Abortion Is a Crime - Coursework Example

Abortion is a crime Abortion is a crime Introduction Medics define abortion as the termination of a premature pregnancy. The laymen as well as the clergy see it as murder of an innocent unborn baby. This difference in opinion is what has made abortion the most debated topics in the contemporary society. Some people are of the opinion that abortion is actually a crime that needs to be abolished while others see it as a means of solving some inevitable imminent problems such as unplanned births. The question that drives the debates therefore is, ’what constitutes a crime in abortion? Arguments for abortion Abortion is not always wrong. There are instance in life that can only be solved through abortion. These instances include a scenario where one is raped and ends up being pregnant of the rapist. It is common sense to understand that it will be a double punishment to a victim of rape to be made to give birth to a product of rape. Every mother normally sees a child from the point of parental love. In case of childbirth after rape, a mother will more likely be reminded of the ugly ordeal every time she sees the child. This might be a social problem for the mother or even the child. As a result of this, the mother is even likely to abandon the baby or subject it to neglect. Consequently, in case of such an incident, abortion would be considered as a viable option since it would allow the mother lead a near normal life. Medical condition In some instances, the life of the mother during pregnancy is at risk. Some pregnancies come with complications and complexities. In the even t that they are not terminated, the life of the mother will be in jeopardy (Williams, 2007). In such like instances, doctors suggest that terminating the pregnancy for the sake of the mother would be the best option. Logic has it that performing such an operation is a viable choice especially in view of protecting everyone. The argument is that it is obvious that once the life of the mother is lost, the child will consequently not survive. There is therefore no need to lose two souls when one can be saved. Family planning measure Family planning is a very crucial exercise to attaining stable and sustainable families. It is important for parents to plan within their means. This makes parenting a little bit easier since it would be based on the ability of every parent. The major causes of social evils in the society have everything to do with broken families or rather failed families. Such families arise when the parents can no longer take charge of their homes due to financial incapacitation or control problems associated with having unnecessarily large families. It is possible that despite the many available family planning methods, couples somehow manage to conceive without the need to do so (Williams, 2007). In the occurrence of such a scenario, abortion remains the only option that stands between the pregnancy and giving birth to an unwanted child. It is therefore only reasonable to allow abortion to be done in such instances. Economic gains Given the so many cases of unwanted pregnancies occurring around the world, medics have come up with state- of –the- art means and equipment to perfect the art of abortion. Consequently, they are making a lot of gains from the trade. This is not only a boost to their personal welfare but can also be of great gains to the state. The way in which the government can benefit from the practice is by legalizing it-that is in countries where the practice is illegal. This way, the medical practitioners performing the operation would be obliged to abide by the taxation laws and give tax remittances from their good earnings. In another perspective, this is going to be of benefit to the country concerned if exploited economically. Legalizing abortion will also allow those doctors with licenses to practice the art. Such a measure will eliminate the quacks who have positioned themselves to reap from the unsuspecting patients. Arguments against abortion Religious aspect Most religions are opposed to the whole idea of abortion. The main premise that religions use to oppose the practice has all to do with creation myths/beliefs. It is believed that only the Supreme Creator has the ultimate decision regarding the fate of human life. In this view, not even scientific justifications can warrant abortion. There is a belief that abortion is equal to committing murder-a crime to both the state and the religions. When does life begin? Debate has raged for quite a while all over the world concerning the begging of human life. Scientists, politicians and laymen belief that life begins at birth. This is in total contrast to the popular belief by the Catholic Church and other leading religious denominations who believe that life begins at conception. Going by the believe by laymen that life begin at birth, a fetus is therefore not considered to be having life and therefore destroying it through abortion is not considered as murder. However, from the clergy’s point of view that life begins at conception, a fetus is treated as human life. Accordingly, aborting it will be similar to committing murder. These two contrasting opinions are what define the puzzle of whether or not to abort. Critical thinking and analysis proves that the view by the church that life begins at conception is more real than that held by the laymen that life begins at birth. If indeed a fetus is not or does not have life, then it would not be growing to the human that is later born. Abortion-being the termination of the fetus is therefore a crime just like murder. Health hazards Many instances have been reported where women die during the process of conducting abortion. This happens due to poor procedures performed or in the event that the would-be mother is seriously hemorrhagic and ends up losing too much blood as a result (Williams, 2007). This risk of losing life should be enough to have abortion abolished totally. The aim here will be to protect and safeguard the lives of the women. In the event that the victims are likely to go through the ordeal and get out alive, there is still the risk of failing to successfully get pregnant again. Their birth system becomes impaired and in future it might affect them when they want to get pregnant-a condition that is almost irreversible and does not have an immediate remedy. Conclusion There are so many arguments both in favour of and against abortion. Each and every one of the arguments carries sufficient justification. The legality or otherwise of the practice will therefore depend on the kind of society it is being practiced. From a neutral point of view, abortion is more of an ethical and morality issue than it is a legal one. It is going to be determined by a people on whether to practice it or not. The central position of it is therefore expected to be different depending on personal experiences or beliefs. In fact, the more conservative societies may shun it while the not so conservative would possibly embrace it. Reference Williams, K. (2007). Abortion. Detroit. Green Haven Press Read More