Abortion Should Be Legalized

Abortion Should Be Legalized

The dictionary defines an abortion as a "medical termination of a pregnancy before the fetus has developed enough to survive outside the uterus" ("Abortion"). In simple words, an abortion is a very common way for a woman to get rid of an unwanted child before he or she is born. An abortion could be either a medical abortion, which is done trough the use of medications to end an early pregnancy, or a surgical abortion, which ends a pregnancy by removing the contents of the uterus. No matter how the abortion is performed, it has the same result: the unborn baby is killed. Abortions, in some form, have been performed for millennia. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romanians used special herbs and manipulations to terminate a pregnancy. In the middle ages in Western Europe, abortion was generally accepted in the early months of pregnancy. However, in the 19th century, public opinion changed, and abortion under any circumstances was prohibited by the Roman Catholic Church. At that time, stringent antiabortion laws were passed by the United States government. In the 20th century, abortion was again legalized in most European countries and Japan. The famous

law, "Roe v. Wade" which permitted abortions during the first six months of pregnancy was accepted in the United States in 1973. Since then, abortion has remained a controversial issue in the United States, and arguments about whether or not abortion laws should be banned have continued in different U.S. states.

Our nation is polarized over the political, legal, and moral status of abortion. The two sides of an abortion issue are termed "pro-choice" and "pro-life." On one side, pro-choice supporters say that it is a woman's choice what to do with her body; nobody is allowed to make that decision for her. On the other side, pro-life advocates maintain that abortion is an inhumane act and the murder of a helpless baby. Pro-lifers support the right to life of every human being, even a fetus that becomes a human being at the moment of conception. However, everybody agrees that a woman who is forced to give birth to an unwanted child has a chance to ruin her own life and, worst of all, the life of her future baby.

I think that abortions should remain legal in the United States. I agree that an abortion is a very serious and dangerous step for a woman to take. Sometimes, she may even not fully realize all the physical and emotional damages an abortion may cause. However, nobody should forget that sometimes pregnancy might result from rape or incest, or may lead to the death of a woman and/or her baby. Moreover, if the antiabortion laws are accepted, who can be absolutely sure that they will not cause even more damage? They may cause more problems by forcing a woman to give birth to an unwanted and unloved baby or to look for an illegal way to terminate her pregnancy, which can be even more dangerous to her health and life. Moreover, there is also a horrible possibility that a woman may still try to get rid of an unwanted baby after he or she is born by trying to kill him or her. In countries all over the world, children are found dead and abandoned in places as degrading as garbage dumps. Is this way to getting rid of an unwanted child more humane than an abortion? I do not think so. Considering all these facts, one should thoroughly think before maintaining that prohibition of abortion is the right way to make our society more humane and safe.

The main argument presented by pro-life supporters is the statement that an abortion is nothing else but the murder of a helpless baby who has not yet had a chance to live and function as a human being. This opinion has several weaknesses. First, is a fetus or embryo really a human being? Neither doctors nor scientists have yet been able to say in what moment we may consider a fetus a human being. On the one side, some say that an embryo or fetus becomes a human in the moment of conception. They identify the first moment of human life as the instant when a sperm cell meets with an egg cell. Other scientists counter this position by stating that a person must show an evidence of existing personality. This personality is formed only after a baby is born. I, personally, prefer to take the second opinion. While a woman carries a fetus inside of her, it is just a part of her body. According to philosopher Michael Tooley, "the fetus does not have a right to life at any time for it doesn't show desire for life". (Blackford) Second, an abortion is not always as harmful as pro-life advocates claim it is. Often, we shouldn't consider abortion to be a murder but as the only available necessary alternative. There are different instances where people may justify an abortion. One of the most serious is a pregnancy resulting from a rape or incest. Imagine a citation when a woman is forced to have a baby that was conceived out of rape or incest. Carrying the result of the rape inside of her for nine months and then every time looking upon her child, a woman would always remember how that child was brought into this world. A woman may get emotional and psychological disorders, and the blame may be placed on the innocent baby, who has never even seen his or her father. Many of us would agree that if the mother's life is in danger, an abortion could be acceptable. To give birth to a baby may mean to her to lose her own life. What would doctors do if abortions were restricted by law? Would they prefer to lose both the woman and the baby, or would try to save at least woman's life? There also may be circumstances in which a mother finds out that her future baby is going to be severely handicapped. Once again, a woman has to make a choice whether or not to keep this baby and sacrifice her life for taking care of him or her. If a woman knows that she is going to give birth to a mentally or physically retarded baby, she may think about abortion. If she cannot afford to treat the baby properly or she is not ready to provide the constant care and attention it needs, she cannot be forced to keep that baby. There are many other circumstances where an abortion may present a necessary alternative to having a baby. Some women do not make enough money to support themselves. Therefore, they cannot give birth to a child knowing that they will not be able support him or her financially. Other young women only after getting pregnant may realize that they are not emotionally capable of care for children. What would all these women do if abortions were banned? Abortions should be legal because there are many people for whom an abortion is the only one available alternative.

Another argument presented by the opponents of abortions is a statement that everyone who is living enjoys the gift of life because woman did not make the selfish