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Devin Stroope

Mr. Smith

ELA

16 October 2023

Contrasts Between Pro-Life and Pro-Choice

Within the complex web of ethical and legal issues in the United States, abortion is

especially polarizing, with extreme clashes between opposing groups’ beliefs. The restriction on

abortion access significantly reduces women’s reproductive and human rights, affecting the

quality of a woman’s experience in America.

Most pro-life beliefs stem from religious and ethical viewpoints that revolve around a

person's right to life, no matter their age, race, or sex. In the opinion of the United States

Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), abortion has been a moral evil since the first century

AD. The Catholic Church argues that a fetus, no matter the age, has inherent human rights;

therefore, it “must be treated with the respect due to a human person” (USCCB). Followers of

the Church attempt to reinforce this idea with the use of pathos and pseudoscience. The Church's

preaching that life begins at conception makes people believe that from the moment a fetus is

conceived, it is conscious. Additionally, they often personify fetuses in an attempt to convince

Americans that fetuses can feel pain from the moment of conception. As stated by the University

of Missouri’s School of Medicine, the pro-life position depends on an “analogy drawn or

assumed between the embryo or fetus and a normal, innocent human being or person” (abortion).

A fetus and an adult are both human beings; therefore, because an adult has a right to life, a fetus
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does too. Pro-life beliefs stem from deeply held Christian values, with the goal of preserving

life.

Pro-choice beliefs are rooted in the principle that individuals should have the power to

make their own decisions regarding personal reproductive health. Millions of women opt for

abortions annually, motivated by a variety of factors such as a woman’s health, relationships,

finances, and the availability of medical care. Furthermore, being unable to control the terms

under which women have children affects their “educational opportunities, […] employment

opportunities, how well [they are] able to take care of [their] existing children, [and] the kind of

parent [they] can be either currently or in the future" (WMC). Given the complexity of the

reasons a woman might desire an abortion, the only determining factor when terminating a

pregnancy should be that woman’s decision on the matter. More importantly, just because

abortion has been banned in certain states does not necessarily mean the practice will end.

Instead of preventing abortions, the ban will drive them underground, making procedures less

safe and posing dangers to women's health. Similarly, in the 1900s, abortion was illegal, causing

desperate women seeking abortions to undergo potentially unsafe and unsanitary procedures,

resulting in high levels of maternal mortality. Unsafe abortions can also result in mental and

physical damage; women who seek these procedures can develop “long-term disabilities, such as

uterine perforation, chronic pelvic pain or pelvic inflammatory disease" (CFFR); however, this

did not deter women a century ago, and it will not do so now. For those doctors who are willing

to perform the procedure, illegal abortions can be very profitable, and because many women will

have no other place to turn, illegal abortion rates will rise, as will maternal mortality rates and

injuries throughout the nation. Overall, pro-abortion beliefs derive from the importance of
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women making personal decisions about their own bodies, resonating with broader principles of

freedom, equality, and individual well-being.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops believes that abortion is immoral

because the fetus has the potential to become a functioning adult, whereas the Center for

Reproductive Rights’ believes abortion is an acceptable option because there are many reasons

women seek abortion, revealing that the largest division between the two opposing ideas

revolves around whether they take into consideration the woman carrying the baby. In an

experiment called the Turnaway Study, conducted by scientists at the University of California,

San Francisco, it was found that low-income women who were refused abortions were four times

more likely to live below the federal poverty line four years after giving birth than women who

had abortions. Moreover, women who had abortions did not become depressed or suicidal, like

many right-wing news outlets have claimed; instead, they found that “95% of women report that

having the abortion was the right decision for them over five years after the procedure.”

(ANSIRH): Proving that while every woman’s situation is unique, in the majority of situations,

abortion was the right choice for them. They may face various challenges, including health,

financial, and personal reasons, which makes the decision to have the procedure very personal.

The pro-life perspective ignores the realities of financial and mental stability for women, which

affect how well they can raise a child. As highlighted by Forbes Advisor, “Giving birth costs

$18,865 on average”, which for low-income women is a significant burden, not to mention the

additional costs of clothing, feeding, and caring for a child. Economic factors often play a

significant role in the decision-making process for abortions, as women must consider what is

best for their families and long-term finances. Due to the economic stresses that giving birth

causes, “The single most common reason women cite for wanting an abortion is because they
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cannot afford to raise a child” (Cohen, Ronnie). Financial difficulties impact women’s lives,

affecting their career goals, education, and quality of life, and thus, having a child can set them

back for years to come. In all, people who do not support abortion need to take into account that

an abortion can lead to better outcomes for women than for a child that is forcefully born into

extreme poverty and perpetuates the poverty from which their mothers are attempting to

overcome.

The controversial politics around abortion significantly reduce women’s reproductive and

human rights, affecting the quality of a woman’s experience in America. Women’s experiences in

America will be negatively affected by the limiting of reproductive rights, and the contrasts

between pro- and anti-abortion beliefs underscore divisions in society because of today's politics.

These opposing viewpoints, rooted in religious and moral values, mark the resurgence of extreme

right-wing beliefs in American politics, creating a volatile environment for women’s

reproductive health. The door has been opened to stripping away human rights. First, abortion,

what next?
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Works Cited

“Abortion.” Abortion - MU School of Medicine,

medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/health-ethics/faq/abortion. Accessed 18 Oct. 2023.

Cohen, Ronnie. “Denial of Abortion Leads to Economic Hardship for Low-Income

Women.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 18 Jan. 2018,

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-abortion-hardship/denial-of-abortion-leads-to-economic-hards

hip-for-low-income-women-idUSKBN1F731Z.

Murray, Laura Rena. “The Truth about the Adoption Option.” Ms. Magazine, 10 Apr.

2023, msmagazine.com/2023/04/05/adoption-abortion-forced-birth-supreme-court/.

“Respect for Unborn Human Life: The Church’s Constant Teaching.” USCCB,

www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/abortion/respect-for-unborn-human-lif

e. Accessed 16 Oct. 2023.

Rivelli, Elizabeth. “How Much Does It Cost to Have a Baby? 2023 Averages.” Forbes,

Forbes Magazine, 12 Sept. 2023,

www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/average-childbirth-cost/#:~:text=Average%20Cost%2

0of%20Childbirth%20in,don%27t%20have%20health%20insurance%3F.

“Safe and Legal Abortion Is a Woman’s Human Right.” Center For Reproductive Rights,

Aug. 2004, www.reproductiverights.org/sites/default/files/documents/pub_bp_safeandlegal.pdf.

“The Turnaway Study.” ANSIRH, 15 Aug. 2022,

www.ansirh.org/research/ongoing/turnaway-study.
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Devin,

Overall really solid job on this paper. You managed to weave the evidence in quite well,

explored the topic from multiple perspectives, and always turned these ideas back around

to support your argument. For future papers you might want to focus on your topic

sentences (making sure they are a clear claim that is defended in your paragraph – some of

yous seemed a bit long-winded, and could probably be trimmed back). You can also utilize

our thesis templates to add complexity to yours.

Rubric

Skill Not Foundational Proficient Advanced

Yet

Identifies a topic Appears in first Thesis establishes a

paragraph complex claim

Thesis establishes a

topic and a claim

Comments:
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Thesis

Includes three or Includes multiple pieces Includes specific,

fewer sources of evidence (from 8-10 meaningful, and

sources) that clearly well-chosen evidence

Some evidence relate to the thesis that relates to the thesis

relates to the thesis

Includes multiple pieces Includes a wide variety

of evidence in each body of evidence

Evidence paragraph (primary/secondary

sources, political

Includes multiple types cartoons, opinion pieces,

of evidence studies, poetry,

fiction/narrative, etc.)

Comments:

Summarizes sources Explains how evidence Explains well-selected

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supports topic sentence points of comparison

of individual paragraphs among sources and

evidence and their

Explains how evidence connection to the thesis

supports the thesis of the

Analysis
essay Demonstrates use of

advanced vocabulary

and varies sentence

patterns; evidence of

distinct voice and style

in the writing

Comments:

Little connection Explains how the Clearly explains

between texts; texts/sources are related, relationships among

difficult for the though points could be texts (how they confirm

reader to see how the more selective or better or challenge each other,

texts are related developed build on each other,

provide differing

Synthesis Includes multiple perspectives, etc.)

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sources in each body

paragraph Utilizes a variety of

transition words and

Utilizes transition words phrases

and phrases

Comments:

Some elements Heading is correctly No errors in MLA format

missing or some errors formatted

in MLA format

Pages are numbered

Most in-text citations are

correctly formatted

Works Cited: each source

entry is in correct MLA

MLA
format
Format
Comments:
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Shows evidence of Most quotes are correctly All quotes are correctly

basic proofreading integrated integrated

Follows essay Shows evidence of careful

Conventions
organization proofreading

Shows evidence of

proofreading

Comments:

Essay Checklist

Content:
Thesis is the last sentence of my first paragraph
Each body paragraph has a topic sentence that is argumentative and relates to the
contents of the paragraph
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I have included the required amount of evidence
My analysis explains how the evidence proves my claims
My body paragraphs relate back to my topic sentence and my thesis
I have attempted to synthesize my sources (agreement, disagreements, etc).
By restated thesis is the first sentence of my conclusion paragraph
I have properly cited my sources (in-text, works cited)

Writing
I have eliminated “dead words” from my writing (see list below)
I have looked at my transition words and phrases to ensure that they are effective
My quote integrations grammatically flow with my evidence (avoiding hanging
quotes)
I have included words/phrases from my thesis in the body of my essay (or synonyms)
I have utilized a grammar checker to catch errors
I have read my writing aloud to check for clarity

List of dead words:

● “I”
● YOU
● WE
● LIKE
● THING
● STUFF
● KIND OF
● SORT OF
● GOOD
● BAD
● HAPPY
● SAD
● MAD
● THIS QUOTE SHOWS (INSTEAD: EXPRESSES, ILLUMINATES, DEMONSTRATES,
DETAILS, EXPLAINS)
● “MANY WAYS”
● “SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS”
● “TO BE” VERBS: IS, ARE, WERE