By Amen Dilawar
Pro-choice or Pro-life?
It’s easy to find different perspectives on almost any topic. However, it’s exceedingly hard to determine what side you’re on when it comes to abortion. Some individuals believe that the right to abortion is central to a woman’s independence, and that she should be able to do with her own body whatever she desires. These people are pro-choice because they value the freedom of whomever is giving birth to the child. On the other hand, pro-life activists think that it’s inhumane to eliminate a baby before it even comes into this world.
Why I think abortion be legal:
In my opinion, a baby should not come into this world unwanted. Having a child is an important decision that requires consideration, preparation, and planning. When it comes to reproduction, each woman should be able to decide what she wants to do with her body. No one else should have the right to decide this for her. And why would someone else be allowed to make that decision if they will not bear and raise that child?
On the other hand, it’s easy to tell others to abort their child when they are not the ones carrying it. A pro-choice person defends both the right to motherhood, and the right to abortion. A pro-life person only wants to limit or prohibit abortions. Reproductive choice empowers all women by letting them choose whether or not to bear children.
You shouldn’t force someone to do something against their will!
If a woman were to become pregnant, and it would affect her life in a way she wasn’t ready for, who are we to tell her that she has to carry the child to term anyway? Within a reasonable span of time, a prospective mother should have a right regarding whether to abort her child or not. If a woman doesn’t want to give birth, she should not be forced to do so, period. The decision over when and whether to have children is central to a woman’s independence and ability to plan her future. It’s her body, and she should be able to control it.
Other circumstances to be taken into consideration:
Women should have a say on what they do with their lives. Maybe the woman is just not ready for having a baby? What if she changed her mind, or is not financially able to take care of this baby? Say she got raped? All women deserve the right to do whatever they want with their bodies because they might find themselves in situations in which it’s hard to tell whether abortion should be legal or not. Hence, the question arises of whether or not making abortion a safe option seems equally good or fair to everyone concerned. In America, the Constitutional “freedom of religion” means that people can refuse to have or perform an abortion because it violates their religious beliefs. But they cannot force those same beliefs on others.
Legally, under the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court has declared abortion to be a fundamental right guaranteed by the US Constitution. This means that women should have privacy to determine whether they want to abort their child or not. No one should intrude on that privacy.
Additional reasons why abortion should be legal:
I would argue that embryos and fetuses are not completely developed human beings. Since they are not independent, self-determining beings, an abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby. A person’s age is calculated from their birth date, not from conception, and fetuses are not counted in the US Census.
Science indicates that fetuses are incapable of feeling pain when most abortions are performed. This point is cited from a finding endorsed on May 9th, 2019 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. They affirm that that there is: “. . . no legitimate scientific information that supports the statement that a fetus experiences pain.” This evidence supports the belief that women should have the right to remove anything from their bodies, including unborn people.
What does the opposing side think?
People on the opposing side of the pro-choice debate argue that abortion is murder. The killing of an innocent human being is wrong, even if that human being has yet to be born. To them, unborn babies are already fully human beings, and the argument is made that the prospective mother didn’t have to get pregnant. Some people ask women to consider letting their unwanted child be adopted, rather than killing it. But for many women the guilt and uncertainty connected to the adoption process is worse than any regret they might have over an abortion. Adoption is not always a viable option either, because hardly anybody adopts. Thus, the unwanted baby is likely to grow up in uncertain circumstances, such as a state-supported group home, or in temporary foster care.
To sum it up:
I believe the emphasis must be on the right to abortion and the right to privacy in reproductive control. Having a preference for abortion is different than not being allowed to terminate pregnancies at all. In my view an embryo or a fetus is not yet a human being because they are still at a developing, pre-conscious phase. Moreover, they are unable to feel pain when most abortions are conducted. Therefore, abortions should be legal because this opportunity empowers women to have more control of their private lives—free of unfair outside interference.
What side are you on?
Many controversial issues are confronting us today. Do we really pay attention to them? If not, we need to open our eyes. We must acknowledge the fact that exploring both sides on such divisive topics is crucial to knowing where you stand. I have presented my opinion, now it’s up to you to discover yours.