Abortion is a controversial topic among society today because it is in fact a moral dilemma that women struggle with today due to religious groups influence and government officials with conservative viewpoints. The abortion debates main focus is whether or not it is right or wrong to end a pregnancy before normal childbirth begins. Women should have the right to make decisions pertaining to themselves because there are a lot of factors involved with pregnancies.
Besides abortions, these clinics provide a comfortable environment for females to consult with doctors not just on abortion but on female health care and safe contraceptives. In the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v. Wade on January 22, 1973, abortion was declared a “fundamental right” for all Americans. The decision gave a woman and her doctor the option to choose abortion without restrictions within the earlier or later months of their pregnancy. (Alters 2010) Abortion or the act of ending a pregnancy before the baby begins surviving outside of the uterus has become a very controversial issue.
Moral and health issues have been at the battlefront and have divided the country. Many pro-life supporters believe that human life should never be compromised and we should push for the American government to repeal this decision. However, I believe that this action will only endanger the lives of many American women and their children. The argument begins with whether the baby’s life is at risk or emphasized more than the mother’s right to choose whether she wants and is able to keep the baby.
Eighty percent of Americans believe that abortion should be legal but viewpoints begin to differ when individuals can “recognize that the mother’s fundamental liberty to determine the course of her life outweighs the rights of an embryo— but [others] presumably believe it is wrong for a mother to kill her newborn baby” (Abaluck 2007) Society does not want the life of any individual to be harmed therefore how can we just choose which life is more important. There are many circumstances that may cause women to want an abortion such as unwanted pregnancy, rape, or even health risks for the mother.
Nevertheless, a life ended is still a life in the eyes of many American citizens whether it is an embryo or a fully developed baby. Roe v Wade should not be overturned because it will increase the amount of undercover and illegal abortions in our country. As a result, that will only create more trauma for mothers and their children. Twenty-two percent of women in Texas has already self-administered prescription drugs like misoprostol and use of unregulated abortion practices. Numbers were higher for minority women who often have financial circumstances that prevent them from accessing care at a clinic. Knowledge)
By banning abortions the number of fatalities caused by self-induced abortions will drastically increase. Additionally, future pregnancies are also at risk without proper physician help. Proponents of abortion discuss the need for women to have the freedom to choose when they use this medical procedure rather than the government placing time restrictions. Bills have been introduced in Congress since 1995 to prevent late-term abortion during the second to third trimester. Partial-birth abortion a type of late-term abortion is when the fetus is fully developed and has the capability to survive on its own.
Opponents often criticize the government for allowing so many late-term abortions since it can harm a woman’s mental health and even future fertility. However, research shows that “99 percent of all abortions are performed in the first half of pregnancy, … and less than 1 percent are performed after twenty-one weeks. (Knapp 76) A vast majority of late-term abortions were deemed to be necessary as a result of medical emergencies that impact the health and life of either the mother or the fetus.
Despite the idea that the fetus is fully developed, the mother’s health is an important factor and we cannot allow the government to place such harsh restrictions on abortion if an individual’s well-being is being threatened. People have come under the assumption that by overturning Roe v Wade, it will place a ban on abortion. But instead, it will simply grant more power to state legislatures allowing the people to have more input rather than how it is now under the Supreme Court ruling.
Repealing this decision will force interest groups to persuade the public to side with them. This type of government does have its downfalls because people with a group based on the demographics of the group rather than to fully support the issue. (Pontuso 2010) Additionally, interest groups that have large amounts of money are easily able to gain influence inside of the government and can use monetary gifts to encourage votes. However American citizens cannot allow this to become a state issue because politicians will easily be persuaded by money.
Policies like abortion will no longer be for the common good of all civilians but rather what the wealthy elite want to happen. A vocal group that continues to encourage the repeal of this decision are religious practitioners. Religious advocates chose not to participate in abortions due to their religious and moral beliefs. They believe that by refraining from such actions will help to gain public recognition and encourage others to do the same. Religious practitioners believe that the act of performing an abortion is not worth compromising their beliefs.
However, the government has created the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act that allows healthcare providers the ability to choose not to complete an action if it interferes with their moral, ethical, or religious views. (A Doctor) This act may benefit the health care workers but it only abuses the rights of the mother under the court case. Even though a worker may have strong religious beliefs they should be able to put them aside in the workplace and be able to help the situation the mother may be in. I do not think that Roe v Wade should not be overturned.
It is a monumental case that grants freedom of choice to all women and allows them to be in control of their body. If this court case becomes overturned American women will lose their right to a safe, legal abortion and have to resort to illegal, unconventional practices. Despite being one of the most controversial Supreme Court decisions approximately sixty- three percent of people would not want to see the court completely overturn the Roe v. Wade decision. (Masci) The court case has greatly expanded women’s rights and is a necessity for the ever changing society.
We cannot overturn this ruling because it will revert back to previous social problems that existed before the decision. Even though the other side may argue that abortion is bad because the killing of an innocent human being is wrong, even if that human being has yet to be born. Unborn babies are considered human beings by the US government also upon fertilization, a human individual is created with a unique genetic identity that remains unchanged throughout his or her life, lastly during the abortion process when a female is in her first trimester the fetus feels pain due to the abortion medication taking effect.
They are wrong because Embryos and fetuses are not independent, self-determining beings, and abortion is the termination of a pregnancy, not a baby which leads to the choice over when and whether to have children is crucial to a woman’s independence and capability to determine her future. In addition, abortion clinics also known as planned parenthood doesn’t just offer abortions but sexual and reproductive health care, education and outreach to nearly 5 million women, men and adolescents annually worldwide.
