A Controversial Issue of Abortion - Pro-choice or Pro-life Debate - Essay Example

Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Abortion, the Prochoice- Prolife Debate Introduction Who has the right to determine whether an unborn child gets to live or not? Certainly, this is one of the controversial topics of the twenty first century. Life is surely precious but so is the quality of life, which is why the prochoice and prolife debate ranges on. From a religious perspective, abortion is tantamount to murder and should never be allowed. Instead, moral values should be instilled in the community, and preventive measures adopted. However, even in the religious circles, their unity just goes as far as saying no to abortion. Disagreements on the way forward only complicate the matter further. For example, whereas other religious communities support the use birth control, the Catholic Church totally opposes the move (Zorea 4). A look at the topic from a social perpective presents more liberal thoughts. Those in support of abortion believe it is a personal decision which is influenced by social and economic factors; therefore, the decision should be firmly left with the mother or the couple. In this paper we are going to look at these and more arguments on whether it was right to legalize abortion. The issue: abortion a prolife or prochoice decision Currently, American women have the right to procure an abortion. It is a legal right in all the fifty states and is recognized under the right to privacy (abort73.com, par 1). For many years, abortion was granted on only two grounds. Firstly, the pregnancy threatened the mother’s life, and secondly, it was a result of rape. These two types of abortions were considered legal abortions. Whether legal or not, the practice is believed to date back to the 1800s, however, the lack of statistics and records of the practice make it difficult to prove that the practice used to be common during that time (Abort73 par.3). Before 1973, abortion did not enjoy universal protection. In fact, it was largely a criminal act. A mere intention to abort was considered and offense as seen in 1652, where a woman in Maryland was convicted for intending to procure an abortion (Abort73 par.2). As the years progressed, more incidences of abortion were recorded and it soon became inevitable that practice needed to be regulated. Too many lives were being lost in backstreet abortions and prochoice supporters had a valid point; the quality of life was as equally important as life itself. Almost forty years later, abortion continues to be a controversial issue. Has the legalization of abortion made the society a better place? Has it improved the quality of life, as it was alleged it would? A look of the pros and cons will help us explore this controversial issue Opposing abortion - Prolife arguments One of the reasons against legalization of abortion is that it is immoral. Alcorn notes that a study conducted by Gallup shows that seventy two percent of teenagers believe that is wrong to procure an abortion (15). When asked whether it should be permissible, twenty six percent of the adults disagreed strongly compared to nineteen percent of teenagers (Alcorn 15). These statistics shows that opposition for abortion cuts across the age divide. The legalization of abortion has not changed people’s perspective on the matter. It is still considered an immoral practice today as it was in the 1800s. One would expect that after so many years, people would grow tolerant to the idea, but it seems not even legislation can change societal and cultural perspectives on the matter. The question of when life begins features prominently in all prolife arguments. Scientifically speaking, both ovum and sperms are alive and so the argument proceeds that life should be considered to begin at conception. Protecting life from conception is equally as important as factoring the quality of life. Instead of terminating a life, one could offer the child an alternative life. Adoption is valid option for women who feel that they are not in a position to give the child a quality life. An adopted baby is not unwanted because if that really the case, then why do mothers feel so much pain and hurt giving up their children? In my opinion, if they did not want the child would not wonder what happened to them nor would they constantly fight the urge to find them despite so many years having passed by since they gave them up. With such alternatives available, abortion appears to be a selfish act that should not remain legal. Prochoice arguments Schwarz states that one of the reasons why women choose to abort is because they are not in a position to provide the child with the desired quality life (19). This is one of the arguments that prochoice camp always provides to support the legalization of abortion. Instances where the child is unwanted could be if the mother conceived out of rape. Sometimes complicated family or cultural scenarios could force a woman to conceive against her wishes, a good example is incest. In such cases, a woman may feel that the child is unwanted. The decision to terminate such pregnancies is definitely not easy nor should it be mistaken as an escape from responsibilities. The reality of the matter is that such a decision demonstrates wisdom and profound understanding of the “realities of life” (Schwarz and Latimer 19). It takes sacrifice and courage to prevent the birth of a child who was conceived against your wish from experiencing the harsh realities of the world. How does one tell their child that he or she was born out of rape or incest? Realistically, this is very difficult for the mother. It is even more difficult for the child. It is almost inevitable that the child will suffer psychological stress upon such revelations. The impact of such new will definitely alter their lives for good, and there is no telling how it will affect their behavior or the kind of people they become. Sometimes women seek abortion services because the pregnancy is a threat to their lives. Ectopic pregnancies is one of the medical reasons that necessitates an abortion in order to save the life of the mother (Runzheimer and Larsen 204). If one is already a mother, is it okay to risk your life and leave behind other children who still need you? Can the life of an unborn child be considered more valuable than those an already existing child? How will the family, and assuming the baby lives, cope without the care of a mother? These are just some of the questions that go through a mothers mind when the doctors suggest an abortion for medical reasons. Prolife supporters ought to understand that abortion sometimes is a sacrifice for a greater good. Abortion whether a social ill or not cannot be allowed to be practiced without regulation. Legalizing abortion empowers various health agencies to regulate the practice and prevent loss of lives through botched abortions. Long before it was legalized, the practice still existed. It was conducted in crude and unsafe ways which led to the death of both mother and child. Now that it is legal, women can seek safe abortions. The society cannot ignore the health consequences of poorly performed abortions. Legalizing the practice is one way of protecting life, at least that of the mother. Statistics from the Orlando Women’s Centre reveal that thirty seven percent of black women, thirty four percent of non white Hispanic women and twenty two percent of Hispanic women living in the United States obtain abortions each year. These are large percentages of the population that risk losing their lives if they unregulated abortions services are allowed to prevail in the country. Conclusion Abortion is not a simple matter and its legalization was no mean feat too. The right to life is the concern of everyone in the community; the government as well as individual families weigh in this debate. The decision whether to keep a pregnancy has resounding consequences both to the mother, child and the community at large. Therefore, before making a decision all factors must be considered. When it all said and done, it all goes down to the woman, consequently, this issue becomes a highly personalized matter. Prolife arguments are too idealistic and fail to recognize the realities of life. A prochoice stance recognizes the sanctity of life, as well as acknowledges the realities of life. That is why I conquer with the prochoice supporters. Works Cited Abort73. "Facts About Abortion: U.S. Abortion Law." Abort73.com / Abortion Unfiltered. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 July 2014. Alcorn, Randy. Why Pro-Life? Hendrickson Publishers, 2012. Print. Orlando Women Centre. "Abortion Statistics, Facts About Abortion In The US." Orlando Abortion Clinic, Florida. Second/Late Term Abortion Clinic. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 July 2014. Runzheimer, Jane, and Linda J. Larsen. Medical Ethics for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2011. Print Schwarz, Stephen D, and Kiki Latimer. Understanding Abortion: From Mixed Feelings to Rational Thought. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2012. Print. Zorea, Aharon W. Birth Control. Santa Barbara, Calif: Greenwood, 2012. Print. Read More