Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice
The abortion issue is so polarized that finding objective evidence either for or against is difficult, if not hopeless. It is nearly impossible to find a compromise between the two sides. It is not my intention to bring peace between these two opposing sides, but to offer yet another point of view. Of course, I am not so idealistic as to think that my views are original or that everyone will agree with me, but keeping quiet about a subject is the same as accepting things the way they are, and that is something that I refuse to do. I will start by looking at the opposition.
The pro-choice side offers a nice, guilt-free package. Women should have the right to choose what they do with their bodies and this right supersedes the right of the fetus. Plannedparenthood.org offers the following claim: “At the most basic level, the abortion issue is not really about abortion. It is about the value of women in society. Should women make their own decisions about family, career, and how to live their lives? Or should government do that for them? Do women have the option of deciding when or whether to have children? Or is that a government decision?” ("Nine Reasons Why Abortions are Legal") They even go so far as to accuse pro-lifers of having a hidden agenda. “The anti-abortion leaders really have a larger purpose. They oppose most ideas and programs that can help women achieve equality and freedom. They also oppose programs that protect the health and well-being of women and their children.” ("Nine Reasons Why Abortions are Legal")
Of course women have the freedom to make their own decisions about family, career, and how to live their lives. And women do have the option of deciding when or whether to have children (unless they are infertile, and even then there are medical advances to help in this area). In modern, western society, a woman can choose who, if and when she wants to marry. It is becoming more common for women to be thriving and single well into their thirties. As far as careers are concerned, a woman can choose to be anything she wants. She is supported by government legislation allowing her to gain equal employment in any field she desires. And, yes, we can choose whether or not we want to have children. It’s called birth control. FDA Consumer Magazine online gives a list of the many contraceptives that we can choose from, one of which is 98-99% effective. (Nordenberg ) Those are VERY GOOD odds!
Along with Planned Parenthood, I share the desire to for women to be valued as mature individuals with the ability and the freedom to make wise decisions. I want my gender, as a whole, to be described as intelligent and prudent, with the ability to plan well for the future. However, according to plannedparenthood.org, the most common reasons a woman chooses abortion are:
She is not ready to become a parent.
She cannot afford a baby.
She doesn't want to be a single parent.
She doesn't want anyone to know she has had sex or is pregnant.
She is too young or too immature to have a child.
She has all the children she wants.
Her husband, partner, or parent wants her to have an abortion.
She or the fetus has a health problem. She was a survivor of rape or incest. (Choosing Abortion — Questions and Answers)
Of the nine reasons given, seven of them can be prevented with planning. Planning involves making choices. Women do have the right to choose. There are many contraceptives on the market today that we have to choose from. We are more educated today than ever before. As mature women, we should sensibly choose to plan ahead, not cover our mistakes with abortion.
Why not abortion? The answer to this question truly depends on who you ask. The debate over when life actually begins is the fuel that fires the abortion controversy. The pro-life side believes that life begins at some point after conception and before birth. This view is obvious when reading the following excerpt taken from a booklet found online at the National Right to Life website: “Abortion ends a pregnancy by destroying and removing the developing child. That baby’s heart has already begun to beat by the time the mother misses her period and begins to wonder if she might be pregnant (about 31 days after the mother’s last menstrual period or LMP). Surgical abortions are usually not performed before seven weeks, or 49 days LMP. By that time, the baby has identifiable arms and legs (day 45) and displays measurable brain waves (about 40 days). During the seventh through the tenth weeks, when the majority of abortions are performed, fingers and genitals appear and the child’s face is recognizably human.” (Abortion: Some Medical Facts)
Although I do not know all the beliefs of the Pro-Choice movement, the Planned Parenthood website gives this view: "The really hot question is, 'When does being a person begin?' Most medical authorities and Planned Parenthood agree that it starts when a baby takes its first breath. Some of our oldest religions have changed their views about this question many times over the centuries. Today, some people sincerely believe that being a person begins when the egg is fertilized. Some, just as sincerely, believe that it begins with birth. And lots of others believe it begins somewhere in between. " (Cullins)
Obviously, not everyone can agree on this point. There is no medical proof that life begins when the egg is fertilized. There is no medical proof that life does not begin when the egg is fertilized. However, when it comes to the protecting life, shouldn’t we do all that we can? If there were a natural disaster such as an earthquake and the rescue teams were searching for the living among the rubble, they would search from daylight until dark just for the possibility of saving a life. Why are we so quick to make fatal decisions when the possibility of life exists? No, there is not medical proof that life begins at conception, but it is possible! Why do we risk it at the expense of the unborn?
It is my sincere belief that we are quick to make this decision because the alternative is inconvenient at best - devastating at worst. Even the name “pro-choice” in comparison with “pro-life” suggests a self-centered position. We have gained so much in the women’s movement. We have the right to choose things that our grandmothers could not. The options we have are vast compared to that of just two generations ago. Unfortunately, there is a small sect of women who continue to demand more. They are under the illusion that sacrificing their right to choose abortion in order to save children will hinder their progress. Choosing to save these unborn children would be one of the best ways I can think of to utilize our newfound power as women.
posted by Jonathan & Amy Hurt @ 11:22 AM
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