Abortion Debate - Essay Example

Should abortions be legal? (Name of student) (Course Name) (Instructor’s Name) (Date of submission) Part I (Thesis) At the outset, this paper would posit its qualified stance on this rather divisive debate on abortion – the deliberate termination of pregnancy through either a surgical procedure or the use of certain types of medication (see Basso 2003, pp. 209). Abortion needs to be legalized, as it only through legalization that it may be regulated. Primarily, there is a need to recognize that whether abortion is legal or illegal it is being resorted to and done. History would tell us that whether there are laws or there are no laws in place, there will always be young women out there who would want to have an abortion (McBride 2008, pp. 3-9). And reasons why young women in particular would resort to abortion do abound (see Basso 2003, pp. 213). And, an absence of government control on how it’s done, where it may be done, and who can have it and who can perform it would only increase “back alley” abortions. Young women would only be putting themselves to a potentially dangerous situation. Legalized abortion is safe abortion, as it is going to be performed by a qualified doctor. In fact, when abortion is done in the early period of pregnancy, it’s even safer than a full-term pregnancy and childbirth. Illegal abortion is performed by a person who’s not a qualified doctor; and, it is dangerously unsafe – bringing them the prospect of complications, sterility and even death (Bossa 2003, pp. 2009). Secondly, it’s arguably more preferable for society to have babies aborted than have them brought up pauper and abandoned. In fact, when children are derelict, society in general suffers as it would expectedly have higher crime rates – among others (Fox & Benson 2000, pp. 124-133). Neglected children grow up to be drug dependents, life-long government aid recipients and even dreaded criminals (Levitt & Dubner 2006, pp. 205). With legalized abortion, women are being given an option to become parent only when they are ready to take on the tasks of parenthood. Parenting is full time obligation and is for matured individuals, and understandably so since it spells either blessing or curse to society. Turning to the mother, legalized abortion provides an avenue for a young woman not to be trapped for life by her one brief mistake (see Fried 1990, pp. 172). In youth, we make mistakes. And, given the culture of promiscuity in today’s society, the pressure to engage in sex is daunting to resist. Anyone, even girls of good background, may slip up. And all her potentials will be down the drain – a penalty for anyone for life. Further, when abortion is rendered illegal, the government would be taking away a personal freedom that is made possible by Roe v. Wade (see Fried 1990, pp. 3-5). And this is like introducing a slippery slope that affords government control over women’s body (cf. Baber and Allen 1992, pp. 103; Bowers 1997, pp. 2). As a result, no one would still know what other controls the government may legislate in the future – a betrayal of the ideals of the Founding Fathers of America. Contrary, too, to the perception that abortion is murder, one may argue that since it is performed before a fetus has developed into a human person (Currie 1999, pp. 30). In fact, even theologians or religious leaders do not agree on when a fetus becomes a human person. For, in fact, they cannot call a sperm or an egg a human being. Now, there is a religious group that teaches that human life begins at the moment of fertilization (O’Gorman & Faulkner 2003, pp. 273). But, such a view is dogmatic and is held only by a particular – that is, not ALL – sector of society. Finally, we may equally point out that resorting to adoption is just as emotionally damaging as having an abortion (Groza & Rosenberg 2001, pp. 144; Babb 1999, pp. 154). Carrying a baby in her womb for full term of pregnancy, women develop a special emotional bond with their children. Adoption would make a mother live up with a feeling of guilt and inutility after having given up her child for the rest of her life on account of her immaturity or unpreparedness. There are accounts, actually, of so many adoptive parents who sought out their children later on in life – a step that they take as they try to repair the psychological damage that ensued from giving up a child for adoption. Part II (Antithesis) With the foregoing almost impeccable arguments for legalization of abortion, the debate is still never settled. It is primarily because there are evenly unsullied arguments arguing against abortion’s legal standing. It is true that abortion has been a long standing mode of birth control (Litt 1997, pp. 145). However, history would also tell us that there are other birth controls that are handily available. There are dozens of birth control methods that can keep one from pregnancy. In fact, abstinence is even providing a mode that is perfectly effective. It may even be argued that if abortion weren’t available, people would not be so careless in the first place. Whenever a new life is born, a contribution to society is made (see The Pontifical Council for the Family 1991). Abortion, then, wipes it out. While we may think of potentially social liabilities as in the form of drug dependents, juvenile delinquents, and even criminals, it may similarly well to think of the potentials of every child to be born to do something great. What would the world be like if George Washington, Thomas Edison or Abraham Lincoln were aborted? Similarly, it is the minors that often decide for abortion. As such, they do not have the maturity and life experiences to make good decisions (Devettere 2000, pp. 143-146). That is why society never allows people to drink alcohol, smoke or even drive until they reach their legal age. Yes, in our youth, we make mistakes as we are yet to make good decisions. Out of these mistakes, we grow in life and become more able to more soundly judge. And one mark of our growth – which seems to take the longest time to develop – is the ability to consider the feelings and needs of others. It may be too unfortunate that a life or death decision, such as abortion, would facilitate such development of human capacity. In abortion, it is not only the freedom of the mother that is importantly at stake. Abortion likewise eliminates the legal rights of the unborn child (see, for example, Garfield & Hennessey 1984, pp. 28). A murder of a one-month old child is not really different from aborting an unborn child insofar as protecting an American life is concerned. In such instances as when one shoots and kills a pregnant woman, the punishment that is meted out is more severe. Should abortion be legalized, we would be telling the court that there is no difference between killing a woman and killing a pregnant woman. Still along the line of rights and freedom, abortion must be pronounced illegal since people have their right to be assured that their taxes are not used for furtherance of anything immoral including murdering an unborn child. After conception, a real human being is waiting inside a woman’s womb to enter the world. Experientially, there is no effort to distinguish between a fetus and a baby. Thus, what differentiates between killing a baby in the crib and aborting a fetus in the womb? That there is debate as to when human life really starts is nothing but a justification of abortionists’ wrongful acts in their own minds. For, practically, abortion is undervaluing human life as it allows women to stomp out a living being merely on account of inconvenience (see May 2000, pp. 156-159). Likewise, women who have abortion in their younger years end up living the rest of their lives in eternal guilt (MariAnna 2002, pp. 115). They may not consider abortion a murder in their youth; but, as they grow in age and in wisdom, their perception may change. Even Jane Roe, the original woman behind the famous court decision, changed her mind on abortion by filing for overturning of the decision to help relieve the guilt of hundreds of thousands of needless deaths as blamed on herself. It may just as important to note that for every aborted child, there are two parents. The father may feel just as guilty. Noting in the preceding that it is extremely unfortunate to have such a life or death decision to facilitate one’s growth in human capacities, adoption is always an open alternative that is less fortunate as abortion (Basso 2003, pp. 214). And there are as many couples who spend years on waiting lists trying to adopt a child. In instances of deciding for adoption, a woman would not only be bringing a valuable life into this Earth, but would also be fulfilling the dream of a childless couple. Part III (Synthesis) In the US, abortion has been rendered legal by Roe v. Wade, a 1973 Supreme Court decision giving pregnant females the right to a legal termination of their pregnancies. Nearly one million legal abortions are being performed each year in the US (Basso 2003, pp. 213; Bowers 1997, pp. 1). Despite this, however, as revealed by various opinion polls held on the morality and legality of abortion, the American public is still equivocal on abortion. For one, half of the public is still found to consider abortion as murder while almost equally the same number of Americans likewise believes that women should have access to abortion (Bowers 1997, pp. 5). In fact, even among feminists, there is indeed no rigid consensus on the issue. Thus, it may come as no surprise for anyone that debate on the morality and legality of abortion would not stop and rather would continue to be even as divisive as it has been since the past. For one, as it may be revealed by the contentions – both pro and anti – in the preceding sections of this paper, the abortion debate is a debate that involves two absolutes (see Tribe 2008). Nonetheless, it is the conviction of this paper to stand for the legalization of abortion. Abortion has been one of ways by which human population is controlled or birth of new children is regulated. True enough, there are a lot of birth control modes that are available. And – if we may emphasize – abortion is one of them (see Litt 1997, pp. 145). It is true that children who suffer from neglect, abuse, abandonment, and the like, would make a societal liability. Equally true it is, however, that children who are properly raised and fortunate enough to grow through proper parenting are expected to be assets to society. The former is made possible by immature parents. The latter is realized because of parental maturity. For mature parents, there is no need for abortion. Abortion is an option to offset the potential consequence of immature parenthood (see Bowers 1997, pp. 1; see also Lerman & Ooms 1993, pp. 174). Whether it would be better to have a living or a dead testament of mistakes in the past hardly matters in existential living. While it may be true that should one not resort to abortion, change of heart would be more probably complete and reparation may be more potentially full, it is also true that starting all over again with clean slate is sometimes a better option. Having a child to start a new life chapter may sometimes be like having an extra luggage to carry, or like bringing along a cage in the person of the living testament of past mistake. Abortion is actually not just recognition of women’s right – which, essentially, like all other rights, are not absolute -- over their bodies. It is even a great equalizer in a society that is essentially patriarchal. That abortion is murder is posited by some ideologies that used to rule the mindset of the time when scientific thinking was still to happen. And these ideologies even have conflicting accounts of when this murder is happening (see Singer 1999, pp. 83-109). Science is in a better position to pronounce when is human life starting – and, from which, the law may be improved as to how many months until one may have abortion or when is one already committing murder. In this case, abortion is still open for legalization. Abortion and adoption are essentially separation between a mother and a child. In both cases, the mother suffers from separational anxiety (see, for instance, the first person account in Mannion 1994, pp. 177) – which may be in different degree or varying intensity depending on the suffering person. Thus, it is a case not of one over the other but a case of either one or the other. Thus, in the final analysis, we may say that the fulcrum tilts on the side of legalizing the practice of abortion. References: Babb, L.A. (1999). Ethics in American adoption. Westport: Bergin and Garvey. Baber, K.M. & Allen, K.R. (1992). Women and families: Feminist reconstruction. New York: The Guilford Press. Basso, M.J. (2003). The underground guide to teenage sexuality (2nd ed.). Minneapolis: Fairview Press. Bowers, J.R. (1997). Pro-choice and anti-abortion: Constitutional theory and public policy. West Port: Praeger Publishers. Currie, S. (1999). Abortion. New York: Greenhaven Press. Devettere, R. (2000). Practical decision making in health care ethics: Cases and concepts. Georgetown: Georgetown University Press. Fox, G.L. & Benson, M.L. (2000). Families, crime and criminal justice. New York: Elsevier Science, Inc. Fried, M.G. (1990). From abortion to reproductive freedom: Transforming a movement. Boston: South End Press. Garfield, J.L. & Hennessey, P. (1984). Abortion, moral and legal perspectives. Massachusetts: The University of Massachusetts Press. Groza, V. & Rosenberg, K.F. (2001). Clinical and practice issues in adoption: Bridging the gap between adoptees placed as infants and as older children. Westport, Bergin and Garvey. Lerman, R. & Ooms, T. (1993). Young unwed fathers: Changing roles and emerging policies. Philadelphia: Temple University Press. Levitt, S. & Dubner, S. (2006). Freakonomics: A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything. New York: HarperLargePrint. Litt, I. (1997). Taking our pulse: The health of America’s women. Stanford: Stanford University Press. Mannion, M.T. (1994). Post-abortion aftermath. Kansas City: Sheed and Ward. MariAnna, C.J. (2002). Abortion: A collective story. Westport: Praeger Publishers. May, W.E. (2000). Catholic bioethics and the gift of human life. Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division. McBride, D. (2008). Abortion in the United States: A reference handbook. Sta. Barbara, CA: ABC-LIO Inc. O’Gorman, B. & Faulkner, M. (2003). The complete idiot’s guide to understanding Catholicism. Indianapolis: Penguin Group. Singer, P. (1999). Practical ethics. Cambridge: University of Cambridge Press. The Pontifical Council for the Family (1991). In the service of life. Rome: Vatican Library. Tribe, L.H. (2008). Abortion: The clash of absolutes. New York: Norton. Read More