English composition II Unit 4 Db - Essay Example

Discussion Board Unit 4 al Affiliation) Part I: Addressing an Opposing Viewpoint The opposing viewpoint here is the assertion that abortion is both morally and legally wrong and therefore should be banned and outlawed. This viewpoint is based on a number of arguments and facts that I will mention here. The first argument is that the very act of aborting a fetus is nothing short of murder, and murder is a crime and a sin (Musser, 2010). This argument encompasses religious and ethical aspects surrounding the legalization of abortion.

This viewpoint also draws on the argument that abortion puts the life of pregnant women at risk of death regardless of whether it is carried out by a trained medical professional or a not. The other argument that is used to support the anti-abortionist agenda is that legalizing abortion gives the impression that it is right, and therefore risks setting a precedence of procuring abortions. This precedence may be difficult to regulate in the long run and may prove detrimental to the society in general (Riddle, 2009).

Part II: Counter-arguments Peer number one’s counter-argument states that abortion should be illegalized because it violates the fundamental right to life. I consider this argument credible but also weak. This is because it ignores the fact that sometimes women have to abort for lack of better options. For instance, when the life of a pregnant woman is endangered because of the very pregnancy that she is carrying then there is a solid basis for aborting. The woman has the right to life as well, and by aborting and living she may be able to give birth in the future (Riddle, 2009).

Apart from this, poverty and an inability to provide puts pregnant women in a huge dilemma. Every mother wants the best for her children, and if they cannot be provided for then there is no reason to bring them into the world only to watch them suffer and end up being sucked into crime and other illegal activities. The last weakness or fallacy associated with this counter-argument involves the debate over the way in which a fetus is viewed. Is a fetus a person? If it is not a person then aborting it should not be considered as murder.

Peer number two’s counter-argument is based on the opinion that legalizing abortion may set a dangerous precedence that may be detrimental in the long run. Although this is true, it fails to incorporate other perspectives that would make it much more credible. Legalization of abortion is often done after appropriate legislations and laws are enacted in order to prevent people from taking advantage of this action (Musser, 2010). The notion that abortion will spiral out of control is a fallacy and a weakness considering that there will be mechanisms put in place to regulate it.

In addition to this, I think that unplanned pregnancies cause more problems to the society than abortion. Unplanned pregnancies (through poverty or a lack of awareness) lead to an inability to fend for such children, and therefore result in overpopulation, pressure on basic amenities and socials services, social ills like prostitution and crime and also social misfits (Paul, 2008). ReferencesMusser, S. (2010). Abortion: Opposing Viewpoints. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.Paul, R. (2008). Abortion and Liberty.

Lake Jackson, Tex,: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education. Riddle, J. M. (2009). Eves Herbs: a History of Contraception and Abortion in the West. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.