Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Abortion - Birth Control or Legal Murder?

Better Essays
2510 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Abortion - Birth Control or Legal Murder?
Birth Control or Legal Murder?Approximately 1.6 million murders are committed legally each year. Withthe exception of laws in few states, the mutilated bodies of the victims arethrown into dumpsters like pieces of rotten meat. While these victims laywaiting in the infested dumpsters to be hauled off to a landfill, themurderers are in their offices waiting for their next patient--theaccomplice to the murder. This is the murder of an innocent child by aprocedure known as abortion. Abortion stops the beating of an innocentchild 's heart. People must no longer ignore the scientific evidence thatlife begins at the moment of conception. People can no longer ignore themedical and emotional problems an abortion causes women. People must stopdenying the facts about the procedure, and start hearing the silent screamsof unborn children.The argument by the pro-abortion side is that the unborn child is nottruly a child. Many people who are pro-abortion justify their beliefsthrough the concept that a fetus is only a blob of tissue until it is born,or the statement: life begins at birth. Abortion is not as simple asremoving a "blob of tissue" (as the pro-abortion activists put it) from awoman 's body. Abortion is the destruction, dismembering and killing of ahuman life--an unborn baby. "But it is scientific and medical fact based onexperimental evidence, that a fetus is a living, growing, thriving humanbeing, directing his or her own development" (Fetal Development). A fetus isnot just a blob of tissue, rather a fetus is Latin for "offspring or youngone." Human life begins at fertilization, therefore it is wrong to murderthe innocent child in the womb. At a US Senate Judiciary Subcommitteemeeting, most scientists said that life begins at conception or implantationof the embryo. No scientist at the meeting claimed that life begins at birth(Factbot). Professor Hymie Gordon of the Mayo clinic stated " ' . . by allcriteria of modern biology, life is present from the moment of conception '"(Fetal Development). In a 1963 Planned Parenthood pamphlet entitled 'PlanYour Children ' it states "an abortion kills the life of a baby after it hasbegun. It is dangerous to your life and health" (Factbot). Even thoughabortion is dangerous to a woman 's life, and it kills her baby, PlannedParenthood still offers it as a safe solution. This statement contradictswhat most abortion clinics say. It is not possible for abortion to beoffered to women as a safe solution, when it not only puts her life indanger, but it also kills her child.Not only has science proven that a fetus is truly a human, the simplefacts also confer abortion kills the life of a human being. Life begins atconception because of the fact that life in the womb does not change atbirth. There are no special procedures or changes that occur during birth tomagically change the fetus to a baby. It is already a baby--a human life." 'If a fertilized egg is not by itself a full human being it could notbecome one, because nothing is added to it, '" said Dr. Jerome Lejeune(Factbot). Most of all the development also takes place before one is born.Of the 45 generations of cell divisions before adulthood, 41 have takenplace before a person is born (Factbot). Fertilization is just the beginningof a long process of growing and maturing. "Life in a continuum. From themoment the egg is fertilized a new life has begun. All of the geneticinformation is present to construct a unique individual. Gender, physicalfeatures, eye color have already been determined. The baby 's heart beginsbeating regularly at 24 days. Babies in the womb hiccup, cry, play, andlearn" (Factbot). Life continues from the day of fertilization until death.Nothing is added to a person during a lifetime. " 'Conception confers lifeand makes that life one of a kind, '" said Dr Landrum Shettles father of invitro fertilization (Factbot). Abortion is wrong because it ends the life ofa human being. The day of conception marks the beginning of a new humanlife. " 'The zygote is the first cell of a new human being, '" said Keith L.Moore. There is no way that the fetus is just a "blob of (Factbot) tissue."Scientific and medical facts prove that the fetus is living. They prove thatthe fetus is a person, a human, and functions separate from the mother.According to our law murder is wrong, therefore it is unlawful to kill anunborn child. The child in the womb deserves the right to life.The fetus is a real human being and deserves all the rights and freedomgiven to people under the Constitution. This right is evident in theFourteenth Amendment that states, "The State shall not deprive any person oflife, liberty, property, without due process of the law; nor deny any personwithin its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law" (Factbot). Abortiondenies babies equal protection under the law, and is depriving a person oflife. Thomas Jefferson stated human rights best when he wrote, "We holdthese truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that theyare endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that amongthese are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" (Factbot). All unbornbabies have the right to life guaranteed to humans under the constitution.No other person has the right to take away the unborn child 's life, nomatter what the situation is. One must not sacrifice a life to make one 'sown life better.Many argue that most of the babies that are aborted are unwantedbabies. They believe that they would be abused and neglected. This is whyabortion is okay to them. They believe abortion is saving the child fromabuse. Abortion, however, is the most severe case of child abuse. Theprocedures are painful to the child and intentionally end in death (exceptin cases where the procedure results in a living child. "About once a day,somewhere in the US, something goes wrong and an abortion results in a livebaby" (Factbot)). The fetus is alive and has the capacity to feel thepainful abortion procedure. The US Department of Health and Human Servicesreported that after nine weeks unborn babies can feel pain, yet 48 per centof all abortions are done after this point ( Fetal Development). The babycan feel all the pain put on it by the painful procedures. The ultra soundshows the baby struggling to survive. Abortionist doctors such as JosephRandall admit that seeing the abortion ". . . of the baby on the ultra soundbothered me more than anything else. The staff couldn 't take it. Women werenever allowed to see the ultra sound" (Factbot). Women should be allowed tosee this. They should see the struggling of the life they are killing. Anearly abortion takes about five minutes and is performed six to fourteenweeks after a woman 's last period. The procedure is called a suctionaspiration. It is like a vacuum cleaner. " 'A hollow plastic tube with asharp edge is placed into the uterus. The suction tears the baby apart, andthe sharp edge is used to scrape the placenta from the wall of the uterus.Everything is sucked out into a bottle '" (Whitney 94). The other commonmethod is dilation and curettage. " 'A curette, which is a loop-shaped steelknife, is inserted into the uterus, and the baby and the placenta are cutinto pieces and scraped out. Both procedures are usually done under generalanesthesia, so they 're not painful for the mother. Of course we know thechild feels pain '" (Whitney 94). Another method that is not performed muchanymore is the saline injection; a long slow death process of poisoning thebaby. The saline injection was developed in the Nazi Concentration Camps(Factbot) The most controversial form of abortion is the partial-birthabortion. Using an ultra sound the abortionist grabs the baby 's legs withforceps and pulls them out into the birth canal. The abortionist thendelivers the entire baby except for the head and continues by jammingscissors into the baby 's skull. The scissors are then opened to enlarge thehole. The scissors are removed and a suction is inserted. The baby 's brainsare sucked out causing the skull to collapse. The dead baby is then removed( Partial). It has been proven that babies can feel pain in theseprocedures. The fetus can feel pain because it is alive and growing like ahuman. Something that is not living cannot feel pain. If one crushes a popcan as the abortionist crushes a baby, the pop can feels no pain because itis not living. The baby feels pain because it is a living human being.Abortion is wrong because it deprives the baby of rights and happinessbecause of the suffering it must go through during the abortion.Women who have these painful abortions suffer emotional stress, andyears after having the procedure they discover that they destroyed a humanlife. The women finally realize after many years of emotional stress thecause of it. "After 5-10 years 54 per cent of mothers choosing abortion hadnightmares and 96 per cent felt they had taken a life" a from study by DrAnne Speckhard of the University of Minnesota. People need to listen to thewomen who have had abortions in the past to hear what they are really about.From them people can learn much more than a clinic can teach. After havingan abortion, many women can tell a person the true facts--abortion ismurder. " 'Recent evidence indicates many women harbor strong guilt feelingslong after their abortions. Guilt is one important cause of child batteringand infanticide. Abortion lowers women 's self-esteem and there are studiesreporting a major loss of self-esteem in battering parents, '" said Dr.Phillip Ney. There are places that give abortion counseling. However, manyof these places do not give accurate information Accurate information isneeded so women, and men, know that abortion will take away a human life.Ninety-five percent of women who had abortions said their Planned Parenthoodcounselors gave ". . . little or no biological information about the fetuswhich the abortion would destroy." Where 80 percent of women who have hadabortions from Planned Parenthood said little or no health information wasgiven to them about potential health risks (Factbot). Women need to be toldthe true facts of abortion. They need to see the fetal monitors. In manyclinics they are not allowed to see the ultra sound. The doctors do not wanta woman to see that the baby inside of her is alive. This is wrong becauseit not only denies the child the rights such as the right to be heard andseen, it denies women the truth. The truth must be told and shown. ShariRichard, an Ultrasonographer, said, " 'In fact many women will come to meconsidering an abortion, and I have been personally told that I am to turnthe monitor away from her view so that seeing her baby jump around on thescreen does not influence her choice '" (Factbot). Abortion clinic staffmembers are taught how to sell abortions, told never to give alternatives,and told to tell the women how much trouble a baby is. Women are not toldthe facts. It is obvious from the ultra sound that the baby they arecarrying is alive, and abortion kills the baby. If the clinic can clearlysee that the baby is alive, the mother should also see. Abortion isdescribed as a decision between a women and her doctor. Yet over 90 percentdon 't even see the doctor until he appears to abort their baby. This shouldnot be the case. The clinics are hiding and withholding the true facts.Clinics need to shape-up and tell the truth to women: Abortion is wrong.Abortion is one of the key issues facing the human race today. Thisissue, like many, forces people to take sides against each other, and is oneof the main factors people look at when voting. In a 1973 court ruling,known as Roe v. Wade, abortion became legal. Since this ruling the number ofteen pregnancies has increased from 4.94 per cent in 1972 to 9.92 per centin 1990. The number of teen abortions has doubled from 19.9 per thousandteenagers in 1972 to 43.8 per thousand teenagers in 1990 while the number ofteen births has increased from 22.8 to 42.5 per thousand. The number ofbirths to unmarried women has increased 7.3 per cent during the yearsfrom1972 to 1990 while the number of abortions increased 11.7 per centduring those years (Factbot). Abortion should no longer be legal. It israpidly becoming a form of birth control. No longer must women worry aboutprotection, if they should conceive a child, they can choose to take itslife. One-third of all babies (Planned Parenthood) are aborted, whichentitles the abortion industry to $500 million a year in income in theUnited States (Factbot). Abortion is the most frequent surgical operation inthe US, and the leading cause of death in Minnesota (Factbot). Currentlythere are two million couples waiting for adoption in America, yet there are30 abortions for every one adoption (Factbot). These statistics are true.Abortion needs to be stopped.There are arguments against the stopping of abortion. However, thereare solutions. Many say abortion should be legal if the woman 's life is indanger. Only three percent of all abortions are done for the mother 'shealth, where 40 percent of women who have abortions will have more thanone, and 50 per cent use it as their sole means of birth control (Factbot).As for the argument that women will do them illegally in the back alleysendangering their lives, 72 per cent said they would definitely not havesought an abortion if they were illegal, and death happens during a legalabortion too; maternal death rates for first trimester abortions are 61 per100,000 cases (Factbot).Abortion is clearly the taking of a human life, an action that is wrongunder the United States constitution. Women must stop being denied the factsand start being told the truth. The people of the US must start standing upfor the rights of all people, born and unborn. "Abortion concerns not onlythe unborn child , it concerns every one of us." said former President ofthe United States Ronald Reagan (Factbot). Abortion concerns all of us.People need to start caring for the women who are hurting as a result of anabortion, and women who are struggling over the decision. People must tellthem the facts, and work at making the conditions better for women, because84 per cent would keep their babies under better circumstances (Factbot).America needs to open her ears to the screams of the 1.6 million babiesmurdered each year.BibliographyCan abortion be justified? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc., 1991."Factbot." Netscape. Online."Fetal Development." Netscape. Online.Harrison, Maureen, and Steve Gilbert, eds. Abortion Decisions of the UnitedStates Supreme Court: The 1990 's. Beverly Hills: Excellent Books, 1993.Is abortion immoral? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc., 1991."LIFE at the University of Illinois." Netscape. OnlineMelville, Keith, ed. The Battle Over Abortion. Dubuque: Kendall/HuntPublishing Company, 1990."Partial-Birth Abortion." Netscape. Online.Should abortion remain a personal choice? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc.,1991.Should abortion remain legal? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc., 1991.When does life begin? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc., 1991.Whitney, Catherine. Whose Life?. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.,1991.--------------------------------------------------------------

Bibliography: an abortion be justified? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc., 1991."Factbot." Netscape. Online."Fetal Development." Netscape. Online.Harrison, Maureen, and Steve Gilbert, eds. Abortion Decisions of the UnitedStates Supreme Court: The 1990 's. Beverly Hills: Excellent Books, 1993.Is abortion immoral? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc., 1991."LIFE at the University of Illinois." Netscape. OnlineMelville, Keith, ed. The Battle Over Abortion. Dubuque: Kendall/HuntPublishing Company, 1990."Partial-Birth Abortion." Netscape. Online.Should abortion remain a personal choice? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc.,1991.Should abortion remain legal? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc., 1991.When does life begin? San Diego: Grenhaven Press, Inc., 1991.Whitney, Catherine. Whose Life?. New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc.,1991.--------------------------------------------------------------

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    M., & Rosenbaum, S. E. (2001). The ethics of abortion: pro-life vs. pro-choice (3rd ed.). Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books.…

    • 2673 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    From 1973 to 2015 the United States of America’s population increased by about 109, 533, 231. In that same amount of time, about 43, 800, 000 abortions took place (Lang). This statistic helps show that abortion has always been a problem, but only recently has became one on a national level with the two sides forming. One side, the Pro-Life one, wants laws that will help protect the fetus. The other side, the Pro-Choice one, supports the belief that abortion should be the choice of the mothers. “Abortion, in its many different forms, is when a pregnancy is ended; therefore, it does not result in the birth of a child (“What is”).”…

    • 1011 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dorothy E. McBride, PhD, is a professor emeritus of political science at Florida Atlantic University and has contributed in the editing and writing process of several other books, including Abortion Politics, Women’s Movements and the Democratic State: A Comparative Study of State Feminism and Women’s Rights in the U.S.A.: Policy Debates and Gender Roles. Abortion in the United States - A reference handbook is a trustworthy source composed of extracts from major Supreme Court cases, legislative bills and laws passed by Congress, as well as historical documents as its primary sources. Contains not only one-sided views, but…

    • 265 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The way abortion is treated in the Courts provides an example of the disregard for abortion procedures and how it affects the rights specified in Roe (Whitman 1985). This lack of appreciation for the impact Roe v. Wade had on American women has led to a woman’s right to choose to become compromised (Whitman 1985). The Supreme Court essentially gave women the right to an abortion, allegedly free from state coercion, without offering any evidence as to why it is important to women (Whitman 1980). The consequences of not being able to obtain an abortion are hard to envision without the understanding required to think rationally about the subject. The lack of understanding of the ethical obligations that women are forced to consider is perhaps…

    • 625 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Abortion is an extremely complex and highly debated public issue that has consumed much of the American social and political arena in the late twentieth century. People on both sides of the debate present strong arguments that establish valid points. Society clearly states that child abuse and the murder of one's child is illegal, but does allow abortion. Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, the fine line that exists between abortion and murder will be discussed and debated for decades to come.…

    • 1629 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Roe Vs Wade Research Paper

    • 1878 Words
    • 8 Pages

    This paper will state the medical definition of abortion. Summarize the famous court case Roe vs. Wade and the impact that had on The United States. This paper will also discuss the present abortion debate, the states that have chosen to ban abortion, and the affect this will have on individuals. The last part of the paper will be my opinion on the current abortion ban.…

    • 1878 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    As abortion continues to become a widely spread controversial issue around the world, people have begun to openly choose their side of the infamous debate. Abortion or the early termination of a birth has grasped the minds and hearts of many people around the world since The Supreme Court declared the act legal four decades ago. There are many various ways people have attempted to either argue or approve the subject, making it a sensitive topic in church, schools, and even homes around the world. The topic has become so sensitive that numerous professors do not allow students…

    • 813 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Pro Choice

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Cagan 1 Erica Cagan ENC1103.036/Prof. Bieze December 2, 2011 Word Count: 1147 Her Choice If a woman doesn’t have control over her own body, than does she have any control at all? Abortion has fostered one of the most controversial, contentious and ethical debates in the United States. People divide themselves into two groups: pro-life and pro-choice. Pro-life argues that abortion is murder, and the mother has no right to take the life of a potential child. Prochoice “ refers to the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete right over her fertility and that she should have the freedom to decide whether she wants to continue or terminate her pregnancy” (Bose). In 1973, the Supreme Court made it possible for woman to obtain a legal abortion from well-trained medical surgeons which was a giant step forward for women’s rights (Pomeroy). Undertaking an abortion is a woman’s choice and any proposal to take away this autonomy not only violates a woman’s civil rights but would also cause many more problems in regards to a woman’s health. A woman’s autonomy is the one thing no one should be able to take away from her. Abortion is an extremely private matter that the government has no right to interfere in. If the civil rights of a person entitles him or her to not have unwanted infringements by the government and the government tells a woman that she cannot have an abortion, then is this not a violation of civil rights? Without abortion, woman would be condemned into pregnancy which “forces them into submissive roles in society” (Pomeroy). Pregnancy denounces women to “second class citizenship, since in our society, mothers are second class citizens. Once a woman becomes a…

    • 1171 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Abortion is a constitutional issue that questions whether it is ethically acceptable or a violation of the Constitution. It is a constant debate that revolves around moral, religious, and political values and effects several groups including pro-life supporters, pro-choice supporters, the state government, the federal government, courts, mothers, fathers, and most importantly, the child inside the womb. For one reason or another, these groups have their reasons and this essay will explore those arguments and their ethical value, while citing many of the conflicts that have arose in the United States over this highly controversial, constitutional topic. I believe that abortion should be outlawed in the United States with the exception of rape cases and other severe situations.…

    • 2155 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    A dilemma is brewing for the society as a whole today in the name of abortion which has become a controversial issue that faces everyone countrywide. Abortion is defined as the forcible removal of a developing baby from the womb of his or her mother, using surgical, involuntary, or chemical means. Nowadays, abortion has been a very popular and debatable topic because of the moral and ethical issue associated with it. The most momentous moment in the history of abortion in America was the Roe vs. Wade case, which allowed the option of abortions legal to women across the nation. Today struggle still remains on the moral ethics behind it and the question is asked, “Is abortion the murder of an unborn child?” and the other question asked today is, “should abortion be declared illegal?” The debate over abortion in the United States historically holds ground both politically and socially. America is split into two sides; pro - choice and pro – life, both sides have their points that they stand on. To sum it up, either a living human is or isn’t being killed, and case between life or liberty is born. The differences make it hard to settle the two sides. Though it looks like both sides will never compromise they do share some similarities. Both sides to the abortion controversy share a common objective, which is to make abortion safer, and the overall number of abortions should reduce. There is much debate whether this is an action of life or death, and the difference is rather large. Our nation is split over the legal and moral status of abortion. The two sides of abortion, are the "pro-choice” and the "pro-life." In simple terms, a pro-choice individual believes that the choice to abort a pregnancy is to be made only by the woman; the state should not interfere. A pro-life advocate believes from the second of conception, the fetus is alive; and has rights thus abortion is the…

    • 1273 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Law Paper

    • 1747 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Bibliography: Baird, Robert M., and Stuart E. Rosenbaum. The Ethics of Abortion: Pro-life! vs. Pro-choice! Buffalo, N.Y.: Prometheus, 1989.…

    • 1747 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Abortions in America

    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Lewis, J.; Shimabukuro, Jon O. (28 January 2001). "Abortion Law Development: A Brief Overview". Congressional Research Service. Archived from the original on 14 May 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2011.…

    • 1611 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Roe V. Wade History

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages

    On January 22, 1973, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its decision in Roe v. Wade, it was enacted in order to make abortion services safer and more accessible to women throughout the country (Roe V. Wade: Its History and Impact). Prior to Roe v. Wade, abortion was illegal in almost all of the states unless it was to save a woman’s life, preserve her health, or in instances of rape, incest, or fetal anomaly. Prior to 1973 most women were not in the workforce and were not able to pursue education because they were stay at home moms. Having the ability to control one’s own reproductive life has opened many new equal opportunities for women. The focus of this paper is to analyze Roe v. Wade and its issues, history, effectiveness, and goals.…

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    An assiduous dissension among American citizens pertains to the topic of abortion. Many believe abortion to be an inhumane and immoral decision, where others see no immorality or ill justification of the topic. On November 13th, the Supreme Court agreed to hear a case dealing with this very issue. While some argue over the moral convictions of abortion, this case focuses on the health of women and their reproductive system. The author of the article “Abortion, Back at the Supreme Court” argues that the decision of the Fifth Circuit was based on an unjustifiable desire to deter women from seeking abortions.…

    • 434 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Abortion has been a heavily debated political, ethical, and moral dispute continuing for more than a decade after it was legalized in the United States in January 22, 1973. This decade long debate between “pro-life” activists and “pro-choice” activists usually stem from ones ethical and moral values of whether it is right to surgically or medicinally terminate a fetus and the extremes, like death of the mother, which could occur from the pregnancy. In this debate, I would view myself as a “pro-choice” activist because I firmly believe that abortion should continue to be legal to decrease the number of unintended mothers, broken or single parent families, and family poverty.…

    • 1233 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics