Abortion -- a constant issue in American politics -- remains at the forefront of some Penn State voters' concerns this election year.
"Abortion is a huge issue in today's society," Emily Packer (freshman-health and human development) said. "If anyone says otherwise they are lying to themselves. This election might totally determine what women can and cannot do for a long time coming."
Packer is not alone in her sentiments.
Matthew Wilson (senior-industrial engineering) said abortion rights should be given more attention than they currently are in this election because of the social and moral consequences presented by the practice.
In this election, the presidential candidates and their running mates view abortion rights in several different ways.
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., the Democratic presidential candidate, opposes any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade, which legalizes abortion.
"I also don't understand how conservatives say every baby has the right to live, and yet support a war that has killed countless innocent children," Packer said. "I am pro-choice and anti-war."
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., believes Roe v. Wade is an erroneous decision that must be overturned and the power should be given to the individual states. His running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, opposes abortion in all cases including rape and incest, except when a mother's life is in danger.
"I think that if a woman wants a choice, that choice should be made in the bedroom. It is not the woman's choice to kill her unborn child," Wilson said. "The baby is not her possession, it's a human life. Murder is murder and should not be veiled as choice, and people need to understand this."
Packer said though abortion rights seems to be a "women-only" issue, it needs to be legally protected and are a topic of concern for all voters.
"Every woman's situation is different so abortion should be a singular woman's decision," she said. "Anyone who is against it needs to sit back and put themselves in a woman's shoes."
Some Penn State students said there are better alternatives to terminating a pregnancy if the child is unwanted or outside of the parent's financial and emotional means.
"Don't have abortions, just have adoptions," John Wilde (junior-civil engineering), said. "There is no reason to kill a fetus simply because you do not have the means to take care of it, there are other alternatives."
State College houses several clinics that specialize in women's health issues ranging from contraception and abortion to STD testing.
"Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care advocate and provider. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved," Diane Quest, PPFA senior press officer, wrote in a press release last week.
