Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life
Abortion - The removal of an embryo or foetus from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy.
Abortion is one of the most conflict-ridden issues in modern history. The sharp divisions of opinion divide religion, politics and even families themselves. If a resolution is ever to occur, it will require that people make an effort to fully understand and appreciate the issues and perspectives of both sides. The biggest issues I can see in the abortion dilemma are questions of ethics; is it moral or immoral to have an abortion? Does the foetus have human rights while in utero?
Usually debates about abortion focus on politics and the law; should abortion be outlawed and treated like the murder of a human person, or remain a legal choice available to all women? Behind the debates are more fundamental ethical questions which aren’t always given the specific attention they deserve. Some believe that the law shouldn’t legislate morality. A failure to openly discuss those values can obscure important viewpoints. Most of the debate about the legality of abortion involves the legal status of the foetus. Anti-choice activists argue that if the foetus is a person, then abortion is essentially murder and should be outlawed.
However, I believe that even if the foetus is a person, abortion may be justified because it’s necessary to the woman, but that doesn’t mean that abortion is automatically ethical. Although pro-life could be argued as the most ethical choice, the government can’t force women to carry their pregnancies to term. I believe there are many reasons that a woman may chose not keep her baby, therefore she should have the choice whether or not she does. Many dispute this in saying that if the woman consented to intercourse and didn’t use proper contraception; she should know that there is a possibility of pregnancy. Although I believe this to be true, I also believe that people should have a chance to learn from their mistakes. Also, there are circumstances under which abortion would in fact, be the ethical decision, such as if the woman isn’t ready to be a mother, doesn’t have the financial strength to sustain a child, or is lacking the mental or physical stability to properly take care of a baby. What kind of life is the child going to have if her mother can hardly support herself and is still forced to have a baby although she doesn’t want to, or if she is homeless and/or reliant on an illegal substance and is still forced to have a baby, just because she got pregnant? Or if a woman does not want a child and is forced to have it anyways, there is a higher chance of neglect and abuse. In effect, choosing not to have a child could be the most moral conclusion in certain cases. And which cases those are, should be the choice of the woman in question.
On the other hand, women should never be forced to abort if they don’t want to, even if they are homeless, it should be their choice either way. Some argue that if a homeless woman has a child and it dies, it is constituted as abuse, but I think that it should always be the woman’s choice. It’s not that I do not value human life, but that I value the power to make our own choices as free individuals. I believe the issue of abortion should be purely the choice of the individual, no exceptions. What ever the woman’s choice may be, she will be the one faced with the consequences, good or bad, of her personal decision. Women who get pregnant should be allowed the choice of whether or not they want a baby in their lives at that time, not only for themselves but in the child’s best interest as well. All humans have the right to free will and to have control of their own bodies and minds. Pregnant women are no exception.
By Genessa Henderson
