Partial Birth Abortion
There are hardly many topics that can raise such debate, and invoke such passionate discussion, as does abortion. Whether one is "pro-life" or "pro-choice", the clear and definitive line between the pros and cons of abortion predictably leads to a standstill of opinion. Each side is sure that their view is the right view, and the nature of the abortion issue does not allow for a middle ground. Abortion arguments, however, are even further broadened and complicated by the sub-issues they include. One such sub-issue is partial-birth abortion. Partial-birth abortions are those that are performed in the late second or third trimester of pregnancy. The procedure usually calls for the abortionist to turn the unborn baby into the "breech" (or "feet first") position, then pulling the child from the mother until all but the head is exposed. Scissors are then jabbed into the base of the baby's skull where a catheter is inserted to suction out the baby's brain, effectively collapsing the skull and allowing for the easy removal of the dead baby from the mother. To date, about forty states have deemed partial-birth abortions illegal, though, on the federal level, attempts by Congress to ban this practice had bee
n repeatedly vetoed by Bill Clinton. Current president George W. Bush indicated during the election campaign that he would fight for the abolition of these abortions, though no action has been taken as of yet. Furthermore, the Federal Supreme Court struck down a ban on partial-birth abortions in July of 2000, deeming it unconstitutional, perhaps feeling a need to protect Roe v. Wade. Alcorn, Randy. 2000. Pro-Life Answers to Pro-Choice Arguments. Sisters, OR: Multnomah Publishers Inc. The Cardinal's point is well taken. The argument that the unborn baby is not truly a child becomes difficult to fathom when we are presented with a picture of a fully-formed baby, arms flailing, fingers wiggling, whose life is ended by means of a sharp object being jabbed into its head. Even the Congress of the United States, who continuously refuses to overturn Roe v. Wade, voted to ban partial-birth abortion after being presented with the facts, only to have the bill vetoed by Bill Clinton.
Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1390
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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