2016 AL Senate race: on Abortion

Richard Shelby: Roe v. Wade flawed on both a constitutional & moral basis

Shelby: I am resolutely pro-life and believe that the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade, in which it decided that abortion is a constitutional right, is terribly flawed on both a constitutional and moral basis. I believe that it is our ethical and moral duty to protect the dignity of human life, particularly when it comes to the lives of the most vulnerable members of the human race. I have consistently voted to prevent the use of any federal funds to perform abortions. I am also a cosponsor of S. 1553, the "Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act." S. 1553 would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks with the exception of saving the mother's life or in the event of rape or incest.

Marcus Bowman: Life begins at conception

A: Strongly oppose. Life begins at conception and every effort should be made to protect life from its earliest stage. Following the 10th Amendment can be a way that states can have their own approach on this issue.

Ron Crumpton: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right

A: Agree

Ron Crumpton: Best to end abortion, but not by making it a crime

In 1973, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that a woman's right to have an abortion is constitutionally protected, and I agree with that ruling. The history in this country shows that prior to Roe when abortion was illegal in most of the country, that imposing criminal sanctions did not solve the problem, it compounded it.

If you want to solve the problem then you have to treat the cause. If we wish to reduce the number of abortions in this country, it will take changes in what we teach our young people about sex and birth control. It will also require that birth control is available to the general public.