Rachel Clark
Mrs. Kunz
Biology 1010
Period 2
Issue Paper
Abortion
Abortion is the topic that I chose to do this paper on. It is a widely discussed and very
controversial issue in the United States today. Abortion is “the removal of an embryo or fetus
from the uterus in order to end a pregnancy” (Dictionary.com). The two opposing views are
called “Pro-life” and “Pro-choice.” People who are “Pro-life” are against abortion and want the
baby to keep no matter what. They believe that life is a God given right and that it should never
been taken away from anybody no matter how small. People who are “Pro-choice” think that it
should be up to the mother to decide whether or not to terminate the life of her baby. They think
that it is the mother’s right to make that decision.
Pro-life people believe that “A pregnancy should not simply be ‘terminated,’ as if it were
something impersonal and problematic...” (frc.org). They say that creating life is one of the most
sacred and important things in this life and should not be treated as something of no worth and
that is a problem rather than a blessing to our society. Pro-life supporters believe that we are not
the judges of who and who is not worthy of being alive. People that are against abortion also
believe that life begins as soon as fertilization has occurred. The following quote was taken out
of an essay done by a medical professionals named Patrick Lee and Robert P. George: “The
standard embryology texts indicate that in the case of ordinary sexual reproduction the life of an
individual human being begins with complete fertilization, which yields a genetically and
functionally distinct organism…” (Lee). They argue that this proves that the embryo is alive
before the mother and father even know that it exists and that if the embryo exists then life
exists. As soon as the 23 chromosomes of the sperm combine with the 23 of the ovum, a new
entity has been created. A new single-celled organism has been made and is the beginning of the
embryo (Lee).
Pro-choice supporters say “The ability of a woman to have control of her body is critical
to civil rights.” They often say that if we make it illegal to have an abortion then women will go
out and get them done illegally and unsafely. If rape is the reason for this pregnancy then they
believe it should be there right to terminate the embryo because it would be a constant reminder
of something traumatic that has happened in their life. In teenage mother cases, they say that the
mother is better off receiving an abortion because the mother may not receive adequate prenatal
care, is more likely than not to drop out of any form of schooling, and to not be financially stable
throughout her life.
I am very against abortion. I think it is inherently wrong to take the life a baby that
cannot fight for itself. It is not the mistake of the child, it is a mistake of the parents and the baby
should not have to be punished for that. When someone is convicted of homicide they will
directly go to jail or may even receive the death sentence. So why is it that, in our society we
condone killing innocent babies that are still within the mother’s womb? Point proven. Abortion
should be illegal. We have a declaration of independence that gives all people “unalienable rights
to life.” These children deserve to live, but not only that, it is their God-given right to live. And if
it parents want to take that right away from them for their own selfish needs and to supposedly
“solve their problems” then that is most cruel and unfair. These children are protected by law and
should be welcomed into this world with open arms. In an article by Frank A. Pavone he
compares rape and abortion. He says that rape and abortion are both wrong because “someone
attacks the body of an innocent person.” (Pavone). We should help and support a rape victim but
having an abortion does not reverse the fact that she got raped and that trauma that comes with it.
Abortion also brings problems and complications of its own. Often times, women that have had
abortions after rape instances end up going to counseling for the abortion, not for getting raped.
The child should not be killed for the crime of another. It is important that we protect and love
the victim of rape and the baby that was conceived during that rape. (Pavone).
Sources:
Lee, Patrick, and Robert P. George. "The Wrong of Abortion." Blackwell Publishing .
N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2008
"10 Common Arguments For and Against Abortion." About.com Women's Issues. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.
Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 29 May 2014.