Should Abortion be Allowed - Research Paper Example

Should Abortion be Allowed? To what extent should abortion be allowed? This debate has been in the minds of religious leaders, medical practitioners, politicians and human activists all over the World. Factors surrounding the decision to abort and factors regarding its final consequences have been debated and thought upon. Withstanding, the daring deeds of a feminist organization in the 1960s as they sought to help abortion patients brought more curious questions in to the debate. The Jane Organization has roused a whole new thought about abortion and how its patients should be viewed and treated. The organization main objective was to ensure that women get quality services in relation to abortion. In the four years preceding the legalization of abortion in 1973, the Organization was helping women have safe abortions. Jane was one of the feminist groups fighting for women rights in the 1960s and 70s. Initially known as the Abortion Counseling Service, a subsidiary of the Chicago Women’s Liberation Union, Jane was able to oversee more than 10 000 abortions in the State for the 4 years period. With the victorious legalization of abortion in1973, the organization subsided as more patients now accessed safer and cheaper abortionists. The new laws suggested that Abortion was allowed in the first 6 months of a pregnancy if the woman and her doctor agreed upon. The laws emphasized on the health of the woman as the main reason why abortion should be considered. 1 With increased interest in ensuring the safety of young college students and fellow women, the founding members began the group around 1968. Their initial role was to connect patients to medical practitioners for safe abortions. Later, the feminists opted to learn the practice themselves rather than act as middlemen. Among the active members of the group was Laura Kaplan, who later wrote an account of the feminist turned outlaws. “The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service” is a recollection of the testimonies and events surrounding the establishment of the group, its activities during the four years and its disbandment in 1974 (Kaplan 100). The main argument from the book is that Abortion should be legalized to avoid the deaths of women as they undergo unsafe abortion. She does this by explaining chronologically the events between 1960s and 1974. The book relates mainly to the theme of a “Lesser Evil” eminent in the essay. It made me reconsider my views and biases towards the issues of abortion. Any person will be excused to think that this feminist group merely promoted abortion. There having been no written record where they tried to counsel a client out of abortion, it could be probable that they helped propagate the vice. I will be categorical here; the role of Jane would be seen as the same role the government plays in providing birth control pills to high school students. The mandate of Jane was purely a preventive policy, considering that most women were losing their lives or contracting permanent health conditions due to incompetent abortionists. Her objectives should have been backed fully by the government in order to aid women in having safe abortions and reduce the risk of losing valuables lives 2when opting for the exercise in closed doors. Instead of Jane being criticized as promoting the vice, she should have been congrats for bringing up a noble idea aimed at saving lives of innocent women and students. There is a large group of scholars and authors who have consistently held this view that abortion will be practiced on earth whether it is legal or not. They believe that legalizing abortion could probably save the woman’s life in safe hospital beds, rather than letting her go through an unsafe and rushed procedure in a hotel room (Remennik, 1990). I will call this group the “Conventionalists” group. There is the other “Conservationists” group who holds that abortion is murder, and should never be allowed unless under very critical medical circumstances. With the conviction that a fetus is a person, they strongly believe that life must be preserved at all costs, unless their continued existence threatens the existence of another. One Conventionalist is Shapiro, I (2007:22), who ascribes an annual death toll reaching over 4000 women every year to abortion attempts. Arguing from the financial constraints point, he states that before abortion was legalized, poor women had to endure the unprofessionalism of cheap abortionists, whereas rich women were able to hire private doctors or travel to nations with legal abortion. It was a revolutionary age. The period experienced a revolution in the way women were perceived both in the family and in the job market. Women were now being recognized in an equal capacity as men. She emphasizes that women’s choices ought to be respected since they are not mere abstractions. Jane was one of the several groups seeking to help women be responsible and involved in their health issues (Lunneborg, 1992). Harper (2008) is fast to state that abortions are carried out all over, whether they are legal or outlawed. The outlawing of abortion does not necessary stop it. On the contrary, women go to the “Bad Guys” for an abortion. Other scholars have agreed that outlawing abortion only implies that the wrong people are involved (Brown, 2000). Mafia groups interested only in making money either perform this act on women, with little regard for their health, or refer them to other incompetent abortionists. Kaplan (1997) argues that this was the view point behind the formation of Jane; to stop deaths during abortions by providing safe and cheaper alternatives. According to Jane, women should not be victimized in the society because they opted to have abortion on medical grounds. However, women should be encouraged to behave morally to avoid situations where they would be forced to undergo abortions. Another Conventionalist mind is portrayed in Norgen (2001). The government of Japan policies on abortion and the pill are presented in an uncertain manner. She notes that abortion was received gladly and its implementation as a policy was easier than of the pill. After examining the contexts surrounding the policies, Norgen concludes that the differences in the reception of abortion and the pill are as a result of the competition between interest groups and government officials. Besides adding a new dimension to debate, the book provides a new point of consideration to be observed in making policies. It is also apparent from the book that the author argues the weight of single parenting as a possible reason for abortion. There have been many authors writing in a similar manner. The most outstanding group however around the issue is the Conversationalists group. These people have argued that 3abortion is not acceptable under any condition unless the fetus seriously threatens the mother’s life. In the book, “Murder of the Helpless Unborn”, Rice, J. (340) argues that the prevalence of abortions in the American nation is caused, not by health risks, but by the attempts of people to rectify their careless mistakes. He does not out rule the possibility of an abortion if the fetus is threatening to the mother’s life. In part, he is right. This is shown by the fact that most cases of abortion are not from rape victims or among women whose life is threatened by the fetus, but from women and girls trying to avoid the responsibility of their careless actions. Eminent in the book is the assumption that abortion should only take place if it threatens the life of the mother. He is of the view that if bearing the child would degrade the woman’s health, without any fatal consequences on her part, she should not abort. Rice’s view represents the opinion held by most religious groups that abortion should never be practiced unless the mother’s life is threatened. It should not be a means of improving a person’s standards, whether financial or social (Rice, 1971:350). Another Conservationist author, Marquis (1989), points out that abortion is a form of homicide. He assumes that the ultimate reason why murder is wrong is because it deprives the person of their perceivable future. With the knowledge that the future is infinite, Marquis goes on to explain that the future of a fetus is as important as the future of a full grown man. Therefore, taking the life of a fetus is morally very wrong because it deprives somebody of their future. There are weaknesses in this approach, which Brown (2000) has done a great deal in exposing them. He argues that the Future like Ours (FLO) ideology in Marquis’ essay is not always practicable among fetuses. The presupposed potential future of value is dependent on several issues, and the fetus’s right to life is squarely dependent on its mother. Just as people do not have instant rights to use other people’s body organs, Brown suggests that the fetus does not have an exclusive right to its mother’s body. Nevertheless, the negative impacts of abortions are unbeaten when compared to the greasily dangers of carrying an unwanted pregnancy. Kaplan (11997:140) agrees that most of Jane’s patients never wanted to be contacted for interviews after the instance, saying that they wanted to forget the encounter. There are many listings on Post Abortions Emotional disorders. A big number of abortion patients have contemplated suicide at one point in life. The post abortion syndrome has effects both the woman and the community concerned (Remennick, 1990). In conclusion, the paper has highlighted the prevailing views and debates on Abortion among scholars. In as much as abortion may be crucial in ensuring a financially and socially stable woman (a healthy woman), the disguise of pain, anger despair lying beneath any attempted abortion is equally, if not more, fatal. Therefore, even where abortion has been legalized, as a practice every expectant lady should strive to sustain the pregnancy at all costs unless it clearly threatens her own life, not just her health. 4 Abortion should be undertaken because someone feels like doing the practice; there should be guiding principles as to when an abortion can be accepted. 5 Women can take this advantage and end up misusing it by engaging in immoral acts. The norms of the society should be protected under all costs by ensuring that women sustain their pregnancies unless medical opinions prove otherwise. Programs that enable students to go back to school after give birth should be encouraged around the globe because abortion should be an option when the life of the student is not in any danger. Many organization with similar views to the organization led by Jane should be established and encourage a healthy society by looking into the welfare of the women who want to abortion on medical grounds in order to sustain the cultural norms. Bibliography Brown, M. “The Morality of Abortion and the Deprivation of Futures”. J Med Ethics 26:103-107. Print. This is a Secondary Source in that it analyzes primary sources. Brown argues that the presentation of a fetus as a being with a potential future of value just like ours is an ambiguous one. Therefore, any possible interpretation of the statement does not give a clear reason why abortion is wrong. The article tied to the theme of Abortion and Morality in the United States of America. The article helped me in considering the moral depths and views prevalent in the book about the legalization of abortion. Greenhouse, L., Siegel, R. Before Roe V. Wade: Voices That Shaped the Abortion Debate Before the Supreme Court Ruling. New York: Yale Law School, 2012. Print. This is a secondary source since it summarizes other sources on Jane. The authors divide the book in to four sections covering the different articles analyzed during their research. Having no bias to any side, they present the views offered for or against abortion and its decriminalization by Roe v. Wade It connects to the theme of contradiction and unending debates surrounding abortion. The book provided unbiased information about the views towards abortion. Harper, S. Saveone: A Guide to Emotional Healing After Abortion. New York, Morgan-James Publishers, 2008. Print. This is a primary source because it directly addresses the post abortion syndrome. Harper argues that women who have aborted do not have to go through the pain for all their life. By giving several procedures, she suggests that they forget the past and move on in life. It relates to the theme of the overlooked effects of abortion. Harper helps me understand that it is possible to recover from the emotional and psychological effects of abortion. Kaplan, L. The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1997. Print. The book is a primary source in that it directly highlights the events on focus. The main argument from the book is that Abortion should be legalized to avoid the deaths of women as they undergo unsafe abortion. She does this by explaining chronologically the events between 1960s and 1974. The book relates mainly to the theme of a “Lesser Evil” eminent in the essay. It made me reconsider my views and biases towards the issues of abortion. Lunneborg, P. Abortion: A Positive Decision. New York: Bergin and Garvey, 1992. Print. This is a primary source since it evaluates the importance of abortion. Lunneborg argues that abortion is not a lesser evil, but a positive turning point for women. She offers interviews with women who have committed abortion and suggests some strategies for those contemplating the decision. The book is related to the theme of stigma and negative thought against corruption. By reading it, I saw a different perspective, that of abortion, a positive choice, not a lesser evil. Marquis, D. “Why Abortion is Immoral”. Journal of Philosophy, Vol. 86: 183-302, 1989. Print. This is a Primary Source in that it directly addresses the theme of Abortion. Marquis highlights the deprivation of a valuable future as the main reason why Abortion is wrong. The Essay relates to the theme of Abortion and Morality. It helped me in understanding the moral reasons why Abortion is wrong. Norgen, T. Abortion Before Birth Control: The Politics of Reproduction in Postwar Japan. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001. Print. This is a primary source in that it highlights the historical factors that led to the legalization of Abortion and the Pill in Japan. Norgen argues that as a policy abortion has been well received and is growing fast as policy because it was introduced in a time when birth control was very desirable. He compares the reactions between abortion and the pill. The essay relates to some of the factors necessitating the legalization of abortion. It gave me an insight on Kaplan’s View and why she supports the legalization of abortion. Remennick L. “Induced Abortion as a Cancer Risk Factor: A Review of Epidemiological Evidence”. Journal of Epidemiological Community Health, 44: 259-264, 1990. Print. This is a primary source, providing a firsthand research on abortion in the world. Remennick argues that induced abortion brings about a higher risk of female related cancers. He agrees that the evidence given towards that is minimal, but sufficient to create a link between abortion and cancers. The book relates to the theme of effects of abortion. It helped me see the possible results of abortion. Rice, J. Abortion: The Murder of the Helpless Unborn. Tennessee: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1971. Print. This is a secondary source in that the argument put forward is based on other writings. Rice argues that abortion is a result of careless ladies trying to undo their careless mistakes. The book relates to the theme of religious views on abortion. It helped me understand that abortion cannot be justified, unless it is a life saving strategy. Shapiro, I. Abortion: The Supreme Court Decisions, 1965-2007. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 2007. Print. This is a secondary source in that it analyzes the numerous articles written about abortion. Shapiro aims at relaying the information in other materials to teachers and students. This includes the famous court ruling as a chapter. It relates to the theme of views justifying abortion. It provided knowledge and information on the various subjects which have emerged from abortion. Read More