By Socrates Nyongobela
After the terror attack in Paris that left at least 129 people dead and hundreds wounded, the world shouted, so to speak. But that same day, according to the Guttmacher Institute, there was an estimate of 3,000 lives silently killed through abortion in the United States. Right to abortion is one of the controversial subjects that divides America into two groups, pro-life and pro-choice. Pro-choice activists believe that abortion is the right of every woman, and it should be the woman’s decision whether or not she wants an abortion since it’s her body. But the pro-lifers who believe that abortion should be considered murder because it’s killing people in their most vulnerable stage, will never cease to fight against the abortion right. How can a choice of someone to her body be considered “murder?”
Pro-choice believers are not encouraging everyone to do abortion, but they believe that it is up to every woman to choose what to do with what is in her uterus, a group of pro-choice at MIT claimed. Moreover, pro-choice activists are thinking maybe people who are fighting against abortion are trying to enforce their religious moral beliefs to everyone. However, the fight against abortion has deep roots that do not originate with religion. Most pro-life activists may have a religious affiliation, but the matter of life and death is of greater seriousness regardless our beliefs. Every woman should have right to decide how to deal with her body and control her fertility, but abortion is something that is beyond just a woman’s uterus. Uterus belong to a woman, but it contains another life that should have the same right as does the mother.
When we claim that we have the right to make decisions, but our decisions are about killing, are we expecting our choice to be respected? Decisions that we make affect others. In the case of abortion, the direct victim is a fetal life. Skeptics who are not convinced that terminating a fetal life is equivalent to killing a human being are blinded to an absolute reality–a fetus is a life that has potential like any other human being. As a graduate student in biology and a Pro-choice activist at MIT, who claimed that such feeling is religious. We have to show respect to fetal life and not thinking that those babies are our enemies. Since our first minutes, as a single cell, in the Fallopian tubes of our mothers, we become a life that is different to that of the mother and the father. And as we develop in the womb, we have blood, genetics that are different to those of our mothers even though we depend on them for our protection, breathing, and eating. Interestingly, even in the early weeks of pregnancy, some of our organs, such us the heart, start to function. The fetal development evidently depicts that unborn babies are alive as other individuals.
Every choice or decision we make has its consequences, on ourselves or other people. For this reason, we have to think about how our decision affect others before we can go ahead with it.
People who stand for abortion should understand that they are convicting other individuals to death. Because someone conceived unexpectedly, was raped, or through incestuous sex, it is not a justification for an abortion. Sadly, we have developed an assumption that babies who conceived in such ways are unwanted and deserve to be hated. One pro-choice activist at MIT argued that abortion is for the child’s benefit because she believes “that it is better not to be born” instead of being born hated. Another one said, ” I believe that abortion IS taking responsibility. Bringing an unwanted child into the world is irresponsible.”
Why should we develop such hatred to innocent unborn babies to the extent of calling them “unwanted?” Even though the pregnancy is unexpected, the result of rape, or incest, it is unfair to do abortion. When we get rid of a pregnancy, we are just displacing anger and hatred that should be directed to the other person or on our reckless to a helpless and an innocent individual– the unborn baby. After all, the baby did not partake in the intercourse that resulted in the pregnancy. Why, then, should the fetus be held in such a bitter contempt, even convicted to death, to transgressions it did not commit? To direct the so-called “choice” to a fetus is wrong. One best analogy that the Republican presidential nominate candidate and the retired neurosurgeon, Dr. Ben Carson, gives, brings the visual image of why it’s wrong. Dr. Carson explains, Thinking that we have right to decide on what to do with our pregnancy is like believing that slave owners “had the right to do whatever they wanted to that slave.”
If we agree that nobody has right to do whatever he or she desires to another person, it’s evident that no one should claim abortion right.
Authorities should take their stand against abortion for it claims a staggering number of lives that would have become very useful people. It is so ironic that we spend a lot of time and resources to fight against terrorism and gun violence; on the other hand, legalizing abortion that takes lives more than both terrorism and gun violence combined. For this reason, abortion should be considered in the same legal framework with murder. It’s unthinkable to view abortion as the right to choice while we well know that it’s killing. Abortion is not a remedy for rape, incest, nor is it for an unexpected pregnancy. Therefore, we should never support such an act of hate for humanity.
Abortion is an issue that will never be solved. As humans , we all have different beliefs and values we hold dear. It is ignorant to believe that every American will ever have the same opinion about abortion. I am proud to be an American citizen because as such I am granted certain rights, such as freedom speech which I am going to exercise on this issue. I believe that as an American and even as a human , we have the right to decide what we do with our bodys. There are many circumstances in which a woman can become pregnant , rape , failed contraceptive , or even ignorance of conception . Despite these different paths , the result is the same, a fetus. It is that woman alone who can make the tough decision , can she be responsible for this life form for its entire life . It is wrong to bring a child into this world that has no one to take responsibility for it. Typically when woman becomes pregnant who did not plan it , she is unprepared to be a mother. A woman has a few options when being unexpectedly pregnant, raise the child un prepared , give the child to a foster home , or have an abortion. In order to raise a child you must have stability. If you try to raise a child when you’re not ready many things can affect the child mentally. It is the best interest of the child itself to murder it while it is the size of a pea with no feelings than expose it to such a life. Also abortion can also be seen as a solution to a surplus population which has lead to lack of food and natural resources. I have question for anyone who is not pro choice , if abortion is murder, are contraceptives premeditated murder?
Abortion is a heavily debated topic to which it seems there will be no light at the end of the tunnel to solving, or coming to an agreement. It seems to some people that there are only two ways to view the subject of abortion, pro life or pro choice. Unfortunately, there are underlying issues or reasons why one may choose an abortion. Adoption seems to be the best choice if one is opposed to getting an abortion and also does not want the baby. This decision is difficult in its self alone, but the adoption laws in the United States makes the options of putting a baby up for adoption very un-appealing, resulting in the choice of abortion. To bring a baby into this world without a stable income or family life is not fair. If one brings a baby into an unstable life, they are already setting that child up to start their life with the cards against them and leaving them for a long road ahead. To me bringing a baby into that situation is just as unfair as not giving them a chance at all, essentially having an abortion and bringing a baby into an unstable life are along the same lines, both are giving the child an unfair chance. Do I believe that abortion is wrong? Yes, but that does not mean that everyone must feel the same way. If a rape victim were to choose to abort the child, who would, am I to fault her? If the rapist had mental disabilities why would one choose to chance to pass some of those hereditary disabilities on to a child? Some people are struggling to make decisions for themselves, let alone having to make now one for a baby. Depending on the scenario (Incest, rape, accident) I think exceptions can be made.
I think that abortion is a touchy subject. It always will be a touchy subject and people will always agree and disagree. I think that it is up to women to decide what is right for them. It is their body, their choice. If one is not ready to have a baby and it was an accident then they should have the right to decide whether or not they want to keep the baby. If a person does decide to keep the baby and put it up for adoption then that baby is going to wonder where they came from when they are older and they are always going to wonder why their mom and dad did not want them. Either way one is being selfish. If I was raped and I kept the baby I do not know how I could look into that child’s eyes everyday. Yes this is no excuse and I would not hate my child, but there is no way I could keep the child. The child would not grow up in an happy environment. I do believe that it is up to women to decide on abortion or not. It is their body and their life. If one is not ready then they are simply not ready. It does not make a person bad because they had an abortion, and it sure does not make them a murderer. And like Ally said are contraceptives premeditative murder if abortion is murder? I would believe so if we want to go that route, but that is an argument in itself. People have the right to believe what they want. And if you believe in abortion then that is what you believe in, if you do not then that is okay too. There is no correct way. This is what makes people so unique and different.
I believe that the topic of abortion is a bold move. Determining if abortion is right or wrong will never be solved. I cannot really say if I am for or against it. It is always going to be an issue and will always depend on the women herself. Nobody can say what is right or wrong for her. But reading this, it is all about the women. And in my mind, I believe it is also the father of the child’s decision also. Although the woman is carrying the child for 9 months, the man should have equal rights to the decision of whether to have an abortion or not. I also believe that women do not just have abortions to hide what has happened. I know some women who have had abortions mainly because they felt bad bringing a child into the world and putting it up for adoption because one may never know where that child would be raised or how the child would be brought up. I agree with what you said about thinking about how it would make others feel. I think a woman should make sure she has support with whatever she decides so she is not in it alone. The decision on what to do with an unborn child also depends on one’s religion. Some religions say it is not a sin to have an abortion, therefore the woman is okay with going through with it. I like the video you added in this post! I believe you made your claim very clear throughout the whole blog post. This post was written well!
Abortion is a hard topic to right on. Many people disagree with it and many people are all for it. I think a big factor in deciding if one is pro-life or pro-choice is how they were raised. There are key factors or reasons why a person is pro-choice or pro-life. I believe being pro-life and having the child is always the best choice. Yes, it can be hard for both the pregnant woman and the father of the child to put the baby up for adoption because of the so many unanswered questions but it is for the best. Trusting the system and believing their child will find the right home. Bringing a newborn baby into a world where everything in its life is unstable is not good and if that is the case, the baby should be put up for adoption. Aborting the baby will not give the baby any chances to do anything with their life because their life will be ended before it even starts.I do believe abortion is wrong. Everyone does not have to believe that abortion is wrong, for obvious reasons. If a woman is raped, I can’t be judging her for her choice to have an abortion. I do believe that choosing to have an abortion on all other levels beside rape is wrong. Some people struggle making their own life choices on a daily basis and I just think that it is wrong to make the ultimate choice for a baby that has not even been given the opportunity to make their own choices.