Two sides of Abortion - Research Paper Example

? Abortion Humans of this day and age enjoy a better level of freedom than their counterparts living in the eighteenth or nineteenth century. Free will is exercised with a universal set of rights possessed by all which empower us and give us the liberty to make choices pertaining to our own lives. However the debate of abortion is one of the most controversial issues of today’s time as it brings into consideration the existence of another life, and the freedom to take away life of a human by the will of another human. In normal context, taking the life of another human being is classified as murder under all decrees, but abortion is a different case, and is hence the ultimate human rights issue. To understand the definition of abortion is very crucial for the whole argument to be set forth. Abortion is generally defined as the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus using surgical, mechanical, or chemical means.(Merriam Webster) To give a medical definition to abortion, it is the termination of pregnancy before 20 weeks, and ending before viability of pregnancy. There are different kinds of abortion of which the most popular is therapeutic abortion in which the abortion takes place through the assistance of a physician who uses surgery or RU-486 to terminate the fetus. The debate between the two main schools of thought, mainly the pro-life and pro-choice is quite varied, however it is pertinent to understand both sides of the argument before an opinion can be made. The pro-life are of the viewpoint that abortion should be banned as it is killing a human being and in essence is murder. According to the pro-life supporters argument, which is backed by scientific evidence that the woman is carrying a fully complete human being from the moment of fertilization, and the human heart starts beating after 22 days. Dr. Jack Willke, who is a renowned pro-life supporter and also President of the National Right to Life Committee, regards embryo as a living, breathing human being. His definition of "human being" depends upon the DNA structure that is encapsulated in th forty-six chromosomes first present in the fertilized ovum. He said "Contained within the single cell who I once was," in reference to the fertilized cells, was the totality of everything I am today.(NRCI) He also claimed that his physical attributes along with mental ability was determined at the moment the egg and sperm fertilized, hence a zygote is a human. We are each of us the same unique identity now that we were a year ago, or at birth, or at the moment of conception. (Walker) By the time abortion can take place the fetus has a beating heart and the brain activity can also be identified. This human thus has an unalienable right to life which should be fully covered under the laws of the state. Another argument that comes forward is that mothers have the right over the life of their child, however no mother has the right to kill their child under any circumstance, and abortion is not just killing a mass of tissues but a human. Pro-life supporters also counter placed by the pro-choice people saying that the world would be a better place if unwanted children are aborted, as there are many problems faced by the world including famine, overpopulation etc. However the pro-life people argue that this wouldn’t be the case as by killing a child won’t result in the elimination of poverty, or joblessness in the world. It’s not the baby, it’s the circumstances we live in, where population is not the real problem but the development problems are. Another argument placed by those not in favor of abortion regarding the claims that abortion if made illegal will still happen in back alleys and through a hidden medium and hence that would endanger the lives of many women, but since most of these women are young if they are properly educated about the harm they are causing to themselves and their unborn child, and also that the child is not unwanted, and if they are enlightened about the number of households willing to adopt their child they might perhaps revoke their decision. Touching upon the most important point of the debate, what should happen to rape/incest victims who are forced to have an unwanted child? Pro-life cohorts argue that a child is a gift from God, no matter even if it conceived through a horrible memory. Also that abortion is punishing the innocent child instead of the perpetrator of that crime and that is not justifiable. They believe that the mother would at one point feel guilty about taking the life away of her own child, knowing that many families worldwide are interested in abortion, and this will cause her intense emotional distress regarding her being a murderer. Pro-choice proponents argue that it will be a painful memory for the mother to bear with; also the future of the unwanted child is very bleak. Illegitimate children are not accepted very well in many societies, and every child deserves a better future so in a way this child might suffer because of the treatment of this society, also various studies conducted prove that children who are known to be rape victims or even illegitimate children are not received very well in the society, and the society looks down on them with pitying eyes. Pro-choice supporters argue about the well-being of the unwanted child, and the fact that being “unwanted” hampers the child’s social, cognitive and psychological development greatly. The truth of the society is that these children are usually neglected and abandoned and hence are destined to live painful lives. Also according to many research done around the globe for over three decades, statistics confirms that unwanted children are usually involved in criminal activities, or face a higher risk of involvement in such activities. (Slick) Also, the pregnant mother faces great risk if she is experiencing stress due to the unwanted baby and consequently the child born from an unwanted conception faces higher risk of being born unhealthy and usually records low birth weight, death in the first year of life, and insufficient nutritional and psychological resources for a healthy development of the baby leading to very ignored and frustrated individuals. (Luunneborg 138). The second argument put forth by the pro-choice proponents is regarding the fetus being a person in actuality or an amalgam of cells? Many embryologist, most importantly Jack Willke who has been quoted above, in order to refute his argument, where he believes that every fertilized egg is a human being and has life form, that means to imply that the constituents of that fertilized egg should also have some life, i.e. the sperm and egg, and it should be murder to kill them, however many eggs and sperms are destroyed during menstrual cycle and ejaculation, therefore this argument is unsubstantiated. Furthermore, according to the embryologist C. R. Austin the major information regarding how to make face, and body parts does not exists in the fertilized cell but it exists how the cells would interact and meiosis will happen only take place at a later time, (Kamm 231), supporting the argument put forward by the pro-choice advocates. Furthermore, another strong argument put forward by the pro-choice devotees is that the woman should have the right to control her body, and that nobody should force her to carry a pregnancy against her will, as she is the one bringing life, and if she is not content with it then nobody has a right to speak against her. Also, it is the woman’s decision and her civil right which she can exercise whenever regarding her “reproductive freedom.” According to World Health Organization, about 20 million women have unsafe abortion every year, resulting in the death of 70,000 woman annually and this would not happen if abortion was legalized because abortion will happen under any circumstance, hence to save lives of women, and now with such an advanced mechanism of abortion where abortion is safer than childbirth, it should be promoted, and the choice should be given to the woman to have a safe abortion at her own freewill. Also article 6.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights document, and the UNHRC calls that the state should provide measures so that women do not have to go through clandestine measures of abortion, and that the state should guarantee safety of their health. Pro-choice proponents are also in favor of abortion because they believe that if a couple cannot guarantee the well-being of the child they are bringing into existence, that is provide it good education, food and shelter, then it is better to not have the child and make the child live in deprived conditions. Another debate that also stems from the pro-choice supporters is that the current resources in the world are already insufficient for the humans who are alive, and there are famines and droughts being experienced, where people are dying because of unavailability of food. In such a scenario is it moral to have a child who is not even wanted or cannot be afforded by the parents or in the case of illegitimate children, by the sexual partners. If every child is a wanted child as the debate goes by pro-life supporters then why are children dying in Somalia, Ethiopia or Bangladesh? Weighing both the arguments, and expressing my personal stance on abortion, I believe that human life is supreme, and regards value above all, however I am more in favor towards the existing human who are already present in the world rather than those who are yet to come. Though abortion debate has become much politicized (Gibbs) I believe the rights of those humans demand importance, and their civil rights, physical rights coupled with moral obligations are well known to every educated human. Hence, they have the right to make an informed choice, because the argument is in front of them. Also I believe that unwanted children more often add to the misery of the parents, and many relationship issues stem from unwanted children. This may cause issues and problems in the life of three individuals, namely the mother, father and the child. Also, this constitutes as unthankful behavior of the highest order towards God and disregard for life which is a punishable sin. Children are a blessing from God, and they are meant to be cherished and not be treated as a burden, and if that is the case then it is best not to have a child, because an unwanted child has a very bleak future. Works Cited: "Abortion - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary." Dictionary and Thesaurus - Merriam-Webster Online. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Dec. 2011. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abortion. "Defining Biological Life." "Church History." http://www.texaslink.com/gilbert/abortion/church.html "Influence of Medical Science." Gibbs, Nancy. "The Abortion Reversal." Time 173.21 (2009): 64. Academic Search Premier. Web. 13 Dec. 2011 John Walker, (1999) "Abortion and the question of the person", International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Vol. 19 Iss: 3/4, pp.48 – 52 Lunneborg, Patricia W. Abortion : A Positive Decision. New York, N.Y. 1992. Bergin & Garvey Publications.  "Nine Reasons Why Abortions Are Legal" Books Kamm, F.M. Creation and Abortion : A Study in Moral and Legal Philosophy. Oxford, New York. Oxford University Press. 1992 Slick, Matt. "Killing unwanted children | Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry." CARM - Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. . "123Help." Free Essays, Term Papers, Research Paper, and Book Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Dec. 2011. . Read More