Christina J.

So
7/16/2019
Viewpoint Synthesis

Should abortion continue to be legal for women in the US?

In today's world, the fight over abortion rights continues to be a very sensitive and heated debate.
Although Roe V. Wade, (a US supreme court decision which protects a woman's personal privacy right to an
abortion without government interference) was created in 1973, some states are attempting to overturn these laws
and have already passed extensive restrictions on accessing abortions. While many are in favor of these new laws
to lower abortion access, there are others who see them as unethical and degrading to the female gender. So the
question arises, “Should abortion continue to be legal for all women in the US?”

In this article we will discuss various viewpoints between pro-choice, pro-life and those in between who
have mixed feelings. Pro-choice are fighting for the right of a woman to choose if she wants to terminate her
pregnancy for any reason of her own. Pro-life advocates to overturn the law into establishing a new law to end
abortion for all and fight for the right of the fetus to thrive into a human being. Between the two main groups in the
debate, there are others who are in between and demonstrate how to find other sources outside of abortion to
decrease the amount of unwanted pregnancies to avoid seeking abortion all together; we will call them the middle
grounders.

One belief towards why abortion rights are necessary is that making it illegal will not only unsuccessfully
confine the practice to take place, but will result in women seeking unsafe, life threatening, clandestine
procedures. According to the March 2018 th study, “Abortion Worldwide 2017: Uneven Progress and Unequal
Access,” released by the Guttmacher Institute: “ The abortion rate is 37 per 1,000 women in countries where
abortion is prohibited or permitted only to save the life of the pregnant woman, and 34 per 1,000 women in
countries where abortion is not restricted as to reason. Legal restrictions do not eliminate abortion .” These studies
demonstrated that the rates of abortion were similar in countries where it was illegal and legal proving that
removing access will not decrease the yearly statistics. Not all women have abortions in lieu of an unwanted
pregnancy. Others agree that women should have access to abortion, especially for medically necessary
procedures where the mother is at risk if she carries to full term. On a pathos rhetoric viewpoint from Catholic
Obstetrician Rebecca Luckett, she speaks on behalf of her own experience after discovering that the 20 week
fetus was struggling to survive inside of her. (QTD from her article): “I f we would recognize women’s right to self-
determination, they and their families would become stronger. Women make the best decisions when they can
make them for themselves and their families.” Her approach is to trust women to make the best decision for
herself and her family. Another argument refers to long time suffering that certain women have higher odds of
staying in poverty and becoming dependent on government assistance if denied the right to abortions thus
trapping her in the loop if financial difficulties.

On the other hand, others argue abortion is immoral, wrong, and a disgrace to the human race. How can
one justify “murdering” an innocent, defenseless child? That is the common question asked for the second
viewpoint. In Michael Bourgeois's, an opinion writer for the Mississippi State Student paper, The Reflector article, “
Abortion is a Crime Against Humanity,” he mentions: “ Abortion is the denial of another person the opportunity to leave
their mark on the world. To barter this potential for simple expediency is a crime against humanity, and diminishes
us as a thinking and feeling species. When we choose convenience over life, we cheapen all human life as a
whole, and we degrade the intrinsic worth inside all of us as people.” Bourgeois's argument ceases to be that we
are becoming less human by allowing abortion to continue in our culture and practice. A common argument made
with this point of view is that the fetus is its own entity and that a precious human life begins at conception;
therefore rejecting to allow it to thrive naturally is murder of a child. This viewpoint seize to believe a fetus is an
individual person since it has its own heartbeat and establishes the four criteria needed to prove life (metabolism,
growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction). According to Keith L. Moore, a professor emeritus in the division of
anatomy, in the faculty of surgery of the University of Toronto, Canada, once a child is conceived there are obvious
DNA traits that will last them through out their childhood and adulthood from their eye color to their personality
traits. Many Americans use their background of religion to justify the wrong in abortion since it defies the word of
God. The sixth commandment of the Bible's old testament “Thou Shalt Not Kill” (Exodus 20:13) refers to all life big
or small; including the unborn child. Since abortions are against many religions the next most common question is,
“why not give the child up for adoption?” According to Dan Hart's June 2019th article, In a Post-Abortion America,
the Pro-Life Movement Must Prepare to Change Attitudes toward Adoption, he states: “After Roe’s blanket
legalization of abortion, more women began to choose abortion, which meant that there were fewer babies to
adopt. This tendency has remained disturbingly lopsided to this day: There are about 55 abortions for every one
adoption of a child under the age of two in America.” Dan Hart believes that many loving families who are willing to
open up their home and heart are being left without children to raise since more women are choosing abortions
over adoption.

In recent discussions between pro-life and pro-choice, there are others who think the best way is not to
either keep abortions legal or illegal but to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Dr.David Katz argues that although he
is pro-choice he is just as equally anti-abortion. Between meeting with patients and talking to women around him,
he understands that a woman's choice to choose should not be risked by laws. Instead he considers the best way
is not by restricting or banning abortions completely but provide consistent resources for our women: we need to
continue to fund these family planning resources, insurances need to continue to cover contraception and
consistent sexual education needs to be made a priority. Another point of view is to keep abortions legal but add
more restrictions. The Marist Poll directed by Barbara Carvalho, surveyed Americans who considered themselves
pro-choice but would like to see more restrictions added to the Roe V Wade. Although these surveys did not
mention which laws should be enlisted, those who cooperated agrees more restrictions need to be made, they
agree limitation of abortion to the risk of the mother is a bit too much.

After much research on both sides of the spectrum, I found I agree the most with Dr.David Katz keeping
abortions legal but making it a priority to keep resources available at hand for women. Just like Dr.Katz says, “my
right to swing a stick ends where your nose begins.' This quotes meant a lot personally because it refers to what
should be a personal right should not be prevented because someone else has an opinion about it. So much talk
and protest has been circulating to defund Planned Parenthood without people realizing that they are a clinic of
few that provides affordable health care for women including ways to prevent unwanted pregnancies that can lead
to abortions. Insurances are starting to exclude contraceptive coverage leaving many women to cover the
expensive cost themselves; which many are not able to afford. With both statements made, I believe this
contradicts the right of leading a pro-life nation since we are on the path of removing important resources that may
prevent unwanted pregnancies. If we make abortions illegal, we have to assure that we are protecting the right to
covered contraceptives and make it a priority to keep affordable family planning clinics available. According to the
Childrens Right Campaign, there are nearly 443,000 children already in the foster care who are just as deserving
of homes. On average, these children remain in the foster system for nearly two years before finding their forever
homes. In 2017, 17,000 of these children aged out of the adoption age and were never adopted. Cited in
Adoption.Org, numbers of adoptions decreased since 2007 by 20.3%. I believe the argument of “why not give the
baby up for adoption?” is an unnecessary question because we already have such a high number of children
waiting with thousands who never had the chance. When reading Michael Burgeois's article, “ Abortion is a crime
against humanity,” it really was upsetting to read this specific statement, “ In the natural world, mothers of various
species go to extraordinary lengths to protect their young—why does the species with the most developed
understanding of morality consider its young disposable ?” My thought on this was although animals do protect
their young, if they believe there was a health issue or their infant will not survive, they will kill them or desert them
to die alone after birth. Now is that more ethical? So to end this research paper I conclude that abortion needs to
stay legal until we make laws that protect our women's resources and when there are minimal to no children in the
foster care.

Word count: 1,553

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