Should Abortion be Legal - Essay Example

? Should Abortion Be Legal and number submitted Should Abortion Be Legal Human beings have moved ahead from the period of Stone Age to a time of development and understanding. Every individual understands his rights and his freedom of choice and this understanding of the individuals has led to the sparking of new controversies and debates. Abortion is one such issue which has been central to many arguments. Abortion was made legal in the United States in the year 1973 by the Supreme Court of the country by its verdict in the case of Roe v Wade (Stolberg 2009). It is marked as a day of victory for the pro-abortion groups but this decision was unwelcomed by many pro-life groups. Abortion is a very sensitive issue and proponents of abortion believe that it is the right of the woman to opt for this decision. This stand has been opposed by people who believe that the fetus bears the potential to turn into a complete human being and abortion is equivalent to the ending of an individual’s life. Abortion is a controversial issue and it should only be legally allowed in the circumstances where the life of the mother may be in danger owing to the pregnancy and this practice should not be permitted legally in other circumstances. Abortion has been opposed on ethical, religious as well as medical grounds. An individual should use his liberty and thinking to opt for what he considers correct or incorrect. But this freedom should not be used in a wrong way so that it leads to negative effects. Pope John Paul II explained this issue and presented that all human beings should maintain a correct balance between their rights of liberty and the important decisions of their life. Abortion is an example where this balance is lost. The negativities of abortion should be considered before opting for this strong step. Pro-life supporters and ethical groups argue that abortion should be a practice that should only be restricted for cases where the pregnancy can prove to be a risk for the life of the mother or in other untoward incidents like in victims of sexual assault. But these reasons are the least common reasons which account for abortion cases in the United States. It is seen that only one percent of abortions are carried out under these circumstances and 99 percent of the abortions are done as a method of birth control or for other reasons given by women. A better way should be opted by the government to tackle these issues rather than providing for options like abortion. Better techniques include proper and managed awareness programs for the pregnant woman as well as her family. Furthermore, appropriate health management and support should be provided (Quito 2007). Abortion is also highlighted to be wrong by the religious groups. The religious groups claim that reproduction is a natural process of life and it is an ability provided by God to human beings. To disregard and alter this process is incorrect and not justified even on moral grounds. The role of parents is to care and nurture for their children and this role should not be changed into a brutal step of killing one’s own child for reasons like free will. The drawbacks of abortion have also been put forward by many medical groups on the basis of different studies and researches. A research that was published in the year 1994 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute provided insight into the fact that a complete pregnancy improved the health status of a woman and proved to be a shield against the occurrence of breast cancer. The chances of breast cancer are 50 percent greater in females who opt for abortion. This risk following is even higher in females who already have a genetic susceptibility of the development of breast cancer owing to the occurrence of the condition in family members. According to Dr. James Moran who was the Director at the Cancer Institute, the initial increase in the levels of estrogen in the female body during pregnancy can alter the normal breast cells. In the initial phase, these cells have the potential to convert into cancerous cells. This risk is lowered in the last few days of pregnancy. Thus, abortion of the child results in the presence of the cells that can change into cancers in the female body as abortion is carried out mostly in early trimesters. Abortion can also leave a very strong psychological impact and females may present with serious psychiatric pathologies and issues. They may develop a very pessimistic approach towards life. Furthermore, social problems as well suicidal tendencies increase and females may become drug addicts. Depression is also a psychological issue after abortion. Thus, abortion leaves an impact on the medical as well as the psychological wellbeing of the females who go through this procedure (Quito 2007). The verdict of 1973 in the favor of abortion was welcomed by the pro-abortion groups. Proponents of abortion present with justifications for this procedure. Women who lived through the period before this legalization highlight that period to be a very difficult time. They indicate that the freedom provided by the decision in favor of abortion cannot be understood by people who did not go through the difficulties when this was not permitted. The occurrence in the life of Louis Macintosh is an example. Macintosh conceived a child before she got married and this revelation regarding her pregnancy could have devastated her family’s social life and hampered their living in the society. Thus, Louise underwent the process of illegal abortion and did not inform of her issue to anyone. Proponents of abortion explain that these issues have been overcome by the legalization of abortion in the United States (Stolberg 2009). Judith Thompson carved another perfect explanation to provide for the ethical and moral justification of abortion. She questions that how an individual would feel if without his consent a medical connection between his kidneys and that of a famous music artist is developed to provide for the survival of the artist. She explains that it is totally the right of the individual if he wishes that the organ of his body should not be used by another person and thus the individual can terminate this connection without considering the consequences as he is not responsible for saving the life of the artist. Thus, her argument explains that since the fetus survives and grows on the nutrition provided by the mother; it is totally her own will to continue with her pregnancy or abort it as she has the right to her own body (Krause 2011). The opponents of abortion have provided with strong oppositions to the claims of the pro-abortion groups. Dr. Bernard Nathanson was a strong believer of the fact that abortion was by no means unjustified. He claimed that he had carried out up to 60000 abortions until the late 1970s but he stopped this practice after the year 1979. The ultrasound machines came into invention in the late 1960s and the images of the fetus did put Dr. Nathanson into deep thought. But what actually changed his mind was the complete ultrasound visual of an abortion of a fetus that was only 12 weeks old. Dr. Nathanson created a video, The Silent Scream based on this visual which stirred the spirits of the people who saw it. This was because the video clearly indicated the pain that was being suffered by the fetus even at such an early gestational age (Grimes 2011; Krause 2011). Dr. Nathanson who had been such a strong advocate of abortion in the period before abortion was legalized changed his stand after he gained true insight into the issue of abortion. His change of support from the pro-abortion group to the pro-life group indicates that abortion is not justified on any grounds. Conception of the child that occurs following intercourse in which there is the consent of both the male and the female also raises questions if abortion can be justified for them. This is because if following a consented intercourse, pregnancy results, it is the parents who are responsible for it and they do not have the right to opt for an abortion. This concept answers the argument of Judith Thompson because in this case, the implantation of the embryo is owing to the informed decision of the parents and hence they have an obligation towards the fetus (Lee 2010). The Supreme Court of the United States in the year 1973 marked abortion to be a legal right of every female who wishes to choose for it. The debate with regard to whether abortion should be legal or illegal still continues. Abortion is a controversial subject and there are proponents as well as opponents of this legalization. Abortion has been marked to be incorrect by religious, ethical as well as medical groups. It tends to have many effects on the health of the female who undergoes this procedure. Religious groups consider it to be incorrect as it is an alteration to the normal reproductive cycle of the human beings. Abortion is an act which results in the loss of a fetus that has the capability of becoming a living individual. This act should not be legalized until and unless the pregnancy can cause harm to the health of the mother. References Grimes, W. (2011, February 21). B. N. Nathanson, 84, Dies; Changed Sides on Abortion. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/us/22nathanson.html Krause, K. W. (2011, January 01). Abortion's Still Unanswered Questions. Humanist Buffalo, 71, 4, 40-42. Retrieved from: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=2390157151&sid=4&Fmt=6&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD Lee, P. (2010). Abortion & unborn human life. Washington, D.C: Catholic University of America Press. Quito, S.A.G. (2007, October 23). Abortion versus freedom of choice. Manila Times. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1369789161&sid=4&Fmt=3&clientId=74379&RQT=309&VName=PQD Bottom of FormStolberg, S. G. (2009, November 28).In Support of Abortion, It’s Personal vs. Political. The New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/weekinreview/29stolberg.html Read More