Kevin Castillo
Professor Kufs
English 144a
25 November 2014
Is The Legalization of Abortion Right or Wrong
In America there is a very controversial issue that divides the country and its people. The idea of abortion keeps the country in having two sides debating whether or not abortion should be legal. The two sides are known to be pro-choice and pro-life. Pro-choice is considered the proponents of this issue while pro-life are the opponents. Abortion is an ongoing issue that involves individual’s morals, ethics, and even religion in getting in the way of deciding weather abortion is morally wrong or not. Although according to the Roe v. Wade case of 1973 “The US Supreme Court has declared abortion to be a fundamental right guaranteed by the US Constitution.” I believe that the courts decision to legalized abortion in the United States brought the country a bit closer in facing the fact that women can have abortions if and only its before a certain time with certain restriction.
Women around the world have lead to abortion for numerous reasons that should remained private but are seen as sinful and even murder because of the outcome of it. In the United States, abortion was practiced until about 1880, yet most states banned it except to save the life of the woman. An article about U.S abortion states “When abortion was illegal, the ability of a woman to obtain an abortion, let alone one that was safe, depended upon her economic situation, her race, and where she lived.” Women were either forced to have there own unsafe abortion due to these limitation or have enough money to look for a physician that would perform the procedure for a high cost. Today, women have the luxury in not having these limitations based on race or economic situation but rather being able to make the choice to have an abortion with no limitations before a certain time.
On January 22, 1973 the Supreme Court made an important yet controversial decision that abortion should be legal but should have restrictions depending on the pregnancy stage women were in. The decision made the country divide into two and argue. Society continues to argue if abortion should be legal or not because of the effects it has on the women and fetus. Many are unable to recognize women’s backgrounds and state of mind in wanting to have an abortion. Some women lead to abortion because they are unable to care for the baby because of their economic situation or because they didn’t planned to be pregnant. Many scenarios can defend the right for women to have an abortion but that’s not what are keeping people from wanting it to become illegal. I believe that morals, religion, and politics influence people to go against abortion. The question weather or not a fetus is considered life is also an important question that causes people to deicide weather abortion should be legal or not.
As expected, the concept of abortion creates two sides. The first side being “pro-choice.” Pro-choice basically means giving the right to have an abortion to the women and not having her decision to be questioned or restricted from the government. According to a pro-choice website, groups such as “United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Association” are some faith groups that support pro-choice. Each believing that abortion should remain a constitutional right that only the women should be in control of. Although, not many believe that abortion is a choice and should not be granted so easily to women. Pro-life is the second side of this issue and there main argument is abortion being considered murder and sinful. They also believe that the abortion process is harmful for the women. This may be seen as very anti-abortion but I see it as them just wanting the fetus to stay alive and be born. Although, there are multiple reasons that women would want to have an abortion not just because they don’t want to have a child. What if the baby is diagnosed with a rare and severe disease that will cause it to live a painful life with no solution in getting better? Not only can the fetus be harmed but what if the women was raped or forced to have sex and ends up being pregnant and cant afford to take care od the baby or is to young to have a baby. All these scenarios might be rare but possible and what if abortion wasn’t an option. Wouldn’t the future of the baby and the women be terrible?
Being Pro-life has its downfalls because believing that abortion should just be abolished or dismissed is going to cause a lot of lives to be destroyed. Even if some people believe that women who have decided to have sex and must face the consequences doesn’t mean that the government should decide for them to have the baby. I believe that the right to have an abortion should not be based on being right or wrong but rather in being safe and what’s going to be beneficial in the long run. According to the article “Should Abortion Be Legal?”
“Daniel R. Mishell, Jr., MD, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, before abortion was legalized women would frequently try to induce abortions by using coat hangers, knitting needles, or radiator flush, or by going to unsafe "back-alley" abortionists.”
Mishell recognizes the dangers of unsafe abortion procedures that not only end up harming the fetus but also the women. Having a professionally performed abortion “reduces maternal injury and death caused by unsafe, illegal abortions.”
Abortion is sometimes seen as justified when it comes to the women being rape or having incest. I believe that its pretty unfair for anyone to say that abortion shouldn’t an option if it ever comes to this point. Why should the women be force to have a baby that was conceived out of rape or incest? The child can grow up to have a disability due to incest and in the case of rape; the child can grow up without a father. Why would anyone want their child to live through this?
Abortion is currently legal but each state has their regulations, which are affecting the lives of women who want to have an abortion. Women who pass a certain number of abortions are turned down the right to have an abortion unless they get special permission which can take a long time to have. Being turned down at a clinic have caused women to suffer economically and emotionally. According to “A University of California at San Francisco study found that women who were turned away from abortion clinics (because they had passed the gestational limit imposed by the clinic) were three times more likely to be below the poverty level two years later than women who were able to obtain abortions” this proves that having an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy can cause women to suffer and even tax payers money which we all know is a other big issue in our country. Although, abortion may be legal the state regulations are limiting the rights of women and are causing everyone to pay the price.
Therefore, abortion continues to be an ongoing controversial topic in society that has its pros and cons. I believe that there will never be an agreement from both sides because everyone has there own morals and beliefs that cant be understood due to how life is viewed from the eyes of people from different religious, political, or social groups. I hope that my paper has got in-depth with the issue of abortion and the two sides it has created.
Work Cited
"Abortion ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://abortion.procon.org/#Background>.
"Misconceptions About Abortion." THE PRO-CHOICE ACTION NETWORK Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork canada.org/abortioninfo/misconce.shtml>.
"Our Bodies Ourselves." Our Bodies Ourselves Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/health-info/u-s-abortion-history/>.
"Roe v. Wade Fast Facts: What You Need to Know about the Decision." About. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://womenshistory.about.com/od/abortionuslegal/p/roe_v_wade.htm>.
Professor Kufs
English 144a
25 November 2014
Is The Legalization of Abortion Right or Wrong
In America there is a very controversial issue that divides the country and its people. The idea of abortion keeps the country in having two sides debating whether or not abortion should be legal. The two sides are known to be pro-choice and pro-life. Pro-choice is considered the proponents of this issue while pro-life are the opponents. Abortion is an ongoing issue that involves individual’s morals, ethics, and even religion in getting in the way of deciding weather abortion is morally wrong or not. Although according to the Roe v. Wade case of 1973 “The US Supreme Court has declared abortion to be a fundamental right guaranteed by the US Constitution.” I believe that the courts decision to legalized abortion in the United States brought the country a bit closer in facing the fact that women can have abortions if and only its before a certain time with certain restriction.
Women around the world have lead to abortion for numerous reasons that should remained private but are seen as sinful and even murder because of the outcome of it. In the United States, abortion was practiced until about 1880, yet most states banned it except to save the life of the woman. An article about U.S abortion states “When abortion was illegal, the ability of a woman to obtain an abortion, let alone one that was safe, depended upon her economic situation, her race, and where she lived.” Women were either forced to have there own unsafe abortion due to these limitation or have enough money to look for a physician that would perform the procedure for a high cost. Today, women have the luxury in not having these limitations based on race or economic situation but rather being able to make the choice to have an abortion with no limitations before a certain time.
On January 22, 1973 the Supreme Court made an important yet controversial decision that abortion should be legal but should have restrictions depending on the pregnancy stage women were in. The decision made the country divide into two and argue. Society continues to argue if abortion should be legal or not because of the effects it has on the women and fetus. Many are unable to recognize women’s backgrounds and state of mind in wanting to have an abortion. Some women lead to abortion because they are unable to care for the baby because of their economic situation or because they didn’t planned to be pregnant. Many scenarios can defend the right for women to have an abortion but that’s not what are keeping people from wanting it to become illegal. I believe that morals, religion, and politics influence people to go against abortion. The question weather or not a fetus is considered life is also an important question that causes people to deicide weather abortion should be legal or not.
As expected, the concept of abortion creates two sides. The first side being “pro-choice.” Pro-choice basically means giving the right to have an abortion to the women and not having her decision to be questioned or restricted from the government. According to a pro-choice website, groups such as “United Methodist Church, United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church, and the Unitarian Universalist Association” are some faith groups that support pro-choice. Each believing that abortion should remain a constitutional right that only the women should be in control of. Although, not many believe that abortion is a choice and should not be granted so easily to women. Pro-life is the second side of this issue and there main argument is abortion being considered murder and sinful. They also believe that the abortion process is harmful for the women. This may be seen as very anti-abortion but I see it as them just wanting the fetus to stay alive and be born. Although, there are multiple reasons that women would want to have an abortion not just because they don’t want to have a child. What if the baby is diagnosed with a rare and severe disease that will cause it to live a painful life with no solution in getting better? Not only can the fetus be harmed but what if the women was raped or forced to have sex and ends up being pregnant and cant afford to take care od the baby or is to young to have a baby. All these scenarios might be rare but possible and what if abortion wasn’t an option. Wouldn’t the future of the baby and the women be terrible?
Being Pro-life has its downfalls because believing that abortion should just be abolished or dismissed is going to cause a lot of lives to be destroyed. Even if some people believe that women who have decided to have sex and must face the consequences doesn’t mean that the government should decide for them to have the baby. I believe that the right to have an abortion should not be based on being right or wrong but rather in being safe and what’s going to be beneficial in the long run. According to the article “Should Abortion Be Legal?”
“Daniel R. Mishell, Jr., MD, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, before abortion was legalized women would frequently try to induce abortions by using coat hangers, knitting needles, or radiator flush, or by going to unsafe "back-alley" abortionists.”
Mishell recognizes the dangers of unsafe abortion procedures that not only end up harming the fetus but also the women. Having a professionally performed abortion “reduces maternal injury and death caused by unsafe, illegal abortions.”
Abortion is sometimes seen as justified when it comes to the women being rape or having incest. I believe that its pretty unfair for anyone to say that abortion shouldn’t an option if it ever comes to this point. Why should the women be force to have a baby that was conceived out of rape or incest? The child can grow up to have a disability due to incest and in the case of rape; the child can grow up without a father. Why would anyone want their child to live through this?
Abortion is currently legal but each state has their regulations, which are affecting the lives of women who want to have an abortion. Women who pass a certain number of abortions are turned down the right to have an abortion unless they get special permission which can take a long time to have. Being turned down at a clinic have caused women to suffer economically and emotionally. According to “A University of California at San Francisco study found that women who were turned away from abortion clinics (because they had passed the gestational limit imposed by the clinic) were three times more likely to be below the poverty level two years later than women who were able to obtain abortions” this proves that having an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy can cause women to suffer and even tax payers money which we all know is a other big issue in our country. Although, abortion may be legal the state regulations are limiting the rights of women and are causing everyone to pay the price.
Therefore, abortion continues to be an ongoing controversial topic in society that has its pros and cons. I believe that there will never be an agreement from both sides because everyone has there own morals and beliefs that cant be understood due to how life is viewed from the eyes of people from different religious, political, or social groups. I hope that my paper has got in-depth with the issue of abortion and the two sides it has created.
Work Cited
"Abortion ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. Web. 22 Nov. 2014. <http://abortion.procon.org/#Background>.
"Misconceptions About Abortion." THE PRO-CHOICE ACTION NETWORK Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://www.prochoiceactionnetwork canada.org/abortioninfo/misconce.shtml>.
"Our Bodies Ourselves." Our Bodies Ourselves Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/health-info/u-s-abortion-history/>.
"Roe v. Wade Fast Facts: What You Need to Know about the Decision." About. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://womenshistory.about.com/od/abortionuslegal/p/roe_v_wade.htm>.