On January 22, 1973 a landmark ruling was made in the case commonly know as Roe v. Wade. This decision made abortion legal in the U.S. or, more accurately it protected a woman's privacy to make medical decisions with her doctor and her doctor alone.

This decision, for the first time in the U.S., took abortion out of alleys and off kitchen tables and made it a legal medical procedure that today is very safe.

On average, about one in every six women will have an abortion by the age of 45. The chances of a woman having complications that require hospitalization as a result of abortion are about three in one thousand. Once again, very safe.

I am grateful today that I live in a country where I have safe medical options and I can feel confident that if any of my four sisters ever needed to seek abortion services they wouldn't be stuck resorting to a wire coat hanger or crochet needle instead of a sterile medical setting with professionals to ensure they wouldn't bleed to death.

This is why it is important to me to vote pro-choice.

I want to ensure the health and happiness of my family and friends.

I value and respect a woman's right to choose the future of her life and her body as an individual and understand that no two women have the same life experiences or would make the same decision for the same reason.

When abortion is illegal, women die. (Realize that at no point is a man's life in danger because of a pregnancy.)

When abortion is illegal, women with money and privilege are still often able to access decent medical services, however poor women are forced to bear the ugly brunt of the attempt to legislate morality.

I believe every child deserves to be a wanted child and that until we can provide food, shelter health care and love for every child that is already in this world, we should not force women to have them.

Feel free to leave a comment about why choice is important to you.