The Right To Choose
Description: Where does one person’s choice end and becomes another? Abortion – the sensitive topic millions of people have an opinion on. Well, in this essay is mine as it ties into morality and ethics.
Abortion is one of those topics that can stir up a whole group of people who otherwise would get along quite well. No one answer that deals with this topic is ‘black and white’ to say the least. If an opinion on this topic is to be taken seriously then one needs to have some sort of backing up to their view. Before discussing any further my entailed view on abortion I believe it is important to say that it is by no means influenced by religion. Though religion may play a key element in the decisions of many people I myself feel that my opinion does not religious backing only facts. Through facts my opinion can not only be understood but it can also make perfect sense.
After reading some material it was quite surprising to find that my thoughts are associated with arguments for both and against abortion. Pro-life and pro-choice argument do have a ground in which they can agree upon. Both sides can agree with the following:
“That an ovum, spermatozoa, a hair follicle, skin cell, etc. are all forms of human life because: they are all alive, and they all contain human DNA. An ovum and spermatozoa are not a human person. A newborn baby is a human person, and is deserving of protection. Somewhere between the ovum and spermatozoa stage and the newborn baby, a new human person comes into existence. Once a new human person exists, then its life must be protected (The Right Alternative)”.
The point in which these two sides differ is when deciding at what point life is actually formed. Pro-life supporters “…believe that this happens at conception or shortly later, when a unique DNA is created” (The Right Alternative). Mostly all pro-choice supporters believe “…that this happens later in pregnancy” (The Right Alternative).
I myself being a young woman having to maybe one day face this dilemma I would personally prefer having the abortion option open. Though I am by no means saying that I myself would actually get an abortion; like many things in life it depends on the situation. A woman cannot be held accountable for every detail in her life; there are some things out of ones control. For example if a woman is raped or if incest occurs, how can a woman be expected to bear a child of such unforeseeable and painful events. In cases such as this where the quality of the babies’ life will be severely damaged from the moment it is born it would be best to stop the pain before it begins. Meaning the choice to be able to have an abortion should not only be passed by law but should be accepted by all those in society.
However society as a whole openly accepting abortion is not only improbable but also highly unlikely. The reason for this being that like every thing else in the world people are abusing the option to have an abortion. Personally speaking I know a young woman who by the age of eighteen had already gone for numerous abortions. This to me is not only morally and ethically wrong but it is just plain idiotic. Having multiple abortions does not only mean killing so many unborn babies it also means that you’re slowly killing yourself.
Abortion in my eyes is a means to correct a mistake before it becomes permanent. Everyone deserves a second chance no matter what the circumstances. There are many reasons why women get abortions yet this does not mean it is okay to get a dozen abortions either. Some of the reasons that women have given are as follows;
“On average, women give four reasons for choosing abortion. Three-fourths of women cite concern for or responsibility to other individuals; three-fourths say they cannot afford a child; three-fourths say that having a baby would interfere with work, school or the ability to care for dependents; and half say they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner” (Facts).
These reasons seem logical enough and can be clearly understood. However if a person’s reason for having an abortion is an easy escape because they forgot to use protection then they seem to have lost their right to choose. The main point of abortion, in my opinion, is to learn from your mistakes. As such any other mistake in life you are expected not to repeat it and so I think abortion shouldn’t be an exception to that.
Works Citied
- “Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States.” May 2006. Guttmacher Institute. 8 May 2007 <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html>.
- “The Right Alternative.” Religious Tolerance. 10 May 2007 <http://www.religioustolerance.org/abo_right.htm>.
Well-written position, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to take on the moral perspective here, and say that abortion is murder in any angle I look at it. Life doesn’t begin when the baby is born, life begins at the moment of conception. And therefore, life is a gift, not a choice; the feminist battlecry of “My body, my choice” doesn’t really apply, because, if pregnant, a woman is now speaking for two bodies, and two lives. Though it’s understandable why some would think that abortion should be kept an option, for those dreadful, horrible circumstances (like getting pregnant as the result of a crime), I’m a firm believer that God lets things happen for a reason, and He allows bad things to happen if a greater good will come out of it.