A monumental issue in United States government today is the issue of abortion. Is it moral? Should it be legal or illegal? These questions aren’t easily answered. After the questions of morality and legality, more questions surface. Is the unborn child a human? Does life begin at conception and if not, when? Should a woman be able to choose what’s right for her body? Should unborn children have legal rights? Should abortion be kept legal for rape and incest pregnancies? There are no simple answers.
I myself still cannot decide whether I am pro-choice or pro-life. I’m on the fence. Being a woman makes the answer even more blurred to me because it causes me to question what I would do and I can’t know because I’ve never been in that dilemma. I know that I don’t think anybody should be able to tell me what to do with my body. Having an abortion falls into that category. But also, I know in my heart that abortion is morally wrong. I believe that life begins at conception. At the moment the egg is fertilized the blueprints are laid down for this child, whether they will be boy or a girl and what they will look like. The baby is a reality. The little fertilized egg has so much potential. Halting that potential, that little innocent energy, is inherently wrong to me.
At the same time, I don’t believe that anyone should be able to decide what a person can and can’t do with his or her body. I think that telling a woman what she can or can't do with her body is a form of discrimination and also a violation of privacy. Also, I can’t decide whether or not I believe abortion should be kept legal just for the sake of the pregnancy of rape and incest victims. Yes, these people are victims of horrific crimes, but does that justify killing the child that was conceived. Do two wrongs make a right? I really can’t say since I’ve never been in this situation. All I can say is that the child is innocent in all of this. I think that they should get a chance at life.
I really can’t come to a conclusion. I believe the unborn child has a right to live but I also believe the woman has the right to decide what to do with her body. Is there a middle ground? Is there a way to compromise?
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2 comments:
Abortion is by no means a black and white issue and I feel that in your editorial you did a thorough job of conveying both viewpoints. It is true that moral aspects unfortunately collide with individual rights. I agree that there is no "yes" or "no" answer to this issue and the question of "morality" really depends on the individual. Being a woman, it definitely is more difficult to come up with an answer. I personally believe that, as guaranteed in the Constitution, a person should have the right to do whatever he/she wants with his/her own body. However, all said and done, abortion terminates a perfectly valuable life. Nevertheless, regardless of personal views and biases, the government should not ban abortion because it infringes on a person's self-autonomy. From health issues and rape to teenage pregnancies and incest there are a number of reasons why a woman might need an abortion, and banning this right would be unconstitutional. One might argue that if the government doesn't ban abortion then everyone will want one. I agree that while this may not be the ideal situation, a woman deserves the right to choose what to do with her body. Health-related issues are becoming more rare as medicine improves and sex education in schools is helping to decline the teen pregnancy rate. Hopefully, as a result of these advances,less people will need abortions.Unfortunately, issues such as rape and incest won't go away, but if the other causes are eradicated,a smaller percentage of people will actually need abortions. In short, as long as the issues causing people to need abortions exist, the government cannot infringe on this personal boundary.
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