Abortion

Abortion is one of the most controversial and hotly debated topics of this day and age. The reason for this surrounds the idea of whether the induced expulsion of the fetus is murder or rather in the interest of the mother. Pro-life activists debate that all life in the instant of its conception is innocent and deserves a chance at life. God chooses its time of life and death, not the mother. Pro-choice followers often argue in favor of science and the United States Constitutional Ninth Amendment, which holds freedom of choice sacred. The first patient is the mother, and she is the one who allows the pregnancy to happen or not. Personally, I am pro-choice; however, I am not pro-abortion. Pro-abortion zealots believe abortion is right for whatever reason the mother has, and basically acts as a sort contraception. This displays a poor conscience and lack of responsibility.

The coexistence of opposite and conflicting feelings about abortion is centuries old. Disagreements between public policy, morality and individual behavior on this issue existed even at the time of Plato and Aristotle. In the past few decades abortion issue has been brought into sharper focus and has been vigorously debated. A number of factors are responsible for this but perhaps the major one has been that associated with the sexual revolution, which accentuates freedom in all matters sexual, and in spite of or even because of the tremendous and indiscriminate increase in the distribution of contraceptives. Judges have ruled, politicians have legislated, but the controversy on this issue is still shaking our society. Since the late 1960's abortion has been shifting from a predominantly illegitimate status toward a more legitimate one. Several cases have been fought for the right to choose. Many of these have been hard cases with very personal feelings, but the perseverance showed through and gives us the rights we have today. In 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut upheld the right the right to privacy and ended the ban on birth control. Eight years later, the Supreme Court ruled the right to privacy-included abortions. In Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court stated that it is the women's right to have an abortion if she so chooses. Most arguments against granting women the right to abortion are based on religious and moral prohibitions, defending the sanctity of human life. Opponents of abortion rely on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person from the moment of conception. Anti- abortionist proclaims that they are pro-life. However, they spend so much time establishing that the fetus is a person and therefore has a right to live that they forget about mother's rights or simply ignore her existence.

The word "murder" is often used by pro-lifers to describe abortion. Murder means deliberate and unjustified killing of another person containing intent. How can anybody see an evil intent in a woman's decision to interrupt pregnancy if it is a result of rape or incest? A woman cannot bear the thought of having a child that would be a constant reminder of what had happened on such and such a day, such and such number of years ago. She doesn't want to kill a baby; she wants to interrupt the growth of an embryo so that it will not become a baby. She interrupts potential life. But potential life is just that, potential.

It is interesting to note that these same people, who place so much emphasis on protecting the fetus, seem to care so little about what happens to children after they are born. The vast majority opposes government welfare programs to help support needy and dependent children. These people are also in favor of the death penalty and see the killing that goes on during war as justified and noble.

My personal belief is that each woman should have a right to decide whether she wants to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. For reason's of women's right to self-determination, protection of their health, adequate care of children which are born and in order to prevent child abuse and mental disease, easy access to abortion is a must. Most abortions occur because contraception failed, because of a rape or because of a serious medical condition of the mother, which could lead to her death. In these situations abortion is often the only way that prevents the birth of an unwanted child or saves a mothers life.

Large percentages of women who have to deal with unwanted pregnancies are teenagers. Pregnancy often has catastrophic effects on adolescent. They drop out of school, have nervous breakdowns, and even commit suicide. It is also unsafe for them to go through with pregnancy. Many teenagers cannot provide the right conditions for raising a child for they are children themselves. Having a baby will often mean an end of future career, poverty and complications in health.

The issue of rape has to be considered when we discuss the importance for women of having a right to safe and legal abortion. It seems obvious to most people that we should not force a woman who has become pregnant as a result of rape to continue with pregnancy. Catholic church and conservative pro-lifers use the same old "murder argument" to not allow a woman to have an abortion in case of rape. Many of them do not realize the psychological trauma a woman has already gone through. They are not seeing the human beings involved. They are only concerned for unborn and have no concern for the born that is the victim, her family and friends.

Most people now agree that if the mother's life is in danger abortion is acceptable. It seems unreasonable to let both die when one can be