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Should Abortion remain Legal? Janet Mitchell PHI 103 Informal Logic Instructor Sanderovsky November 29, 2010

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Should Abortion remain Legal? The debate over the issue of abortion has been going on since long before the government made the decision to make abortion legal. The argument of whose rights are more important, the womans right to choose or the unborn babys right for life is one where most cannot find a middle ground. This paper will examine both side of the issue of abortion from pro-life to prochoice, with the main emphasis of this paper being on the right of a womans choice to do what she feels is right for her and her body without anybody else telling her what she can and cannot do, especially the government. Thesis Freedom! The American Heritage College Dictionary defines this word as The capacity to exercise choice; free will (p. 542, definition # 5). This is what America is about, is it not? The right to choose what we do a do not want to do. We have the right to choose where we live, how we dress, and whether or not we want to have cosmetic surgery. Why then, should a woman not have the right to choose whether or not she wants to have a baby? The simple answer to this question is, she should. There are several reasons why a woman should have this right to choose. First and the most important reason is that it is her body and no one should have the right to tell her what she has to do with it. No one tells a man he has to have a vasectomy or not, it is his choice. Why is it that people feel they have the right to tell a woman she has to carry a baby to term if she is not in the position to take care of or even want the baby? Maybe she already has two children to take care of by herself with no one else helping her and cannot afford to take care of another child. Some people would say that she should then have the baby and give it away for adoption, but for

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some women this would be nearly impossible to do because she would already love the child by the time it was born. Making it hard for the mother to give the child away and then when she ended up keeping the baby making her life even harder than it already was by having to raising three children instead of two children. Who has the right to tell her these are her only two choices either raise the baby or give it away? No one because she is the one who has to deal with caring, raising, and supporting these children and no one else. Equally important are the case of pregnancies that happen to occur during rape or incest. Should a woman be forced to carry the baby of some man who forced himself on her? No because she is the one who has been violated and to force her to carry a baby to term under those conditions is a very cruel thing to do. Some women might be able to handle this type of situation and even grow to love the child they are carrying, but not all of them can and the ones who cannot should not be forced into doing so just because someone else thinks they should. Women and girls are the only ones who will ever have to deal with this type of situation, men never will. Therefore, no one should get to decide for them how they should have to deal with it. No woman should be forced to carry a baby that was conceived during either of these types of degrading acts. Furthermore, there is some very good medical reason why a woman should have an abortion. If the health of the mother is such that it endangers her health by being pregnant should she have to carry the baby and have it at the risk of her own life? If the mother is not healthy than neither will the baby be, putting them both at risk. Chances are if the mother were to carry and have the baby either the mother would die or the baby would. More than likely they both would die because the mother was not strong enough or healthy enough to have the baby in the first place. Is the life of the baby more important than the life of the mother? Of course it is

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not because both lives are equally important. In this situation however, the mothers health and life is more important than the life of the unborn baby. Another important medical reason for having an abortion would be if the unborn baby was severally deformed or had a disease that would cause it to die shortly after having been born. Is it really fair to make a woman carry a baby to term then go through hours of labor knowing that the baby is just going to die shortly after being born? No, it is not because it would be hard on her both mentally and emotionally knowing that the baby she would have to carry for nine months was going to die soon after it was born. Finally, to reiterate, a womens body is hers and hers alone. Therefore, she alone should have the freedom to choose what happens to it or not. She is the one who has to deal with being pregnant and the one who has to deal with all the emotional fallout from her decision. Whether she decides to keep the baby or have an abortion no one else but her should be the one to decide how she handles and deals with her pregnancy. Anti-thesis The unalienable right not to be unjustly killed applies to all human beings. Day one in a human beings life occurs at fertilizations-that is high school biology (Gordon, 1999, p. 1). In other words no one asked to be murdered, especially unborn babies. If what is taught in high school is correct and a baby is considered a person as soon as it is conceived then abortion is the killing of innocent, defenseless human beings and abortions should be made illegal. Abortion choicers often talk as if abortion is something a pregnant woman does only to herself, as if abortion were a victim less-crime debate. But the charge against abortion is that abortion is homicide, the killing of one human being, or person, by another. (Gordon, 1999, p. 3)

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People who are pro-choice choose to look at abortion as if it only affects the pregnant woman and her choices do so because they do not want to have to deal with the fact that they are condoning the murder of innocent babies. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that a baby can feel pain as early as eight weeks as but certainly no later than thirteen and a half weeks. According to information from doctors compiled by the American Life League, even first trimester babies possess the capacity to feel pain: Dr. Sullivan says that the equipment that humans use to sense pain includes special pain receptors in never endings that connect nerve fibers to transmit signals from the receptor to the spinal cord; neurons within the spinal cord that carry the signal to the brain; the thalamus, which senses the pain; and the cortex, which supplies psychological response to the pain and also directs a response. All of this complex equipment is in place, states Dr. Sullivan, perhaps as early as eight weeks, but certainly by thirteen and a half weeks. (cited in Human Events, Hair, 2009) Therefore, according to this information any time after the eighth week of conception the baby can feel everything that is being done to it when it is being aborted from its mother. This would be considered inhumane treatment if it was done to an animal but because a baby is not considered human there is nothing work with it. Instead of abortion, pro-lifers would like women to consider the option of adoption instead. There are places where women who have an unplanned pregnancy can go to consider her other options. These places are known as pregnancy resource centers (PRC). In fact, it would probably surprise most Americans that these no-abortion pregnancy centers now outnumber abortion clinics (Wetzstein, 2009, p. 1). One of those options that pro-lifers advocate strongly is the one of adoptions. With adoptions, no ones life is harmed or changed, the baby gets to live a full and productive life, and the mother does not have to deal with trying to take care of an unwanted baby.

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According to the National Counsel for Adoption, a 1991 study found that pregnant, unmarried teens who were counseled in a program that mentioned adoption to every client were seven times more likely to choose it. When the teens parents were involved in counseling, they were six times more likely to choose adoption. Teens asked to compare adoption with single parting were also six times more likely to choose adoption. (cited in Policy Review by Mattewes-Green, 1996) This is to show that girls who are aware of their option will not always choose the easy way out by having an abortion. However, the best way for a woman to avoid having an unwanted pregnancy is not to get pregnant. In other words a girl or woman old enough to get pregnant should abstain from having intercourse until they are ready to take on the responsibility of having a baby. That way there is no chance for having an unwanted pregnancy. At the very least, women should make sure to use birth control and protection to help guard against unwanted pregnancy. If all women would adhere to these practices then there would be no need for abortions and the murders of unborn babies that end up getting thrown away like yesterdays trash. Synthesis A women right to choose whether or not she has a baby is her right because it is her body. Although, all women who are thinking about abortion have the right to know the facts about the medical development of their unborn children and that they should be informed of an option to minimize or eliminate the pain an unborn child feels during an abortion (cited in Human Events, Hair, 2009, p. 5). Yes, women need to know this; does it change the fact that they and they alone have the right to choose whether or not they have an abortion? No, it does not because in the end it is still her body and her choice.

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Although, a women does need to hear about all the other options that are available to her, such as adoption, the choice should be hers and hers alone as what she does in the end because she is the only one who really has to live with her decision. There is no fully satisfying outcome to unwanted pregnancy. The choice to have a child one is not prepared to parent or cannot afford, give up a child for adoption or have an abortion is a grim one Women are strong and they cope well with these lousy choices. An unwanted child can become loved and cared for; an adoption, although painful, can be viewed as a generous gift; an abortion today may enable better parenting or a more fulfilled life without children in the future. Unwanted children can also remain unwanted and uncared for, though, and both adoption and abortion can result in lifelong sadness. (Kissling, 2006/2007, p. 3) These are the things women have to think about as they make their decision what to do with an unwanted pregnancy but she alone should have the right to choose what her decision is not the government nor anybody else. Additionally, most women who face an unwanted pregnancy have no choice but to make the decision alone because then men who have help get them in this situation do not usually want anything to do with the woman after she finds out she is pregnant. This usually leave her alone with a very hard decision to make by herself anyway so why should she not have the option to abort the baby if that is what is best for her at this time in her life. Additionally, most pro-lifers like to make this whole thing about a womans morals. I a women has an abortion then she has no moral. If she keeps and raises the baby then she has high morals, it does not seem to matter to them as much how that baby will be taken care of as long as it is alive. A women shouldnt be held more accountable for her decision about abortion than any other decision she makes, said Crane. The fact that she might make the wrong decision doesnt negate the fundamental point that there isnt anyone else who can make a better choice. From the gravest to the simplest decisions, she said, one likes to think we do generally make right choices. We need to arm people so they can make the right choices, but shouldnt fall into the trap that somehow this decision should be held to a higher standard. (cited in Conscience by Shannon, 2008)

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In other words, no one should hold a woman at lower moral standards just because she has decided or did have an abortion. Just because a women has made this decision does not mean her moral stands are low, it just means she made the best choice she could at that time in her life. In conclusion, even though the pro-lifers have some very good reasons for wanting to do away with abortion. In the end, it still comes down to who has the right to make the choice for anyone else about what they do besides themselves. This includes the right of a woman choice in whether or not to have an abortion, give it up for adoption, or keep it and raise it herself. It is now and always should be left up to the woman who is pregnant and no one else.

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References Gordon, D. (1999) Abortion and rights: Applying libertarian principles correctly. The International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, 19(3/4), 96-126. Retrieved November 28, 2010, from Criminal Justice Periodicals. (Document ID: 281123471). Hair, C. (2009, July). THE FACTS ABOUT THE FREEDOM OF CHOICE ACT (FOCA). Human Events, 65 (26), S1-S4. Retrieved November 28, 2010, from Research Library. (Document ID: 1826998211). Kissling, F. (2006). Should Abortion Be Prevented? Conscience, 27(4), 13-16. Retrieved November 28, 2010, from ProQuest Central. (Document Id: 1166753171). Mattewes-Green, F. (1996) Pro-life dilemma. Pregnancy centers and the welfare trap. Policy Review, (78), 40. Retrieved November 28, 2010, from ABI/INFORMED Global. (Document ID: 9819952). Shannon, D. (2008). Abortion: Freedom and Responsibility in the 21st Century. Conscience, 29(1), 9-15. Retrieved November 28, 2010, from ProQuest Central. (Document ID: 1577466781). Wetzstein, C. & THE WASINGTON TIMES. (2009, October 11). Abortion not only option available. Washington Times,M.20. Retrieved November 28, 2010, from ProQuest Central. (Document ID: 1877691021).

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