Legalized Abortion: More Than The Right To Choose

Abortion topic for group That's Up For Debate

A position on legalized abortion is very simple, one is either for or against it. The fact is, legalized abortion goes beyond a woman’s right to choose. It is imperative that our nation retain this law and here is why.

Abortion has been practiced in every major civilization. The oldest date on record is 500 BC, in Chinese royal documents of concubines. Most used abortifacient herbs, although some cultures used other radical practices such as techniques that pushed on specific parts of the woman’s stomach. Whatever the procedure, prior to the nineteenth century, it was neither considered immoral or criminal.

That would all change with Victorian piety and Pope Pius IX. In 1861, the British parliament outlaws the practice of abortion as part of the Offenses Against Persons Act. Pope Pius declared eight years later, that abortion for any reason was a moral sin against the church. These two major social shifts influenced not only England, but America as well. Even though America was no longer under British rule, it did take its social cues from the land across the pond, and started making abortion illegal and a punishable crime. Each state created its own laws making the practice of abortion illegal. Those with the most stringent punishments coming from the states that make up the "bible belt." For the first time since the Declaration of Independence, separation of Church and State no longer existed.

This mind set remained in effect until the end of the mid twentieth century. The end of the sixties brought American women a new "suffrage" movement. In the pandemic of the "bra burning" legend and the Nation Woman’s Liberation Party, one woman and her attorneys, challenged Texas state law regarding her right to an abortion after being raped. The case that would become known as Roe vs Wade was presented to the Supreme Court in 1970. In this suit, it was contested that the plaintiff’s (Roe) rights were violated under the ninth amendment, citing Griswold vs Connecticut, which was also won based on a violation of the ninth amendment. That case however, was about a woman’s right to use contraceptives. It would take almost three years for a ruling. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court concluded that the State of Texas had violated the right of the plaintiff ‘s " due process", under the fourteenth amendment, that the woman’s privacy of whether to terminate a pregnancy was a decision between her and her doctor.

Points to consider:

Abortion, is a medical procedure. If this were to be overturned, what would become of all the other medical treatments American’s consider a private matter. Would we have to publicly disclose that one has cancer, or perhaps is seeking psychological assistance? What would become of HIPPA? Would one conceivably be denied employment because of medical choices they have made?

Women who have been raped or who’s lives are in medical danger would be left with no options if abortion were to be made illegal again and with the advances in medicine, back door abortion clinics would be back. More women’s lives would be at risk trying to obtain an abortion through unregulated methods, than in a medical facility.

If we allow the Christian Conservative to influence and turn over this ruling, where is the separation of Church and State? It is the most basic fundamental ideal our country was founded on, and what makes us the nation we are today. We have fiercely required our political representatives to not be influenced by religious groups in every other area and need to do so in this matter as well.

Now opponents of legalized abortion will put up many arguments such as, fetus rights, adoption, and all life being sacred. Here are the facts:

In order to establish rights of a fetus, or "the right to life", one has to determine when "personhood" begins. If you say personhood begins at conception, then why can you not claim a fetus as a dependant on your taxes? Pregnant women who use the high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, without another individual are still fined for doing so. If a pregnant woman is murdered, there is still only one life that has been considered murdered. Society, by its actions has deemed "personhood" begins at the time of birth.

Pro-lifers would have you believe that there are less children to adopt since Roe Vs Wade and parents are increasing looking to international adoption due to a lack of American babies. The truth is there are just as many babies to adopt as there were in 1973. What there is a lack of is Caucasian babies or babies with no medical issues. Pro-life groups battled to ensure that no federal funds were given to medicaid for abortions. The result was that there are fewer options for women who are on welfare than for those who are not. Statistics show that recipients of medicaid under the age of retirement, are minorities. ( Pro life has also lobbied that medicaid not be allowed to have contraceptives as part of the medicaid program.)The majority of adoptable children in foster care are that of non Caucasian heritage. The number of parents willing to adopt outside of their race is far less than the babies that are available.

Pro-life supports will state that all life is scared and that abortion is the taking of human life. If all life is scared, then the death penalty should be morally unjust, however, the majority of pro life advocates are in support of the death penalty. How can one justify a state sanctioned killing of human being through the death penalty, but be opposed to abortion.

 

 

The legalized abortion is not simply about the right to choose. It goes way beyond that, its about the right to privacy, the right to keep Church and State separate, and the right for Americans to expect no less of its nation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

This topic is for the debate group. I do not mean to offend anyone.

Reviews

[Mark Pearce]

A strong statement J C.

I question the "you're either for it or against it" positioning of the issue. (And I've heard it positioined that way many, many times.) I am personally against abortion, but I don't think it's my, nor the government's role to dictate it's terms.

It's not as if an abortion is a joyful decision that an individual must make. And, to presume that society has dibs on the unborn child (through adopton) is also a societal intrusion. Our nation would be much healthier today if this personal matter could be removed from the politcal agenda -- but it's too valuable for some as a swing issue.

Once again, strong stand. And don't worry about offending so much. Anything of value probably does offend.

[Shadow]

Reading over this I have considered my position on it time and time again and have come to only one logical conclusion.Government well meaning or not should not and cannot have any say in the matter such as the case with high risk pregnancies,where the life of the mother is threatened by simply carrying the child,myself and my wife have lost two chances at being parents before and I can say that it really is a tragic situation one that I have no control over but....

If a woman is raped which lets face it happens alot and the government can only think to make more laws giving a harsher punishment to the offender if and only if he is caught then how can they honestly say whether or not she has to have the child,True enough the smiling face of your child is wonderful but how grand can that love be when the child is born of rape,the government needs to back out of this and leave it to the individual to decide whether or not they want to keep something they created,not the government but they themselves have the ultimate power and that's where it should stay

[Otter]

I think that the government has too much control over us, as a man I feel I'm not intitled to an opinion on abortion. A woman should have the right to have a safe and legal abortion. Just as I have a right to carry a firearm and use it to protect myself and others. If you're opposed to abortion, don't have one. If you don't like guns, don't have one. Don't tell others they have to live by your standards.
This is well written, don't worry about offending people, tell it like it is.

[John Coolidge]

You made some fantastic points here, especially about the pro-life/pro-capital punishment cranks.

Now, I will admit...I am pro-life. But that is my personal opinion. That doesn't mean I believe the federal government should have a say about what a woman does with her body. And, just so you know, I *am* against the death penalty, as well. So yeah.

These religious conservatives (like, uh, a certain person who quoted the Bible in their review) believe it is the place of the federal government to make decisions about abortion, gay marriage and other things that are best left to the individual human being. But oh, silly me! I forgot...

Religious cranks have no respect for the individual.

[Sara]

the bit about claiming them on you taxes is interesting, i never thought of that. good job! i like this debate thing we have going on...but, im still pro-life.
-sara

[Babbette Francis]

--The legalized abortion is not simply about the right to choose. It goes way beyond that, its about the right to privacy, the right to keep Church and State separate, and the right for Americans to expect no less of its nation.--

So true.

I for one am totally against abortion. I also believe life begins at conception- Why? Because of the live egg of the mother and live sperm of the father- the two together bring life to another human being. But if a mother decides to abort she doesn't need the father's consent. This, in my opinion, is heartbreaking and wrong. It takes a lot to raise a child. Believe me, I know! But what if the father has always dreamed of taking his little boy fishing- he can't now, because of abortion. What if he had the love for the child that the mother didn't have- too bad- Mom's choice! That's heartbreaking!!
The truth is it takes faith, hope and love to raise a child, someone out there has these things and has ample amounts of it- why not carry the child for them? Does death really have to be the final answer? Legally? It is a private matter, until its legalized. Private? Yeah- if you must kill an unborn baby do it privately, not in public clinics. And By NO MEANS call it- LEGAL.

--But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 corinthians 13:13 New American Standard Bible--