Essay, Research Paper: Abortion

Crystal Rodriguez
Module 6
August 30, 2000
Abortion
Today, 27 years since the legalization of abortion, over 30 million legal abortions have taken place in the United States. To me, this is an issue which is more than a simple question of women controlling their own lives and bodies. It is a matter of life or death for an innocent human being. In this paper, I will address many of the issues why it should be banned. I do not
assume that I will change a pro-choice person's mind, though I do at least
hope to make some people think, and if I change any mind, all the better.
Right away, some will say that abortion is not a matter of life or death,
arguing that a fetus is not a "person" or a "human being". I realize that it
may be difficult to think of a two month old fetus as a human with rights, but
everything that is living does have rights. Just because the unborn is
dependent on the mother for nine months, does that give anyone the right to
choose to end its life? Trying to justify abortion by arguing that the unborn
does not have rights is a form of discrimination based on age and the fact that
they cannot speak for themselves. Imagine being a two month old fetus. You
have just been sentenced to death by your own mother, the very person who is
morally responsible for your existence. You are being raped of your future due
to another individual's irresponsibility and selfishness. Abortion is just not
fair.
For years there have been many arguements due to the abortion issue,
such as: How do we know when human life begins? Doesn't the mother have
the right to control her own body? The unborn baby is not really human until
it is born, right? Unborn babies are not concious beings, are they? Isn't it
better to have an aborted child than to have an abused one? Why should a
rape victim be forced to bear a child she did not will to have? Isn't abortion
the solution to unwanted pregnancies? Why allow an unwanted baby to be
born? There are many simple, easy answers to these questions that I will
address.
"A woman has the right to control her own body." A baby is not a part
of its mother's body. It is an individual human being, with its own seperate
body. Does a woman have the right to commit murder? There is no moral
right to do a moral wrong. But if the unborn baby is human being, then the
so-called right of the mother turns out to be a "right" to do a wrong: to murder.
"Isn't it better to have an aborted child than to have an abused one?"
Actually, abortion is one of the worst abuses that can possibly be inflicted on
another human being. The abortion process itself is horribly abusive and
literally savage. One common process tears the tissue of the tiny, defenseless
unborn into pieces by violent suction. These pieces are then thrown into a
garbage can. Not only is the baby abused in the way it dies, it is abused in
losing the privilege of life itself. Abortion, in fact, is a form of torture; a slow,
painful, inhumane process of murder.
"Why should a rape victim be forced to bear a child she did not will to
have?" First, there is no way to be "unraped." Becoming "unpregnant"
cannot make one "unraped." Second, justice cannot be obtained for the rape
victim by punishing the unborn baby resulting from the rape. Two wrongs do
not make a right. It will not help the mother to burden her with the guilt of a
murder on top of the indignity of rape. If anything, the mother should
sympathize with the child. She has been raped, undergone trauma that was
not consented and out of her control. Why then, would she rape another
human being of establishing a life of their own?
"Isn't abortion the solution to unwanted pregnancies?" What about
adoption? In my opinion, this is surely a better solution; one that does not
submit to murder. It is no doubt difficult to give up one's child to a stranger,
but is it any easier killing it? There are also other alternatives. Birth control,
condoms, diaphragms, abstinence, .... Many couples who are unable to
concieve are willing to adopt no matter what condition the child is in.
By aborting unborn fetuses, we are also responsible for the murder of
perhaps the next President of the United States, the future inventor for the cure
of cancer, or the upcoming general who will lead our country in the victory of
the next world war. We are depriving our country of amazing, potential
individuals who will maybe one day revolutionize our country, because we
did not give them a chance at life; because we refused to accept the
consequences of our actions.
Let me close by relating the story of a young girl who learned that she
was pregnant. She is engaged, but her fiance is not the father of the baby.
Her family is poor, so another mouth to feed is just going the add to the
family's hardship. Her family has a good name in the community, and she
does not want to drag it into the mud. An abortion would be a quick solution
to her problem, but she doesn't have an abortion. Instead, she gives birth to a
beautiful baby boy... and names him Jesus.



Word Count: 929