On Jan. 22 our nation observed the 19th anniversary of the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion. As a student involved in the pro-life movement on campus, I would like to provide a critical examination of the issue for those who have an open mind and are in search of truth.

According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, there are a staggering 1.6 million abortions performed each year. The number of abortions each year is more than one third of the total number of live births. Another sobering statistic is that 43 percent of abortions are "repeat" abortions -- that is, 43 percent of abortions are performed on women who have had one or more previous abortions.

Although abortion rights activists would have Americans believe that every abortion is performed in cases of rape or incest, no more than one percent involve cases of rape or incest, and no more than seven percent are attributed to potential threats to the mother's psychological or physical health. Why then, are most abortions performed?

According to Planned Parenthood's own research, three out of four women having an abortion say that a child would interfere with work, school, or other responsibilities.

Some abortion rights activists may agree with us that too many abortions are being performed for less than ideal reasons, but that the main issue is who decides the abortion issue. Many people claim that personally they are opposed to abortion but that women should decide for themselves -- a "right to choose"is asserted.

At first glance, the choice argument seems to be a convenient middle ground. Few people want to be portrayed as denying other people of their right to choose something. It is also "politically correct" to hold the view that in moral issues, all choices are equally valid and that no single truth can prevail. However, this notion is contrary to our experience as human beings. Some choices are better than others. Certain choices may violate the dignity of the human person and therefore are not legitimate options.

When society looks at moral issues such as racism, sexual harassment or abortion, we must not look at a "right to choose" but instead at what is being chosen. In the choice of abortion, no one can deny that each and every procured abortion is the direct destruction of a human life. Science clearly shows us that the journey of the human life begins at conception.

Despite the scientific reality of fetal development some people still do not support legal protection for the unborn. To them I offer this thought: even if one cannot accept with certainty that human life begins at conception, we as a society must ASSUME it does, because it is better to err on the side of human life than to dare to risk murder.

I would like to conclude by clearing up one of the greatest untruths told about the pro-life movement: that we are only are only concerned about the life of the unborn child and not the mother. Few people realize that there are almost 3,000 service providers nationwide which help women seeking alternatives to abortion. Women in the State College area are fortunate to have both Birthright and the Crisis Pregnancy Center. The dedication and hard work of those in the pro-life movement reveal belief in this postulate: ALL human life is sacred.