Abortion- A Woman’s Divine Right Tameka A. Severson SOC 120 Introduction to Ethics & Social Responsibility Instructor: Theodore Framan April 16, 2012 The topic of abortion is one of the most controversial of our times. The fight between pro-life and pro-choice supporters has been long and brutal. This is because individuals can be a bit “close minded” and refuse to view any other beliefs or ideas other than their own. Although I support the act of abortion, when it all boils down, it is a right and the circumstance at hand really depends on the particular individual. Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability.
If a woman chooses not to seek medical attention for her unborn child, is that not the same as a mother not seeking medical attention for her baby’s aliment? In fact I believe it is and we as a society consider that negligence. So we must decide that a fetus is not a part of the mother’s body but a person, and that her right to freedom of choice must be weighed against the fetus’s right to be born in a healthy state. Against: Are we as a society ready to demand more of an expectant mother than anyone else? If we are sincerely committed to equality then the answer must be no.
Pro-Choice or Pro-Life Abortion is a very controversial subject that many avoid because it has so many opinions when it is the topic of conversation. According to the Encyclopedia Americana, abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by loss or destruction of a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus before birth. Even though many people believe that the destruction of a human being is considered murder, all women should have the right to choose to plan their own fertility. Abortion has been legal in the United States since 1973 and there are valid reasons to terminate a pregnancy such as a result of being raped or molested and for the health of the mother. In 1969, a woman named Norma L. McCorvey became pregnant.
Abortions are performed for many reasons, varying from rape and incest to teenage and fatalistic pregnancies. However, more and more political bills are trying to do whatever they can to dissuade these women from going through with the operation, with no regard as to what situation has brought them to this conclusion in the first place. It has reached a point where protestors from all over the nation have become infuriated with the absurd and medically unnecessary procedures
Abortion should remain legal so women would keep their faith and they will not experience hardship with their unwanted baby. There are many reasons why abortion should remain legal. It preserves a humans beings life and prevents the mother to have an unwanted life with a baby that she doesn’t want. If abortion becomes illegal not only one life will be affected but it would be the mother and the unwanted baby. The bible does not say anything about abortion but has something that sounds like they are talking about abortion.
One of the most ethical controversial issues being debated now in United States is whether late- term abortion should be banned or not. Most people argued that it is proper to ban late-term abortion. They believe that it is un-ethical and a murder of an unborn child not a right of freedom of choice. It is an immoral act and violates the social and religious norms. On the other hand some people argued that late-term abortion should not be banned because it is necessary to terminate a fetus when the life of the woman is in danger as a result of complicated pregnancy; or when pregnancy result from incest or rape and the woman may be late in finding out that she is pregnant.
Having an abortion is killing an innocent person for insignificant reasons. If other people get killed or put into jail for killing other people then why, shouldn’t women who choose to abort their pregnancies? It is the same thing. Whether or not the baby is wanted, all people who kill any human being in any way need to be punished. If the mother and or father wasn’t allowed or didn’t want a child in the first place then as a couple they should have decided to be abstinent until they were ready to take on the responsibilities of having and taking care of a
Thomson explains that the fetus is a person who has the right to life. However, when the mother’s life is at risk, the idea of abortion can be considered morally permissible. In this scenario abortion is permissible due to the fact that we all have the right to protect our lives from any danger. This is what we call self-defense. Nevertheless, this is not the right term to justify this action, since there is no valid self-defense against someone who is innocent and unwilling to cause any harm.
<BR>The dispute on abortion has become one of the most heated debates in today's society. It is a subject that can instigate incredibly strong emotions on either side of the argument. Since the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, which legalized abortions in the United States, women have had the individual right as people to decide the fate of their own bodies. This right can not be negotiated. People are not merely a means to an end, but ends themselves.
The side affects, whether it be emotional or physical, are too much for someone to bare. While some women do over come the emotional idea of killing a fetus, it will liger for a lifetime. Not knowing what the child looked like, or how they would have impacted a life is devastating to most. No one will know how great of a person that child would grow up to be. There are lots of opinions about abortion, and most are not 100 percent for or against the idea.