Description: Abortion Pro-Choice. Discusses the benefits of abortions, discusses when fetus/child is alive, circumstantial cases such as rape, failed contraceptives, serious drug users who are pregnant, diagnosis of physical/mental handicaps, and how children and parents suffer if they are unable to give the time and money needed for specialized care and finally, how adoption is just as “bad” as abortion and the foster care system ultimately ddoesn’talways solve the problem of unwanted children but can make it worse.
Thesis: Women should have the right to choose.
Essay: Of the numerous problems the world faces in today’s society, abortion is one of the most controversial and culturally significant. For those who believe abortions are a waste of life, they are forcing mothers to raise children without fathers and contributing to higher taxes. But if one sees the constitutional infringement on women by the restriction of abortion, the torment to the unwanted child and the anguish society has to sustain, this topic would not be so debatable.
An arguable point is when the conceived infant is declared alive. Some believe it is at the moment of conception, while others believe it is when the baby has exited the mother’s womb. A woman can get into a variety of scenarios in which having a child is simply only effectuating burden. With pregnancy comes great responsibility, a duty some cannot handle or do not wish to face. Abortion is a well-suited choice not only for parents but for society. When a fetus is discovered to be physically or mentally disabled and the biological parents are unable to provide the specialized care the child will need, society suffers.
Should a child be brought into this world only to live with a debilitating disease? It is a woman’s right to choose whether to have a baby and no one should interfere with that decision.
When judging whether or not abortions are right, turns to the question of at which point a fetus is declared alive. One may base their views of when a fetus is alive on their own belief, science, or, religion.
None of the religious faith beliefs can factually be proven. Worshipers of God regard abortion as murdering a soul, claiming that God gives each being a soul at the time of conception. But did God not also give us the choice to choose and pick our destiny? According to science, a human’s individual life begins when the father’s sperm enters the egg. Both scientific and religious views, however, do not involve the feelings of the mother, or the child. A fetus is nothing more than a glob of tissue, a meaningless, lifeless conglomeration of cells.
Intentionally removing the infant before it has reached the capability to live independently is much different than murdering a child after birth. Section 223 of the Criminal Code of Canada states that children in the womb are not considered “human beings” or “persons”. The definition of when a fetus is alive should be based on the mother’s and/or father’s personal beliefs. In Paul Conke’s essay on abortion, he quotes, “The concept of personhood is neither logical nor empirical: It is essentially a religious, or quasi-religious idea, based on one’s fundamental (and therefore unverifiable) assumptions about the nature of the world.” Everyone’s beliefs are diverse, just like the variety of situations that may arise that cause a woman to be uncertain about raising or having a child.
Often women are faced with difficult situations in which having a child is something they are unable to face. Consider these circumstances. sixteen-year-oldld becomes pregnant after being raped. Her parents don’t believe in adoption and she knows she will be unable to care for the baby. A thirty-year-old single mother learns she is expecting after her contraceptive fails. She is already struggling to survive with her two children. A twenty-one year discovers she is HIV positive and pregnant. Finally, a heroine user finds out she is also pregnant.
Her child will be dependent on the drug and likely won’t survive. In each of these cases, both mother and child would endure an unhappy life. Rape victims who become pregnant are minimal and according to statistics for Canada, there are no reported incidents of this happening. Only 170 to 340 cases have been reported of the roughly 170, 000 rapes per year in the United States. One must consider the fact that studies show that only 1 in 10 sexual assaults and rapes are reported to the police. Therefore, the number of pregnancies caused by rape would be greater. Not to mention the psychological consequences that follow a rape. According to clinical psychologist, Dr. David Curtis, “women who have been raped suffer terrible consequences including lossself-esteemteem, suicidal tendencies, and acquiring a revulsion for sex, which has repercussions for their present or future family lives.” Carrying a child could be even more detrimental to their mental wellness than it already is. A woman using contraceptives has alredecidedsion to not become pregnant. In the particular case mentioned, a single mother carrying a child and having to raise other children simply creates more chaos in her life. The children she already has may suffer as well. Lack of attention, fatigue, lack of, food and stress are just some of the possible side effects. Passing on to a child a deadly disease such as AIDS seems to be completely pointless. The child is already doomed to suffer. In the case of serious drug addiction, the child will result in bdependentndant on that drug and will suffer mental and physical disabilities. It doesn’t take much to harm the unborn fetus. Is it right to bring the baby into this world with the various health risks involved? Of these circumstantial cases, one involving a child being prenatally diagnosed with physical and/or mental disabilities must be questioned.
A child born with a debilitating disease can undoubtedly still be wanted, yet the responsibility placed on both parents and society can be too overwhelming. For those parents or mothers who feel they are unable to care for the youngster properly because of the already overloaded welfare system, abortion is a logical solution.
There are numerous examples of illnesses in which neither parent nor child would live a happy, fulfilling life. For instance, Tay-Sachs disease causes spasticity and death in childhood or Phenylketonuria which can lead to mental retardation. There are diseases that a child can carry on through life, such as Down Syndrome, in a somewhat normal fashion. However, in our society, those unfortunate are shunned, ridiculed, and ultimately attacked in various ways. Parents suffer as well. Some parents, especially those who cannot afford to pay for professional care, halt their careers and devote their time to their children. Yet in the end, as harsh as it is, the child’s life has been a mere existence. Part of a healthy life is experiencing it. A life spent simply watching it pass is neither worthwhile nor fulfilling. Society is impacted likewise. Our welfare system, which is drained from our tax dollars, should not be spent paying for an unwanted child. With the technology we have today, crippling afflictions can be picked up before a child is born. If abortion is chosen by a mother, it is indirectly helping society and relieving tension among parents. Adoption has been argued to be a better solution for unwanted children, but again both society and children are negatively affected.
Adoption is generally not any better for an abandoned child. In most cases, the mother of an unwanted child is very young and inexperienced or too poor to take care of even herself. The child would end up malnourished, given little options for a successful life,e and won’t receive the proper attention and love a planned birth child would. So when arguing this fact, many pro-lifers debate that adoption would be the better way to deal with this. But truthfully, only a small percentage of children put up for adoption are taken in by suitable parents.
The kids that aren’t adopted remain in the foster care system, where there is little or no personal care. The child must deal with being bounced from home to home and has no concrete family or security. Lack of attention and perhaps lack of discipline cause the child to receive a poor education and the difficulty of moving to different schools make it hard for one to establish friends. There are cases in which a child grows to become a successful individual but the likeliness of growing up to be an unproductive welfare junkie or another statistic of the crime rate is far more predictable. Not to mention drugs. Of all the foster kids I have met in my day, many either have taken up smoking or are into drugs. It seems to be the easiest way to deal with the lack of connection many teenagers feel as they find they have no support network. Many individuals in the foster care system are very violent, finding they lack morality due to the minimal amount of attention and love they have received throughout their lives. Society, in turn, must tolerate this behabehavioa r possible crime. An abortion can be seen as resolving this problem before it exists before the child can feel the harsh reality of the world.
Morals should not interfere with the topic of abortion but rather, should be based upon reason and personal belief. In the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is stated that everyone has the “freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression,”. This freedom should not be expelled from society. Everyone will choose their values and ethics and no one should argue with their choices. For those who disagree with abortion for religious reasons, God gave us the freedom of choice and if He has given us all this freedom, what right do we have to take it away from people’s opinions and choices for their lifestyles? When a fetus is declared alive should be a choice each individual decides based on their beliefs. Not all pregnancies are planned and though abthoughts should not be a form of birth control, they aid women who are caught in difficult positions.
Abortions relieve not only parents of children who have been prenatally diagnosed with physical and/or mental deficiencies, but also society. Though adoption is argued to be a better choice, the effects placed on both the children and society are not as positive as some would like to believe.
Abortion: Pro-Choice and Its Benefits. (2022, Jun 20). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/abortion-pro-choice-and-its-benefits/