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Jordan Festge

Professor Newport

English 102 9am

4/24/2017

Abortion in Society

Just because humans have a right to end pregnancies doesn't mean it is right. Abortion is

wrong because it kills a life, leads to complications for women, causes psychological damage,

excludes men from the decision, and Roe V. Wade ruling was 43 years ago. Even though,

abortion advocates a woman's right to choose her destiny is paramount, and abortion isn't

morally wrong because of personhood, baby should not be unwanted, and abortion reduces

crime.

Mortality is defined as the state of condition of being subject to death. Abortion in society

serves as a valid example of mortality, taking a human life from the world and denying his or

her's right to a piece of the American dream, education, family, religion and many more.

Mortality is defined as an unsafe abortion that is committed by people with no or very little

knowledge of the procedure which results in killing a innocent baby or mother. Mortality is

something we hear far too much in society; however, we never talk about how mortality is

reversed. In the science fiction book Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein is a

modern scientists and has a dream to do the impossible by creating a new human race. Victor
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reversed mortality by creating a human monster, which later haunted him and caused a lot of

grief and sorrow.

Abortion Dangerous vs Abortion Safe

Abortion is wrong because it slays societies next generations of people. Others say

abortion reduces crime rates in society. Abortion wipes out new minds to help solve the problem

to crime rates in society. Abortion advocates say children if not aborted will more likely be poor

on welfare, or participate in deviant acts. Steven Levitt the author the book "Freakonomics" says

"The Supreme Court legalized abortion in 1973, but crime didn't begin to drop until some 18

years later. Levitt believes this can be attributed to the fact that young adults aged 16 to 24

commit the most crimes" (John Stossel ABC News). Levitt argues that abortion was not a key

factor of reducing crime in states that legalized abortion. Furthermore, Levitt explains, "In high

abortion states, only arrests of those born after abortion legalization fall relative to low abortion

states. Legalized abortion appears to account for as much as 50 percent of the recent drop in

crime" (John Levitt 379).

Abortion is wrong because it can lead to complications such as bladder injury, bowel

injury, breast cancer, ectopic pregnancy, effects of future pregnancies, post-abortion syndrome

and many more. Pro-Abortion activists argue, abortion is perfectly safe and that women

experience complications less than one percent of the time. Anti-Abortion activists argues, that

the national statistics show that 10 percent of women suffer from complications of abortion. The

New England Journal of Medicine states that termination of pregnancy can increase chances of

breast cancer. "A full-term pregnancy increases a woman's short-term risk of breast cancer,

possibly as a result of the growth-enhancing properties of pregnancy-induced estrogen secretion.

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By contrast, such a pregnancy decreases the long-term risk of breast cancer, perhaps by inducing

terminal differentiation of the susceptible mammary cells. Studies in animals suggest that the

potential for terminal differentiation of breast cells is lower for a pregnancy terminated by

abortion than for a full-term pregnancy. On this basis Russo and Russo have proposed that a full-

term pregnancy allows complete differentiation of breast cells, thereby protecting against cancer,

whereas an abortion forestalls the late protective effect of differentiation, thereby increasing the

risk of breast cancer" (Johansen 1).

Pro Abortion vs Anti-Abortion

Abortion advocates promote the idea of personhood and a woman's right to choose her

own future. Pro-Abortion people believe personhood begins after a fetus becomes viable or after

birth, not at conception. Anti-Abortion advocates express personhood begins in all stages of life.

Most abortion advocates say women have the right to choose what they do with their body's. Just

because women can choose to abort their baby doesn't mean they should. Men are often left out

of the picture because of this notion. Abortion activists ask the question: what if a teenage girl

got inpregnat by a rappist, shouln't it be okay for her to then abort? No it's not okay for her to

abort her baby even though she was pregnant in a wrong way. There are many people that would

love to raise her baby for her in a nice home. These tragic occurrences happen all over the world

and woman are faced with the question whether to abort or parent. With the right knowledge and

understanding by the right people woman can come to an understanding and make the right

decision to keep or adoption.

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Abortion activists preach that a baby shouldn't be brought into the world unwanted by

their mother. However, people can give up their baby for adoption and make sure they have a

good home to grow up in. There are many people that cannot have a baby of their own that are

willing to adopt. According to America Adoption Agency, abortions can be pricey, "Abortions

range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on your stage of pregnancy. Conversely,

not only is adoption free, but you may also receive living expenses from the adoptive family to

help you cover pregnancy-related expenses such as rent, food, utilities, transportation and more"

(A.A.A.A 1). Anyone would benefit from this because they pay for your expenses and help you

back on your feet after you give birth.

Abortion can cause psychological damage and emotional damages because of the regret

of the procedure and the emotional connection. Women often suffer from depression, nightmares,

guilt, grief, and a sense of loss and anger. Sarah Terzo of Live Action News, writes a heart

warming story of an anonymous girl who's 22 year old boyfriend impregnated her at the age of

18. Terzo explains a never ending story in society "Too many teenagers are afraid to face their

parents when they become pregnant. This is common in religious families, where the pressure on

the pregnant minor to guard her secret can be extreme". The anonymous woman told Terzo how

she felt after aborting her baby. "I wont bore you with the details of the complications I suffered

for a year after or my days in college where I went through a horrible break up or when I drank

heavily to cover the pain in my heart or even the deep depression, suicide attempt, and hospital
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stay that followed my choice 18 months later. At 19, I finally realized the grief I had never dealt

with grew and I finally learned to talk to my friends and family. I made one promise to myself

though No matter what, I would never have another abortion. I would make better choices. I

would never have to make that choice again" (Live Action News). This is a valid example of

how abortion can impose a greater threat to an individual.

Abortion leaves out the man's decision because of the woman's right to choose. The U.S.

supreme court's ruling shaped the role of men in the decision by saying it's the woman's right and

it's a woman's health care issue. Men are often left out and feel helpless with the decision of their

creation. Men like Paul who's now 30 years old told Vice reporter Monica Heisey, "She wanted

to keep it quiet, so only a few people knew she was pregnant anyway, and then when it came

to the termination, it was equally quiet. She wouldn't let me go to the clinic with her or

anything, and also didn't want to speak to me for a bit around the time it was happening, so

having no one to talk to about it while being acutely aware that a possible child was exiting

the world was very, very strange. When she came back to school, I had to pretend shed been

ill. The experience was very much about bottling something up. But the knowledge of it was

really upsetting to me for a very long time. Emotionally, I think it's much harder on the guy

than people are aware" (The Vice 1). Paul's story serves as an example of how men are left

out of the decision of termination and men's voices should be heard.

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In a news article from NECN a local news station in Massachusetts claims that the

number of abortions in the state has been dropping since 2010. "Abortions in the state have

dropped by nearly 11 percent - from 20,802 in 2010 to 18,570 in 2015 - according to an

Associated Press review of the most recent Massachusetts Department of Public Health

statistics" (NECN 1). Another report by the Centers for Disease Control found "Abortion rates

for 2013 was 12.5 abortions per 1,000 women ages 15-44 - down 5 percent from 2012 and half

the number of abortions reported in 1980." President Donald Trump has signed legislation to

allow states to decided to block funding to abortion agencies such as Planned Parenthood. Many

people think the decline of abortions in Massachusetts are a result of birth control and sex

education. Nevertheless, this is definition of progress in society because of the low rates of

abortion.

Mortality is defined as death of large numbers in society. It is also defined as losing

someone to tragedy. Mortality can be defined as death by place, death by time, death by cause.

Mortality is something we all thing about at some point of our life. How will we die? When will

we die? This is the number two greatest fears of Americans is death. No one can out live death

and no one can predict their mortality. Society can produce more scientists, doctors, teachers,

lawyers by stopping abortion and seeking other options.

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Progress is defined as a movement towards a goal or dream someone has. Adoption

agencies serve as an element against abortion and help promotes progress with the fight against

abortion. Health care agencies that devote their time to educate and help unplanned pregnancies

become planned pregnancies help move forward in progress to eventually shape society to where

abortion is not an option anymore. Progress is defined as moving forwarded and not looking

backward. Progress is defined as starting from nothing and becoming something. Progress is was

society needs to make it better and stronger. Progress is what our founding fathers lived off of

when they seek freedom from the British. Progress is what my Martin Luther King fought for

when he tried to rid the south of segregation. The U.S. wouldn't be the way it is now without

progress. Progress can come in many different ways but the important thing is you move forward

and not backwards. Taking chances and putting yourself out there is progress. A woman giving

up her baby for adoption knowing she doesnt have the means to take of her baby is progress.

One less baby condemned to death is progress.

Roe V Wade supreme court decision was 43 years ago and time have changed a great

deal. Roe V Wade serves one of the most famous rulings in U.S. history. A seven to two vote in

the favor of legalizing abortion in 1973 opened doors for places like Planned Parenthood which

not only is supposed to help woman but is one of the largest abortion clinics in America. The

case should be revisited because it is growing outdated, in North Dakota an Eighth Circuit Court

of Appeals ruled against North Dakota's fetal heartbeat law. Elizabeth Slattery from the Daily

Signal writes, The Appeals Court strongly urges the Supreme Court to revisit the case. An

unborn babys heartbeat is detectable at about 6-7 weeks. Under current Supreme Court

jurisprudence, states may not prohibit women from having an abortion before the unborn baby is

viable when the baby is capable of living outside the womb (with or without medical
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assistance). At the time Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, a baby was considered viable after the

second trimester (27-28 weeks), whereas today, babies generally are viable at 24 weeksand

sometimes even earlier"( Slattery 1). These are prime examples of the case ruling being outdated.

It is time we took a stand and reviewed this case so that it can become accurate for society.

In the reading The Surprising Resilience of State Opposition to Abortion: The Supreme Court,

Federalism, and the Role of Intense Minorities in the U.S. Politics System, by Gerald N.

Rosenberg talks about how the U.S. Supreme Court found a right for a woman to be able to

terminate her pregnancy with Doctor consultation. In the period of the Supreme Court ruling

over 53 million legal abortions have been committed. In 2011 1.6 million legal abortions were

performed in the United States. Rosenberg goes on to say The Guttmacher Institute reports that

more abortion restrictions were enacted in just the years 20112013 than in the entire previous

decade .5 From Texas to the Dakotas and from Arkansas and Arizona to Idaho, legislation has

been enacted creating obstacles to women seeking abortion, including prohibiting abortion after

fewer weeks of pregnancy". Today many restrictions have been put on abortion clinics and

prevents them from operating like they once did. Many people have their different opinions on

abortion whether it should be illegal or legal. Rosenberg presents some data that was polled in

the 1975 through 2012. "Responses have ranged in a narrow band, from a high of 83% in the

late 1990s and again in 2006, to a low of 75% in 1975 and 76% in the early 2000s.9 In terms of

opposition, the data show a similar, consistent pattern. In 1975, 21% of respondents told Gallup

that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances.10 In late 2012, there was only a difference of

3 percentage points, with 18% of respondents telling Gallup that abortion should be illegal in all

circumstances." Here, too, the range has been fairly narrow, reaching a high point of 22% in the

late 1990s and early 2000s and a low point of 13% in the early 1990s". This shows that abortion
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still is a touchy subject to society and data shows that people's opinion on abortion still stays

close to the traditional view (Rosenberg 1)

In the novel, Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, presents a theme of birth and abortion

throughout the book. Once Victor sees what he has created and what the experiment is capable of

he then wants to destroy it. Victor finds himself unable to love or idolize his creation. Victor then

tries to abort his creation on a female monster because he realizes the dangers to mankind if the

monsters were to ever get to the point where they could populate into society. The female

monster was not yet alive when Victor aborted the plans to make her alive.

Where Life Begins

Life begins at conception, so unborn babies are human beings with a right to life. In the Live

Action article, professors Keith Moore, TVN Persaud, and Mark Torchia talk about how life

begins at fertilization. They state Human development is a continuous process that begins when

an oocyte from a female is fertilized by a sperm from a male." And then they say Human

development begins at fertilization when a sperm fuses with an oocyte to form a single cell, the

zygote". Furthermore, the professors talk about how upper limb buds a recognizable at day 27 as

small swellings. The professors explain that in the eighth week the you can see human features

and characteristics. They go on to say The first cell of a new and unique human life begins

existence at the moment of conception (fertilization) when one living sperm from the father joins

with one living ovum from the mother. It is in this manner that human life passes from one

generation to another. Given the appropriate environment and genetic composition, the single

cell subsequently gives rise to trillions of specialized and integrated cells that compose the

structures and functions of each individual human body. These quotes prove that life begins at

conception and that abortion should not be legal.

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Many believe the Roe V. Wade decision opened up doors for women's health care. The

ruling made it legal for abortion clinics to operate and excel. Abortion activists claim the Roe V.

Wade ruling helps women and their families because thousands of women used to die in result of

illegal abortions. Carole Joffe, a writer for Dissent an online news website states, "Immediately

after Roe, death and injuries from abortion declined dramatically, and today, only a handful of

women in the United States die each year from complications of legal abortion" (Carole Joffe 1).

However, pro abortion activists say if it wasnt for Roe we wouldn't have the countermovement

of medical personnel who take great passion in their work.

Carole Joffe explains, limited providers don't oppose a threat, it's the access to them that

does. "Abortion services tend to be clustered on each coast, and in large metropolitan areas in

between. Several Midwestern and Southern states are down to one clinic, and women living in

rural areas often have to drive for hours to reach a facility. The lack of accessible and affordable

second trimester care is particularly acute. One out of three American women lives in counties

without abortion services. Researchers estimate that in the thirty-two states where Medicaid

funds are banned for abortions, approximately one-fourth of Medicaid recipients who would

have had abortions if subsidized, gave birth instead" ( Carole Joffe 2). Abortion clinics are put

into the metropolitan area so that crime can be reduced in that area. Abortion clinics serve as a

dumpster for minorities and the abortion activists want society to believe they are on your side.

This has been going on ever since the Roe decision, and political efforts have been trying to stop

this deviant act.

Progress is defined as onward movement toward something. Progress is an achievement

of an award. Progress is define as getting a promotion in the workplace. Educating young adults

about sex is progress. Political leaders standing up for rights of children is progress. People
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joining the fight against abortion is progress. Society coming together to figure out a solution to

abortion is progress. If Roe V. Wade gets reviewed thats progress in society. Abortion rates

dropping in some states is a sign of progress. These are just a few definitions of progress in

society and there are so many more definitions of progress.

Progress in not the act of moving backwards from a goal or dream. Abortion is definition

of what progress is not. Abortion clinics that devote their time into killing human beings is not

progress. Moving backward and never moving forward to something you care about is not

progress. Definition of not progress is pushing the father away from the decision and not letting

him take a stand. Not progress would be the United States not being the United States but still a

colony of the British. Not progress would be slavery still being apart of our society. Not progress

would be racism still being in our society such as Jim Crow laws in the south. Not taking

chances and not putting yourself out there in the world is the definition of not progress.

Incomplete abortions can lead to further medical work, infections, and bleeding, and

sometimes death. An incomplete abortion is defined as an abortion that has only been practically

successful. In Miami a teenage girl dies after having an abortion, Operation Rescue's Cheryl

Sullenger states she had an incomplete abortion and had a tear in her uritis. Not only did Cree

Irwin have an incomplete abortion, says Sullenger, and not only was she in excruciating pain,

but she also had a four-centimeter tear in her uterus (Charlie Butts 1). Because of this the young

girl suffered from internal bleeding which later killed her. Women on Web explains the

symptoms of an incomplete abortion "If you have prolonged bleeding, too much bleeding (much

more than a regular menstrual period), pain in your belly that does not go away after a few days

of taking the Misoprostol, pain that is unbearable, fever, continued bleeding after three weeks, or
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pain when pushing on your belly, you may have an incomplete abortion" (Women on Web 1).

This information is good to know in case you think about getting an abortion.

Incomplete abortions can happen to anyone at any age. It is important that you know

where you are getting your abortion procedure done at. The young girl's procedure was done at

the nation's leading abortion clinic Planned Parenthood. Sullenger wants the doctor who

performed of the young girl suspended, "Dr. Castleman should not be practicing on other

women, says Sullenger. She poses a danger to the public as far as we're concerned, so we're

asking for an immediate suspension of her license until a full investigation can be donenot just

a half-investigation like they sometimes do" (Charlie Butts 1). The family is seeking justice and

answers about what happened in the operating room and why did this happen to their daughter.

This shows how dangerous abortions can be even with a professional and modern technology.

Elizabeth Deans, MD argues that abortion is safe because of the mortality rate being

lower than the birth rate in the nation. Deans explains how death from an abortion is highly rare

and the technology is advanced. Pro abortion people say that abortions are safe because of the

skilled doctors and technology. They also say that abortions have been performed by the doctors

for years and years which gives them knowledge on how to perform one. Since health care has

become more advanced abortions are a success 99 out of 100 times. However, what about that

one percent chance of an abortion going wrong and you find yourself in a major situation.

Abortion is morally wrong because it rids the world of new minds, leads to

complications, leaves out father, can cause physiological damage. Just because humans can

terminate pregnancies doesnt mean they should. Life should be embraced not denied and

unloved. Love is defined as a person or thing that one loves.

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Roe v Wade needs to be revisited and ruled on again. The ruling is becoming outdated in

society today. There should be more literature and advertisements on adoption. I propose new

research be done on abortion clinics. This research should be by an outside source and have no

bias. I predict that society will all come together and realize the dangers of abortion and the

complications it can have on women and men.

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Work Cited

"Abortions in Massachusetts Down Nearly 11 Percent Since 2010." The latest news from around
the state, 24 Apr. 2017, https://www.necn.com/news/health/Massachusetts-Abortion-
Rates-Decline-420248134.html. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

American Adoptions.
http://www.americanadoptions.com/pregnant/deciding_between_abortion_or_adoption.
Accessed 25 Apr. 2017.

Christoffer Johansen, Joachim Schz, Anne-Marie Serena Andreasen, Susanne Oksbjerg

Dalton. . (2017) Study designs may influence results: the problems with questionnaire-
based casecontrol studies on the epidemiology of glioma. British Journal of Cancer
116:7, 841-848.

Deans, Elizabeth. Obstetrics & Gynecology, edited by William Dodson, 13 July 2015. Accessed
27 Apr. 2017.

"Does Abortion Lower Crime Rates?" ABC NEWS, 4 Apr. 2006, p. 1,

abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=1843646&page=1. Accessed 24 Apr. 2017.

Heisey, Monica. "Abortion affects men, too." VICE, 20 Apr. 2014, pp. 1-1+,

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/abortion-affects-men-too. Accessed 24 Apr. 2017.

John J. Donohue, III, Steven D. Levitt; The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime. Q J Econ
2001; 116 (2): 379-420. doi: 10.1162/00335530151144050

Slattery, Elizabeth. "New Court Decision Suggests Supreme Court Should Reconsider Roe v.
Wade." The Daily Signal , 24 July 2015. Accessed 25 Apr. 2017. Path:
http://dailysignal.com/2015/07/24/new-court-decision-suggests-supreme-court-should-
reconsider-roe-v-wade/.

Studies in Family Planning. Studies in Family Planning, vol. 28, no. 2, 1997, pp. 168168.,
www.jstor.org/stable/2138123.

Terzo, Sarah. "Post-abortive woman tells her story of regret." Live Action News, 5 July 2015, pp.
1-1+, www.liveaction.org/news/post-abortion-woman-tells-story-regret/. Accessed 24
Apr. 2017.

Women on Web, https://www.womenonweb.org/en/page/477/how-do-you-know-if-you-have-an-

incomplete-abortion. Accessed 27 Apr. 2017.