, peaking at 364 per 1,000 live births in both 1984 and 1985 during the administration of Ronald Reagan. Abortions per year peaked at 1.43 million in 1990 during the administration of George H.W. Bush.
During the Obama presidency, abortions have declined every year and stand at their lowest level since 1973. In 2012, the latest year Centers for Disease Control abortion data are available, abortions fell to 699,202. In fact, the current rate is probably well below pre-1973 levels since so many abortions in that era were illegal and went unreported.
Unlike Republicans, President Obama and other Democrats support sex education, access to birth control and funding for family planning programs, all of which contribute to the declining numbers.
If you want more abortions, more family-values grandstanding and a return to unsafe abortions that kill women, vote Republican.
If you want fewer abortions, vote Democratic.
Steve Warren
West Valley City