What subject has been more controversial for the last several decades than abortion? Since the decentralization of abortion in 19731, thousands have been performed every year in the united States. Whether you are a pro-life or right-to-life supporter, or a pro-choice advocate, there are compelling arguments. Both sides use proven statistics, as well as emotional appeal to establish their points.
Pro-choice groups speak to the rights of a woman to choose what she wants to do with her body as a matter of freedom. Aside from personal choice, they believe that there are certain circumstances where abortion may be required due to medical reasons. Pro-life proponents contend that life begins at conception, therefore, as a human life the embryo has the right to live. Furthermore, anti-abortion proponents claim that abortion is immoral since it the choice to terminate the life of a living human being.
What is comes down to, however, is a very personal choice based on fundamental values and beliefs that should not involve government legislature, but be left to the individual to apply their individual needs and standards in making such a life hanging decision. Evaluating sources There are hundreds of sources of information on abortion available. Some are credible, while a majority seem to be biased and narrow.
While I read, and perhaps utilized, some of these partisan sources, the two that are most reliable are as follows: The ANURAL Pro-Choice America website seems as though it would potentially be riddled with single sided rhetoric simply by the proclamation of decision In the name, there Is an abundance of factual information available. The site supports the reproductive rights cause by providing clear statistical Information based on facts. Included are links to affiliates and resources, as well as Information on healthy pregnancies, birth control and sex education.
The site uses realistic, factual data to perpetuate their deals rather than the grandiose and grotesque visuals that the opponents use to feed on the guilt of the reader. Plain, supported Information to assist with the decision making process Is evident. On the other hand, it Is difficult to find a credible source for the anta-abortion cause. This is due to the majority of the sites dedicated to the pro-life movement abortion, the information included in the publication Biology Concepts – Distinguishing Between Life and Online by Harvey D. Goodman at discusses the scientific definition of what is “live”.
When this is applied to the argument that life begins at conception then the main anti-abortion argument is firmly cemented. If life begins at conception, which it does if the definition discussed in the above mentioned paper is applied, then an embryo is indeed alive and human. Even without using theologically based bias, how could the willful termination not be considered murder? Main arguments Pro-Choice When a woman finds out that she is pregnant, she undergoes a series of mixed- motions which may include fear, anger, confusion, sadness and anxiety.
This is especially the case when the pregnancy is unexpected and/ or unwanted. Additionally, there is a complex decision making process she must embark upon to decide whether or not she should continue with the pregnancy. There are many reasons she may want to terminate the pregnancy, or not. Pro-choice advocates primarily believe that a woman has the right to do as she wants with her own body. Why wouldn’t they? Doesn’t everyone want to have the freedom to choose when and what medical procedures will be performed on them? This seems like a basic truth that would hold true among all, but it this is not the case.
Pro-choice beliefs encompass all reproductive rights, including birth control, the right to reproductive healthcare and education, as well as safe and legal pregnancy termination options. They advocate that if a woman chooses to terminate a pregnancy, or have a child, is an inherent personal choice that the law makers should not take not part in. Reproductive choice is a personal liberty. Is it socially responsible to force women to birth children they cannot support financially or emotionally? The responsibility of gassing a child is the biggest decision most people will make in their lifetime.
Not only is there a huge financial commitment that a mother may not be able to meet, but the time, effort and emotion that are required to raise a child may not be within reach. Is it socially responsible to force women to birth children only to raise them in substandard circumstances and give that child a poor quality of life? Additionally, abortion may be necessary to terminate pregnancy when the embryo will develop into a child with sever medical problems or birth defects. Again, we must consider the quality of life of the parent, as well as the offspring. How can someone be forced to produce an unhappy burden?
Not only would a developmentally delayed child be an excessive strain on the parent, but a strain on society as a whole. They will likely grow into an unproductive adult rather than a beneficial member of the community. How can a parent be legally forced to raise a child in this case? Who benefits? If the embryo is terminated prior to consciousness, then it is as if they never existed at all and no harm has been done, however, if they are forced to subsist they will become a sad, painful burden for themselves, their family and society. While the statistics are unclear, thousand of women are the victims of rape related pregnancies every year.
In some instances she may be the victim of an incestuous sexual relationship. It is estimated that approximately 5% of these inappropriate sexual acts result in pregnancy (the same as with consensual intercourse). 2 Some pro-life advocates state woman to birth a child in this situation? Even if the mother decided to put the child up for adoption, she would still be forced to endure a pregnancy of nearly a year. This is not a healthy for the psyche of the mother or the child in that it would endure n their conscious to know that they were the victim of, or the product of a lewd and lascivious act.
Pro-life First, and foremost, abortion is morally wrong. Whether a person is deeply religious, or not, every human has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. How can intentionally terminating a human life not be considered murder? The life of the embryo begins when the egg is fertilized and is a human being from that point forward. The DNA of the child at conception, or zygote, is unique. The argument that the fertilized egg is “not human” simply does not make sense.
This issue is not a matter of opinion, emotion, or religious belief – it is science and it is proven that being a human with individual DNA begins at fertilization and abortion is a clear violation of human rights – not to mention murder. Additionally, abortion can be the cause of medical complications and may be physically damaging. While bleeding, nausea, and cramping may be short-term side effects, some more serious risks are partial termination resulting in continued pregnancy and potential deformity of the fetus, puncturing of the uterus, or retained tissue – all of which could involve major urge, or even a second abortion, to correct.
Abortion of has been linked to breast cancer, too. It interferes with the breast growth that comes with pregnancy and causes immature cells to be retained in breast tissue. These cells have been liked to increased breast cancer. A full term pregnancy, which allows these cells to fully mature, actually decrease breast cancer. 3 Abortion is psychologically damaging. If you have ever loved a child, there is no question of how termination of the life of a baby could not be detrimental to one’s psyche. How could anyone look at a child and think that they should have ended its life?
It is proven that there are many aspects that affect the psychological state of a woman after abortion. Emotions may include loss, anger, guilt, anxiety and depression which have been attributed to anxiety disorders, eating disorder, and even suicide. 4 Additionally, the sociological stress of having to hide the shame of what they have done from friends and family can be a life-long burden. Ending the life of a child, whether the pregnancy was anticipated, or not, taxes the heart, mind and soul. Religious groups vary on their take on abortion, but one thing they agree upon is that it is not part of God’s divine plan.
Each human being is created in God’s image and He has a sovereign plan for every single one. Abortion is not a complex political issue, or a matter of personal rights, it is a sinful act in conflict with what God has created. A human being is a human being no matter their age or ability. 5 Argument Map Supported position I am personally heavily conflicted about the issue of abortion. That is why I chose to complete my project on this subject. Having experienced the emotional distress and relief of the procedure with loved ones, I am aware of the effect having an abortion can have on one’s life.
To me, however it is a bigger subject than this. It has to do like so many pro-choice advocates say. The government, or any other person, has no right to tell me what I should do with my physical being. That being said, I am a mother and love children. I do not believe that I could terminate my own pregnancy under most circumstances, but all women need to have the opportunity to choose what is right for them. I will not pretend to know what some another’s values, financial situation, relationship status, health, age, or religion is but they should have the choice to decide what they need to do regarding whether or not to have a child.
Inductive argument Late in the sass’s my friend’s aunt became pregnant after the first time she had sex with her boyfriend. She was a freshman in college with her whole life ahead of her and knew that having a baby at this point would ruin her. Being highly religious, her parents would never understand, her friends would shun her and her resources for her college education would be cutoff. She heard about a “doctor” that could “take care” of her situation engaged the services of a stranger perform an illegal abortion. After a brief procedure involving a wire, she was told an infection would occur and the baby would miscarry.
Well, an infection did occur killing not only the undeveloped embryo, but the mother as well. For decades women have tried to end undesired pregnancies whether it was legal or not. They put their lives in Jeopardy with these unlicensed procedures. It seems that there is little correlation between legality of abortion and occurrence, but there is a huge relationship between legality and safety. Since 1973 abortion in the United States have been legal and abortion related mortality rates have immensely declined. While abortion is not the answer to birth control, it is a necessary that it remains legal and safe.
As long as abortion remains legal, women will be protected. 6 Deductive argument In the United States we enjoy freedom unsurpassed by that of any other nation in the world. We have the right to choose our government, our careers, where we reside, how we worship and so much more. In this spirit, all Americans should have the right to choose how many children they have, and the right to choose how to deal with pregnancy. The choice of whether or not to have an abortion should remain legal since government should have no say in this choice; therefore, laws prohibiting abortion would be a violation of a woman’s rights.
Comparative reasoning In 1973 the United States Supreme Court determined that a woman has the right to choose to terminate an unhealthy or unwanted pregnancy in all States. This was a huge step forward in the women’s rights movement as it granted women the right to control their individual reproductive choices. Forty years later, as the world has progressed so much, this debate rages on. Just like discrimination in the work place, the sexist media and male dominated politics, this is a blatant form of misogyny directed at reducing women’s rights. Will the right to voted be up for debate next?
Women have the right to progress and be in control of their lives. It is not time to move back into the dark ages – but forward toward enlightenment. Ideological reasoning Every woman should have the right to make their own reproductive choices without interference from government, or from those with differing spiritual beliefs and values. She should be allowed to choose to prevent pregnancy, to birth children with dissimilar ideology may choose what is right for their situation but have no right to impose their way of life or legal action upon another individual as it is a clear violation of personal freedom.
Empirical reasoning Legal abortion has proven to be a safe and effective method for termination of unsafe or unwanted pregnancy in the United States since 1973. The legalization of abortion is attributed to saving women’s lives, since they are able to access quality medical services with hygienic facilities, trained practitioners and proper treatments. These facts were confirmed in a study completed by the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs which attributed the lower mortality rate from abortion was due to “the shift from illegal to legal abortion. 8 Conviction While I understand the emotional and theological reasoning behind the pro-life movement, there is no scientific basis that there is human consciousness or cognitive thought in the early stages of development of an embryo. The anti-abortionists are determined, however, to impose their moral beliefs on everyone which is based in religion. If we are truly going to have a separation of church and state legislation should not be rooted in religious doctrine. The abortion debate is that of personal morality since that depends strongly individual values.
Elimination of the choice should not be an option. If a pregnant woman believes that it is inherently wrong to have an abortion, she should not have one. However, a woman should never be forced to birth a child and then bear the life-long consequences. It is a violation of liberty, freedom and privacy. Making abortion illegal will not stop them from occurring, it will only risk the lives of thousands of women. Opposing position A fertilized egg will become a human and of that life is murder and is immoral and illegal. In any other case, punishment for murder is imprisonment.
Someone convicted of murder may be imprisoned for years, or even life. Being sent to prison s a punishment for murder is detrimental to life that individual’s life. Should every woman who has had an abortion be imprisoned since she has committed murder of her child? Deductive argument Upon fertilization of an egg inside of a woman’s uterus all human chromosomes are present, and a unique life begins. This is true because the embryonic DNA is specifically human and will develop, if allowed, into a human baby. The baby is indeed a human being and all human beings within the United States have the right to life.
How can this inalienable right be denied too living thing that is undeniably human? Comparative reasoning Even in the early stages of development a human fetus resembles a tiny, little human being. Within 12 weeks of fertilization the fetus has a face and tiny little hands and feet. There is no argument that it is a already a living little human being. Abortion of this life would be akin to poisoning, or even chopping up a little baby. 9 Ideological The Christian Bible declares that man was created in God’s image. It is His divine plan to create life and it would be a sin to interfere with this.
From the moment of conception, the only difference between live baby and a fertilized egg is the number of cells. There can be no line drawn from the moment of conception to birth since be immoral, illegal and a sin against God. 10 Empirical reasoning Scientists have specific definitions as to what is life and what is not. The most basic of these concepts is that living things posses other life processes. For example, a living thing must have fuel/ food of some kind which will be utilized as energy. An embryo requires tremendous energy to develop and grow into a child.
This, in itself, is the most basic definition off living thing. So, if a developing embryo is indeed a living thing – a human living thing – then how can it not be granted the same rights s any other living human being? This is not moral, ethical or religious – it’s Just fact. 11 Proponents of the opposing position “One of the most fundamental conservative views is that of being pro-life – believing that every life has value and worth. That is scientific because you know that biologically life begins at conception. That’s irrefutable”. – Mike Huckster, November 12, 2012 on The Daily Show with John Stewart. 2 Former Governor Huckster contends that the right to life is not a theological issue, but a scientific fact. While this opinion is widely debated, Governor Huckster is also an ordained minister with he Southern Baptist Church. His beliefs would therefore parallel those with highly religious values. The most prominent pro-life/ anti-abortion groups are faith based and assert that it is against God’s divine plan to terminate a life that “He” created in his own image (Genesis 1:27). Without the belief that an embryo was created in God’s image and in the divine sanctity of life, the right to life stand does not hold up.
In the first stages of development an embryo is a mass of cells without any resemblance or intelligence off human being. There is no empirical proof that an embryo in the first stages can feel pain. In fact, it seems impossible that until further development of the nervous system, the embryo could be capable of thought or pain. While this is the start off human life, it is not yet a human being. Believing that an embryo is a full human being with rights granted as such would be akin to the idea that a fertilized seed is indeed a plant, or an egg is a chicken. It’ is Just not true.
Conclusion Conservative, or liberal, orthodox or atheist, the fact remains that there are arguments for both sides when it comes to abortion. The debate involves profound beliefs regarding what is personally moral or immoral, human relationships and the art society should play in such personal decisions. A pregnant woman will be affected very deeply, emotionally, psychologically and perhaps, spiritually, for the rest of her life. The decision to terminate a pregnancy, carry a child to term, and then whether to raise that child or not will impress upon her forever more.
The argument for or against abortion will always remain fundamentally unresolved because it involves deep emotion as well as logic. The point is that the right to choose should never be usurped, especially with such a controversial issue. If a person strongly lives that abortion is wrong, immoral and unholy then they should apply those beliefs to their own life without imposing those beliefs on all of society. I believe in the separation of church and state and in basic human rights for individuals that are, indeed, full fledged human beings.
All United States citizens are granted their basic human rights. Our greatest freedoms are the right to choose. There is no satisfying answer to whether abortion is right, or wrong. It is a deeply personal issue that will affect those involved for the rest of their lives – no matter the choice.