Abortion, Why It Should Remain Legalized

Abortion, why it should Remain Legalized

In today's society there are very many issues that are being debated over in our judicial system, but the one issue that seems to never go away is abortions. Everyone debates whether abortion should remain legalized or be illegal. Of course there are many that are for abortion and those that are against abortion, but what side is right? Is there even a right or wrong with a topic of this nature? The right to have an abortion should be a woman's decision and no one should have the right to tell them different. In the United States everyone has the right to make their own decisions without the fear of the Government stepping in to take control, especially when it comes to the choices women make about their own body. According to Wisconsin Republican representative Paul Ryan "We don't want a country where abortion is simply outlawed; we want a country where it isn't even considered"(Reeve, 2013). There are several reasons why women may opt or choose abortion such as; unwanted pregnancy, sexual abuse, pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, birth control or contraceptive failure and to prevent the birth of a child born with birth defects or severe medical conditions that could endanger the child's health or the health of the woman. These circumstances are a few of the reasons why abortion should remain legalized. I will argue that abortion is a woman's decision and no one person or group of individuals should have the right to make a decision of that magnitude for them. I will also take a look at the argument many people have against abortion such as; abortion should be considered murder and that the fetus should be considered a living breathing organism. Last but not least I will offer a counter argument to the claims against abortion.

As United States citizens we have the right to make our decisions from what car to drive, what community to live in and whether to marry or not. These are some examples of choices that we, as United States citizens, have the ability to make. Why should it be different when it comes to the choice of having an abortion or not? People have the ability to make choices that affect the way they live every day, so the same should be for the topic of abortion. Whether this choice is considered morally wrong by some, the fact still remains that this choice belongs to that individual. According to Ladd and Bowman (1999):

The belief that individuals should be able to make their own choices also shapes attitudes about what abortion policy should be. This powerful impulse is present in many areas of life besides abortion. A Yankelovich Partners study in April 1994 found a quarter of respondents agreed with the statement that smoking is a bad habit and our society should do everything possible to stamp it out. The majority seventy-three percent opted instead for smoking may be a bad habit, but everyone should have the right to make his or her own choice about whether to smoke or not. (Ladd & Bowman, 1999)

The choice to have an abortion is a personal decision that should be made between the potential parents and an approved medical professional. Jones (2012) stated "Some of the limits they've won, particularly parental consent for minors, are sensible. But the more successful they've been at limiting abortion rights, the more they've intruded into private medical decisions that ought to be made by women and their doctors" (Jones, 2012). The fact that the Government has any involvement in this decision is an intrusion into our personal life and there is no place for that. These decisions are difficult enough for the potential parents without having the Government involved. According to Beryl Holmes President of the Children by Choice Association:

Abortion is first and foremost a human rights and social justice issue. Social justice is not what is administered when all else fails, it is about full citizenship. It is a state of being. Rights are only rights when they can be exercised in an unfettered way. It is therefore degrading and an insult to the intelligence of a woman to have the decision on whether she will become a mother imposed on her by law or by a panel of doctors and then leaves her to carry out the responsibility of that decision (Holmes, 1992).

Abortion is a woman's right due to the fact that it is her body and this is a right that no one should be allowed to take from her. According to Bachiochi "To free women from [the] gender hierarchy, women must have a right to do what they please with their bodies." Therefore, a girl who grew up with the abortion right in her crown of jewels was one great step closer to true liberation from all that her mother and grandmother had suffered under the "patriarchy."(Bachiochi, 2004, p. 22). Women have fought for the right to have an abortion, just as we as American citizen have fought for the right to bear arms and the freedom of speech. According to the University of Missouri-Kansas City "No decision of the Supreme Court in the twentieth century has been as controversial as the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision holding that women have a right to choose to have an abortion during the first two trimesters of a pregnancy" (Exploring Constitutional Conflicts). These are rights that all American's value and the same goes for women when it comes to the right to choose abortion. Even though abortion is a woman's decision and should be the choice of that individual, there are people that consider abortion to be a crime (murder) and consider the fetus to be a living breathing organism.

A fetus before birth should be afforded the same rights as any other individual living and breathing. The fact that a fetus is inside a woman's womb should not take away the right to life. Joseph (2009) stated:

The child before birth is equal in dignity and rights to the child after birth these rights, like all human rights are inalienable. Being born cannot be used as an exclusionary criterion to 'disappear' the rights of the child before birth. No one child has a greater right to be born than any other. Disability, non-preferred sex, illegitimacy, fathers a rapist, mother doesn't want the child-- none of these distinctions can be used to deny the child before birth the right to be born free and equal in dignity and rights. (Joseph, 2009)

A fetus is a living, breathing organism inside the womb and is entitled to the right to life. If this right is taken away from them by the act of abortion, this should be considered a crime (murder). According to Messerli (2012),

Abortion is a form of murder and demeans the value of human life. Why should taking