Abortion Should Continue To Be Legal
June 2, 2017
In this photo, you see our President, Mr. Donald J. Trump, surrounded by fellow men, signing an executive order. This executive order just happens to be one that will affect millions of women worldwide. This is an anti-abortion order. Abortion is a medical or surgical procedure that ends a pregnancy that has been legal in the United States since 1973. Twenty one percent of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion. People that believe that abortion is right are known as “Pro-Choice,” while the people WHO believe that abortion is immoral are known as “Pro-Life.” The practice of abortion should continue to be legal for countless reasons.
The access to legal abortions in the United States has given women control of their bodies. “The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives” said Supreme Court Justice Sandra O’Connor in the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey. A women should not just be expected to give birth and raise the baby just because that is what is “traditional”, especially if that pregnancy occurred in her teen years and/or if it was the product of rape or incest. Teenage pregnancies have been shown to be extremely detrimental to the mother. Teens who become pregnant are not usually mentally and emotionally ready to become a parent, because they lack patience and maturity. Depression and rash behavior are also mental/emotional problems that can stem from a teen pregnancy. Teenage parents also can have a delayed education and immense financial struggles. The baby can also be subject to neglect in this scenario, which makes abortion a logical route for all parties.
Nobody should come into this world unwanted. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, unintended pregnancies can result in negatives including birth defects, maternal depression, increased risk of child abuse, high risk of physical violence during pregnancy, and reduced rates of breastfeeding. Every child should be wanted and provided for. Lots of times though, this isn’t the case. This is why abortions are such a vital and necessary part to our society.
Many members of religious groups view abortions as immoral. Catholics are one of these groups. They believe that everyone has a right to life. To them an abortion is a violation of a basic human right. Many Catholics consider themselves to be “Pro-Lifers” and are urging for the permanent ban for federal funding of abortion. These people believe that their way should be the only way, which is a very conservative way of thinking. In America, we are granted with the right of freedom of religion. This means that Americans can choose to believe or not believe whatever we want. Don’t believe in abortion? Then don’t get one. It is as simple as that. Everybody does not believe in the same things, and that is one of the beauties of humans. Just because a person believes something doesn’t mean that they should force their views on anybody else or belittle anyone who opposes them.
To make abortions illegal is not a wise or a fair thing to do. This is because if abortion becomes illegal, it will still happen, it will be less safe and less sanitary. Examples of this can be found in developing nations where an estimated 200,000+ women die per year as the result of illegal abortions (Gale). Making abortion illegal oppresses and criminalizes women that are impoverished or are trying to make a life for themselves. Also, instead of doing away with abortions, a way to reduce them would be to make contraceptives (birth control, condoms, etc.) more available.
Providing legal abortions for those who want them or need them should be a practice that is continued and one that is not subject to the threats of religious groups. This is because it supports both social and economic equality for women, and it decreases the number of children who would come into the world unwanted.
Works Cited
“Abortion”(Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection, Gale, 2016.)
“Catholics Should View Abortion as a Moral Evil”(The Catholic Church, Doerflinger, Richard M.)
(Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, “Family Planning Program”, colorado.gov (accessed Apr. 21, 2014))
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania et al. v. Casey, Governor of Pennsylvania et al., law.cornell.edu, June 29, 1992
Mrs. Alessi • Jun 5, 2017 at 5:59 pm
I don’t entirely agree with your argument, but kudos for doing research and writing a strong article. This has been a tough question for many years. It won’t be resolved any time soon. I do think that when we talk about being “pro life” we need to clarify if we’re just anti-abortion, or do we mean all life. That would create a lot of questions about how we support pre-natal care and how do we assist children born to parents in poverty. When someone says “pro life” it seems they would necessarily hold positions against the death penalty.. Otherwise, they are only “pro some life”. Continue your search! You are a bright young lady with loads of promise in writing.
Ann M. Guilford • Jun 4, 2017 at 9:19 pm
Abortion is a medical or surgical procedure that ends a pregnancy by KILLING your unborn baby. It’seems a little more serious than a simple surgical procedure. You’re correct when you say a religious group known as the Catholics are against murdering unborn babies. We are far from alone in our support for the unborn. Our Christian brothers and sisters from all walks of life are right there fighting the good fight along with us. You say, “Don’t believe in abortion? Then don’t get one. It is as simple as that.” It is far more complicated than that. We Prolife are not just “against abortion”. We are determined to protect those who cannot protect themselves.
Miranda Harma • Jun 8, 2017 at 11:24 pm
Very well said Ann. While I respect everyone’s right to their own opinion, the article is contradictory in that it says “Just because a person believes something doesn’t mean that they should force their views on anybody else or belittle anyone who opposes them,” but then chastises “pro life” groups for not wanting abortions to be federally funded. Pro life groups don’t want to be forced to allow our tax money to contribute to something that we don’t believe in, so isn’t forcing us to pay for it mean that pro choice groups are forcing their views on us? Just some food for thought.
Ashley Estabrook • Jun 9, 2017 at 1:17 pm
Hello! I am the author of this article. I’m glad that you shared your opinion on this topic. First off, I just wanted to let you know that I was not trying to belittle your religion, I too am a Christian, I was just using that as an example for my paper. You see, this was an assignment for my English class. It was to write about our opinion on certain topics and back it up with facts. I believe that abortions should be legal, you do not. In this country that we live in, we are allowed to share our opinions. I respect your opinion as you should respect mine. I am not going to tell you that your opinion is wrong, I am just sharing mine. But I feel that it is a bit unorthodox for an adult to not be able to understand that we are entitled to our own opinions yet a 16 year old understands this perfectly. But I want to thank you for reading my article, feel free to comment if you have any further questions. Have a Blessed day! -Ashley