| Abortion Should Not Be Legal Essay, Research Paper
Abortion should not be legal, at all, in The United States of America
In Roman times, abortion and the destruction of unwanted children was permissible, but as our civilization has aged, it seems that such acts are no longer acceptable by rational human beings.
In 1948, Canada along with most other nations in the world signed a declaration of the United Nations promising every human being the right to life. The World Medical Association meeting in Geneva at the same time, stated that the “utmost respect for human life was to be from the moment of conception”. This declaration was re-affirmed when the World Medical Association met in Oslo in 1970. Should we go backwards in our concern for the life of an individual human being? The unborn human is still a human life and not all the wishful thinking of those advocating repeal of abortion laws, can alter this. With all of this in mind I believe that abortion should be illegal.
1) It is determined at that very moment of conception whether the baby will be a boy or a girl; which of his parents he will look like, what blood type he will have. His whole heritage is forever fixed. Look at a human being 8 weeks after conception and you will be able to look at the fetus and tell me whether it is a baby boy or a girl.
While some will argue that the baby is “only a fetus”, it’s not. “Just as the Klan uses specific kinds of speech to dehumanize blacks, and the Nazis twisted speech to dehumanize Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals, the mentally retarded, et cetera, abortionist leaders bend over backwards to make the baby sound as non-human and irrelevant as possible.” Taken from P.J.O’Rourke, “Abortion: Right or wrong some things are true”
A baby of 3 months is capable of tasting and feeling. Do you know that the fetus’ heart started beating just 18 days after a new life was created, beating before the mother even knew she was pregnant? No, a fetus is not just another part of a woman’s body like an appendix or appendage. These appendages belong to a 10 week developed baby, not to his or her mother, or anyone else who may feel they have the right to destroy another human being.
2) By saying that abortion should be legal people are also saying that homicide, and infanticide should be legal as well. Those who believe in abortion, I believe, are very misguided. They are basically saying that this thing, this fetus living in them should have no greater value than a bug on the floor. Those who perform and believe in abortion believe that society should not have to “deal” with one more child, one more unloved, possibly forgotten, child. This is America aren’t we supposed to show compassion and love for those around us? I also believe that those pushing for the repeal of abortion laws are placing lower values on the life of a fetus. Would these people go out and kill another person for no apparent reason? That is exactly what they are doing by saying that abortion should be legal no matter the situation.
The right to life, of all human beings, is undeniable. I do not think this is negotiable. It is easy to be concerned with the welfare of those we know and love, while regarding everybody else as less important and somehow, less real. Most people would rather have heard of the death of thousands in the California earthquake than of a serious accident involving a close friend or relatives. However, these people choose to turn their heads to the slaughtering of thousands and thousands of babies every week. Since the legalization of abortion over 36,000,000 babies have been murdered. Perhaps people know about this and because it doesn’t affect them directly, it doesn’t matter. This makes me question the civilization of those around me who believe in abortion. Abortion is murder plain and simple and often times those who have had abortions believe this also.
3). While abortions are mentally trying, they are also physically damaging. In some cases women have become infertile after an abortion, their uterus has been damaged by the tools that abortion doctors use, and in some extreme cases the woman has become handicapped. 18 year old Christi Stile went in for an abortion and came out crippled from the neck down. Because of a doctor’s “mistake” Christi and her family will never be the same again.
“I had no idea what the abortion counselors were telling her.” Says Christi’s mother. “They told us the only risk there was, was hemorrhaging. We later learned that the clinics way of “dealing” with hemorrhaging was putting the patient in a private car and sending them to the hospital. If the patient dies between the clinic and the hospital the clinic is not libel.”
Christi’s brain was severely damaged. She is not able to talk or walk and can not, hear, feel or see.
This isn’t the only case of this either. Many things like this happen everyday only the media won’t tell you. Women face injuries to the uterus, cervix, urinary tract, infection, hemorrhage, heart failure, embolism, ruptured intestines & bowels, coma, and even death. In addition, there are countless cases of abortionists sexually abusing their clients while under anesthesia. Abortions are NOT SAFE for anyone no matter how well they know the doctor or how many abortions the woman has gone through with “no problems”.
4) During my research I found that many women who have had abortions later begin to regret them. Along with the physical problems abortions can cause there are also the mental problems. “I believe it can be stated with certainty that abortion causes more deep-seated guilt, depression and mental illness than it ever cures” Ft. John L. Grady, Medical Examiner for Florida State Attorney’s Office. Many cases of suicide have been linked to abortions. Whether the woman goes through counseling or not there is still the factor of her own guilt and her own shame and no one can help that to go away. I found some letters of women and even men who have gone through the emotional effects of an abortion. This one was written by a 16 year old girl;
“Hi my name is Amanda! I am 16 but will be 17 in 15 days. The date is Jan.5th. But on Oct.15th I had my first abortion think abortion is really wrong and I would have never got one if I really knew what was going on. I was actually forced to by my parents and I say this b/c I had to choose between the love of my baby and my parents. Well, here’s my story I began having sex at early
15 only looking for love and attention. Which later realized that is not what I was getting. I had sex with a guy I knew maybe a year and then later on found out I was pregnant. I was shocked but in a way glad b/c I love kids. As I told my parents I got the impression which I never expected ( it was only b/c I’m white and he was black). I had no one on my side. I was so upset. All I wanted was for someone to tell me they loved me and they would be behind me 100%. I never got that so mom made the appointment. As I walked in the doors for the appointment everyone looks up. I sit down embarrassed of being there. My eyes are filled with tears. They begin calling names and I am the next to be called back and asked to get dressed in some little pieces of clothes. I go and sit back down and am asked to go get my ultrasound. I go into a room and some jelly stuff is spread on my belly, it’s cold and as I look into the monitor I see my tiny baby. I can see the whole body, I see the heart beating and I ask the woman is the baby healthy she says yes. She tells me that I was 12 1/2 weeks so then I know it is not my boyfriends it is a guy I slept with only one time. I go outside to tell mama thinking it would be a bit easier now. Then I’m called back to the room it would all take place. I am asked to climb on the table , lie down ,and put my feet up. As I lie down on the cold table I had a feeling like no other. My heart began to beat fast, It almost hurt to breathe, I began to shake all over and am asked to stay still. I tell mama I didn’t want to do this, please mama I say, she replies it will all be over in a minute. I lay there knowing what’s going on and cry loudly. What is said to be six minutes seems a lifetime. Then I’m sent to a recovery room for an hour. Everyone seemed so relieved but not me I’m longing for what I have just let go. I go home and still remember the sounds of the machine,the cold table, and every thought. Not until a couple days later did it really seem to hit. I began to go into a deep depression and still blame my parents. I always think about on may 15th I would be having a baby. I’m young but still know the feeling of heartache. I cry out all the time. I have nightmares that are awful and wake up screaming. I have flashbacks all the time. And sometimes I dream of what the baby would have been like and think of the fun things we would have been able to do together. The crazy thing is sometimes I still imagine the baby being there and feel something that is almost like a baby kicking in my stomach. I truly regret this and only wish I could take it back. The baby is in my every thought. I would love to talk to people who have had one or are thinking of it so email me at girlchick123@aol.com.
Thanks, Amanda”
As I read her story I began to realize how absolutely horrifying this whole experience must be. This girl is only one year older then I am. This letter hits really close to home for me.
One year ago this summer one of my closest friends had an abortion. The situation was not that much like Amanda’s. My friend tried very hard not to tell her parents and was actually thinking of running away from home. One night she called me ,frantic, trying to figure out what she was going to do. She told me how she could go to Kentucky and get an abortion without parental consent. She had a ride arranged with some guys she met a while back and said she would be back by the following night. Here I was this naive 15-year-old girl having to deal with her best friend’s problem.
I told her that I thought it was a horrible idea and that anything could happen. I tried for almost three hours to get her to call her mom and tell her what was going on, she refused. I got off the phone in tears. When my mom asked me what was wrong I had no choice but to tell her. In between sobs I told my mom not to call my friends mom even though I knew it would be the right thing to do. My mom sat me down and explained to me that my friend was actually crying out for help. My friend was 14 at the time, not at all capable of handling the situation on her own, and whether she knew it or not she needed her mom.
The next morning my mom called my friend’s mother. She asked her mom if she knew her daughter was pregnant, my friend’s mom of course said no. My mom proceeded to tell her everything that had transpired in the one week period that I knew my friend was pregnant. Her mom was astonished and shocked, I believe she even said “I can’t believe she didn’t tell me”.
Within the next two weeks my friend went to have her abortion. Never once did she say anything to me, or anyone else, about it. I don’t believe she had counseling either. The abortion completely changed my friend’s life and mine. She has never, and I believe, will never be the same, neither will our friendship.
Some would argue that in my friends case abortion was the best answer. I do not believe it was. There is always adoption and always many couples unable to have a baby, who would have loved and cherished my friends baby. While many babies are taken for granted more often than not they are loved more than life itself.
I realize that opposing sides have good arguments as well for example;
1) What about all those babies who end up in trash cans when that could have been prevented by an abortion?
2) What about the young girls who have babies and their babies grow up to do the same things?
3) It is a woman’s right. Her choice, her body.
While I believe these are very good stable arguments I also believe I can come up with a few better, more stable arguments in the opposing view,
1) Why is it that a baby in the trashcan is more important than a guy murdered in his home? Where do we draw the line on which is more valuable? We can’t! Until we are capable of preventing all murders, be it a baby or a 50-year-old man lets focus on the real issues not those that would distract one from them. I could also say that the girl should not have gotten herself in the situation but I am not ignorant to the everyday casual sex that goes on between men and women. If they are responsible enough to have sex they should be responsible enough to use protection and deal with the consequences when and if they occur.
2) The argument about babies having babies really can’t be prevented by abortions. A mother of the age 17 is not likely to tell her daughter it’s “ok” to go out and get pregnant. If anything she will admit that having a child at such a young age was a mistake and that she would not recommend it or condone it. These situations can not and will never be prevented by young girls having abortions. They should deal with the consequences and not try to run away from them or avoid them. They were the ones who made the action in the first place.
3) Is it also a woman’s choice to kill a person she doesn’t like? Is it condoned when people like Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, and Jeffrey Dommer go out and kill people? No it is not condoned. Why then should it be condoned when a woman kills a baby not even capable of defending itself? It shouldn’t and as long as there are people like me who are strongly against MURDER then it will never be condoned.
Until the day that murder is legal abortion should be illegal. The fetus of 18 weeks has it’s very own heartbeat and even though it is not capable of living outside the womb it is a living, breathing, human being and no one has the right to take that away from him/her.
After doing this paper I am not sure how I feel about the issue of abortion. I used to be very, very pro- choice, but as of this moment I am actually questioning myself, my views and my opinions. I think that some abortions are wrong. Using abortion as a form of birth control is not right. I believe it is morally wrong. While in some cases the woman is raped I don’t know if an abortion is the right answer. It almost seems to me, even though this may sound harsh, that the woman is denying what she went through. Maybe in the end she will want the child. If she aborts the child she will never know. If she carries the child by the end of her term she can decide whether she wants to give the child up for adoption or not. I don’t know what to say now Rick. I researched this topic that completely tore my heart out and I suppose after writing this essay I am speechless. I don’t know what I believe anymore and I feel as though what I am thinking isn’t making sense, at least not to me. I want to be able to tell you I have made one decision or the other but I can’t and I am finding it hard to even type at this point. I think I am going to reflect on everything I have seen and read and I will maybe get back to you.
Bibliography
1) http://abortiontv.com/AbortionPictures5.htm
2) http://www.ldi.org/index.cfm
3) http://www.oregonnaral.org/about_ornaral/index.htm
4) http://www.efn.org/~ornaral/
5) http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/ASMF/asmf.html
6) http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/ASMF/asmf10.html
7) http://www.birthright.org/index.html
8) http://crossroadscpc.org/services.htm
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