The Embers and the Stars
The coexistence of opposite and conflicting feelings about abortion is centuries old. Disagreements between public policy, morality and individual behavior on this issue existed even at the time of Plato and Aristotle. In the past few decades abortion issue has been brought into sharper focus and has been vigorously debated. A number of factors are responsible for this but perhaps the major one has been that associated with the sexual revolution which accentuates freedom in all matters sexual and in spite of or even because of the tremendous and indiscriminate increase in the distribution of contraceptives. Judges have ruled, politicians have legislated, but the controversy on this issue is still shaking our society. Since the late 1960's abortion has been shifting from a predominantly illegitimate status toward a more legitimate one. Several cases have been fought for the right to choose. Many of these have been hard cases with very personal feelings, but the perseverance showed through and gives us the rights we have today. Most arguments against granting women the right to abortion are based on religious and moral prohibitions, defending the sanctity of human life. Opponents of abortion rely on the premise that the fetus is a h
Opponents of abortion seem to think that women who choose to have abortions typically do so thoughtlessly. They do not know that a decision in itself is already agonizing and a very painful thing for a women. But can you really understand the issue of abortion unless you have been in the situation of possibly having one? What some people do not seem to understand is that abortion is not an easy way out. This issue concerned with badness, and if there is badness there is bitterness and worseness. Woman herself has to make a decision on which is which. Many people try to force their beliefs on others and judge them for their actions. These people need to judge themselves before they start to judge others. It is interesting to note that these same people, who place so much emphasis on protecting the fetus seem to care so little about what happens to children after they are born. The vast majority oppose government welfare programs to help support needy and dependent children. These people are also in favor of the death penalty and see the killing that goes on during war as justified and noble. The issue of rape has to be considered when we discuss the importance for women of having a right to safe and legal abortion. It seems obvious to most people that we should not force a woman who has become pregnant as a result of rape to continue with pregnancy. Catholic church and conservative pro-lifers use the same old "murder argument" to not allow a woman to have an abortion in case of rape. Many of them do not realize the psychological trauma a woman has already gone through. They are not seeing the human beings involved. They are only concerned for unborn and have no concern for the born that is the victim, her family and friends. Large percentage of women who have to deal with unwanted pregnancies are teenagers. Pregnancy often has catastrophic effects on adolescents. They drop out of school, have nervous breakdowns, even commit suicide. It is also unsafe for them to go through with pregnancy. Robert J. Stubblefield writes: "Just as there are no rights of collections of individuals, so there are no rights of parts of individuals no rights of arms or of tumors or of any piece of tissue growing within a woman, even if it has the capacity to become in time a human being " (Stubblefield). Many teenagers cannot provide the right conditions for raising a child for they are children themselves. Having a baby will often mean an end of future career, poverty and complications in health. My personal belief is that each woman should have a right to decide whether she wants to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. For reason's of women's right to self-determination, protection of their health, a
Some common words found in the essay are:
Robert Stubblefield, Plato Aristotle, , children born, life life, human life, safe legal abortion, potential life potential, unwanted pregnancies, opponents abortion, result rape, situations abortion, fetus human, women abortions, considered murder,
Approximate Word count = 1823
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)
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