Controversial Subject of Abortion in the US, Essay Example

Introduction

This paper examines a conversation piece (Arellano) on the controversial subject of abortion in the US and around the world today. Kwame Anthony Appiah used the term “cosmopolitanism” to discuss how people with different backgrounds managed to socialise in a globalized world. Within the conversation[1] we consider the applicability of Appiah’s views in the context of abortion. The analysis considers whether The views put forward by Appiah on cosmopolitanism apply to the rights of women in the context of modern day abortions. In particular focusing on the debate that is centered on women’s rights on abortion in Peru.

There are different laws that deal with the legality aspect of abortion in different countries.  It has been noted that in the USA that there are in excess of 45 million abortions each year.  A substantial proportion of these abortions are related to teenagers.  The abortions carried out in the USA are mainly legal abortions but in other countries where there is a stigma attached to abortions they are carried out on an illegal or secretive basis.

Appiah considered that people who come from different cultural backgrounds need to tolerate and work together in a globalized cosmopolitan world.  He looks as this as a rubric for social change. Such conversation ‘crosses boundaries of identity’ and regardless of national or religious issues certain conversations have universal values and interests.  This is certainly true in the conversation of abortion and it reaches the ‘taboos’ of Islamic and Catholic faiths and many different ethnicities.  Cosmopolitanism may be regarded as a rejection of conventional views where every person is considered as belonging to a community within a community of human beings. There are two key strands: (i) the concept of obligation and that as fellow human we have an obligation to one another (ii) We value human life and take an interest in the behavioural characteristics that give them significance. The concept of conversation and debate becomes important as it provides the opportunity for discussion and allows us to convince others of our point of view or be persuaded that there is a different path of thought that we might follow.  The debate on abortion in Peru started off as a local issue and conversation amongst the people and administration of Peru. The internet quickly captured other people’s opinions from the Spanish speaking world.

The Conversation in Peru

In this conversation piece we examine a conversation that took place in Peru where a bill related to health and pregnancy has stirred up a major conversation and debate “The abortion issue in Peru has re-emerged due to a bill that has been approved in the Special Committee of the Penal Code in the Peruvian Congress, which would decriminalize abortion in cases of rape or congenital disorders in the foetus – . This national conversation has also had repercussions abroad, but it is on the internet where there are many opinions, for example in Foros Perú (Peru Forums) there is a thread called “Eugenic Abortion. Are you For or Against? [in Spanish]” There is also discussion from bloggers, such as Isabel Guerra of La Burbujas Recargadas [in Spanish (Arellano) The protests have reached the Capital Lima and translations widely distributed throughout the Spanish speaking world.[2]

The Roman Catholic religion dominates the Spanish speaking countries and they strongly oppose the concept of permitting abortions in approved cases. The Catholic Church sees no mitigating circumstances for the termination of human life. The debate has spread over the internet with bloggers participating in the conversations. The more modern women in the Spanish speaking world are voicing their opinions ‘women should have the freedom to decide whether to have an abortion or not’ (Laura Arroyo, blog Menoscanas[3].  These views are diverse and difficult to reconcile as they evolve around life, morals, ethics, human rights and values, science and privacy. The conversation has been thrown open to everyone via the internet and blogging forums. Opinions vary greatly from around the world The basic concepts are clearly set out but it remains both a volatile and emotional subject. The Islamic view is not so different from the Catholic perspective in that the Quran defends the sanctity of life and is clearly against abortion. “ It’s not surprising, then, that what makes conversation across boundaries worthwhile isn’t that we are likely to come to a reasoned agreement about values” (Appiah)

The conversation / debate in Peru have created many diverse opinions, for example “I think the principal reason that I oppose (abortion) is because it is an irreversible death. There is no return. Abortion or euthanasia or sending someone to the gallows are generally situations that one arrives to under tremendous stress, where one feels that it is the only solution. I say feel, and not think, because when one is going through one of these extreme situations it is very easy to not think with clarity, and it is terribly easy to make a mistake.” (Arrelano). This is dealing with the very emotive side of the human life issue and that which is supported by the many religious perspectives on abortion. Regrettably it does not consider the rights of the Mother and situations where the pregnancy might have been the result of rape and as such an unwanted child.

Other sides depicted that women who have had abortions later regret the decision made and subsequently have to live with the guilt of that decision for the rest of their lives “There are many testimonies (books, website, etc.) from women who had an abortion and years later regret the decision. They told them that with the abortion that they will free themselves from the problem in half an hour. They did not tell that the memory will never leave them. Years later when they regret the decision, there was no way to turn back.” (Arellano). As part of the moral debate it has been pointed out that in many third world countries the doctors have been induced by payments for conducting abortions and as such encourage the procedure to be carried out “Another problem with this possible legalization of abortion is the local nature, the illegal practice of some doctors, who under the pretext of the possibility of the mother’s death, or a baby with defects, falsify tests and documents, to justify the abortion, of course depending on how much they are paid” (Arellano). The debate rages on in Peru

Most of the debates have been conducted by individuals and members of the media by blogs on the internet. These blogs being in Spanish and translated as follows:  One commentator stated  “I think the principal reason that I oppose (abortion) is because it is an irreversible death. There is no return. Abortion or euthanasia or sending someone to the gallows are generally situations that one arrives to under tremendous stress, where one feels that it is the only solution. I say feel, and not think, because when one is going through one of these extreme situations it is very easy to not think with clarity, and it is terribly easy to make a mistake” (Arellano)Whereas an opposing opinion stated “The abortion discussion should not be focused on therapeutic motivations, because those criteria create severe contradictions.

For example, I know some people who oppose abortion for moral reasons and consider that the fertilized egg should already be considered a person, but also at the same tie, admit that there are certain cases […] that can justify the abortion. The debate should be, instead, focused on two ethical issues:

1. The woman’s right to continue with the pregnancy depends entirely upon her.
2. The possibility of granting the unborn the same rights of one born.

The position on ethics was raised by another person’s blog reply “Another problem with this possible legalization of abortion is the local nature, the illegal practice of some doctors, who under the pretext of the possibility of the mother’s death, or a baby with defects, falsify tests and documents, to justify the abortion, […]and unfortunately, as there are good doctors, there are also bad doctors with no ethics, who are capable of doing anything” (Arellano)

Daniel Sales of Grand Combo Club  stated “One issue in this debate that no one has been able to answer is what exactly is meant by criminalizing abortion. With the criminalization of abortion, there is a huge discrepancy between the discourse that sanctions and the punishment to those who are actually carrying them out” (Arellano)

David Ramos of the blog ‘YO’ stated : “The feminist and pro-choice organizations, in general, appear to consider that a human begins life at birth. Before that, it was only a little more than a kidney. It is worth noting that there is no science that, other than a frivolous and erroneous perception of reality: if I cannot see you, therefore, you do not exist. The defense of life should be a priority: just as we defend the dolphins, street dogs, Amazonian flora and fauna, and with more reason we should defend human life in any of its stages. There is no honour in defending the life of a seal or a whale more than a fellow human.” (Arellano)

In summary the debate concluded that women should be acknowledged their human rights and the subject matter needs to be more openly debated to arrive at an equitable decision.

The Arguments

There are fairly universal arguments that cross cultural borders of identity, for example the rights of women, the rights of the unborn child, religious perspectives.

Different Viewpoints

This will vary between different countries. The law courts have made a number of important rulings regarding abortions. ” In the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the Supreme Court ruled that women, in consultation with their physician, have a constitutionally protected right to have an abortion in the early stages of pregnancy—that is, before viability—free from government interference.”  (Guttmacher Institute The ordinary citizen in the USA still views the legal position on abortion with a degree of scepticism.   Christianity from early times has always been supportive of the protection of human life and this dates back the early biblical gospels of Luke. The teachings of the 12 Apostles stated “You shall not kill the child in the womb or new born infant” (Society for the Protection of Unborn Children).  The “”Catholics have long been opposed to the concept of abortion and Pope John Paul 11 has referred to this in a number of important epistles.

In general terms the Medical opinion tends to be somewhat neutral. The British Medical Association stated “Members of the British Medical Association narrowly voted against guidance which says doctors should make every effort to inform patients in advance if they oppose abortion and IVF treatment.”  (Smith). The opinions of the Doctors being pro or anti-abortion differs from different regional areas in the USA Sociologists tend to take both a balanced and analytical view of the subject matter on abortion. In the final analysis they tend to agree on the woman’s right to privacy and her ability or right of choice.  “The subject of abortion is one that has long been argued among politicians, sociologists, humanists and citizens. Controversial because it involves one’s definitions of life and values as a human, the subject of abortion is one that legal analysts have reviewed over decades. Ultimately however, the subject of abortion is one that rests on a woman’s right to privacy.”  (Direct Essays).

The Psychological viewpoint is concerned more with the Mothers experience of terminating the pregnancy.  This can invoke a considerable amount of stress and worry ” women who had at least one abortion as a teen were significantly more likely to report: nightmares; flashbacks to the abortion.”  (David C. Reardon).  Other feelings of remorse encapsulated the concept of guilt, the concept of punishment from God or a morbid fear and preoccupation about the unborn child that they might have had.

Those involved in the pro life movements are mainly from religious backgrounds and particularly the Christian sect. They believe that it is morally wrong to take another life, even if it is that of an unborn child. They believe in the sanctity of life and the preservation of human life. In this regard they do not believe that the woman has a moral right to terminate the life of a child.  In Islamic terms they believe that the turning point is after 4 months of pregancy when the child gains a soul.  Abortion can also result in medical complications for the woman later in life

The Mother and woman should have the right of personal privacy and choice, free from the hindrance and persecution of others. Today abortion in modern countries is a relatively safe practice with little risk of complication. In cases where a woman has been abused by rape or incest, the birth of the child is likely to have been traumatised and result in psychological disorders. It would be irresponsible to bring a child into the world and raise it from this horrific background of events.  A large number of abortions impact the poorer sector of women in society and being already in poverty they are anot able to raise their children adequately.In the context of the case study in Peru people were openly discussing their views in meetings, café’s and ultimately lobbying and conducting demonstrations.  A lot of discusssion took place on the internet in abortion forums, web pages, chat rooms and exchanges of e-mail. The subject being of particular interest to the Catholic speaking world and the people of latin america where strong views were already upheld by the Catholic Church.  The church and religious forums also heavily weighed into the debate involving the world press. The concept of from an Acorn a mighty Oak tree grew. “ And of course, the world-wide web of information – means not only can we affect the lives of people everywhere but that we can learn about life everywhere too” (Appiah)

Conclusions

It has been demonstrated from the Peru Conversations that this conforms to Appiah’s beliefs that certain subjects are indeed cosmopolitan and cross cultural boundaries. The advances in technology and communications have made it easier for people to report and share important events. Blogging has become universally accepted as a means of expressing opinions and commenting on controversial subject matter.  It has extended the power of the press into the hands of the people and as such they are empowered across the cultural divide. Even the Catholic Church can no longer claim the rights of a dominant entity and suppress the views, voices and opinions of the individual.

Works Cited

Appiah, Kwame Anthony. “Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a world of Strangers.” Appiah, Kwame Anthony. Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a world of Strangers. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2006. 11-30.

Arellano, Juan. Peru: A national conversation on abortion and women’s rights. 30 10 2009. 21 10 2010 <http://www.conversationsforabetterworld.com/2009/10/peru-a-national-conversation-on-abortion-and-womens-rights/>.

Arrelano, Juan. Peru: The abortion debate. 26 10 2009. 22 10 2010 <http://globalvoicesonline.org/2009/10/26/peru-the-abortion-debate/>.

David C. Reardon, Ph.D.,. Psychological Reactions Reported After Abortion . 9 1994. 1 7 2010 <http://www.abortionfacts.com/reardon/after_abortion_psychological_rea.asp>.

Direct Essays. A detailed Summary of Abortion Rights Among Women: An Analysis of The Sociology of Abortion. 2010. 1 7 2010 <http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper/201436.html>.

Guttmacher Institute. Facts on Induced Abortion in the United States . 5 2010. 1 7 2010 <http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html>.

Pennachio, Dorothy L. Abortion: A right or an outrage? 11 10 2002. 1 7 2010 <http://www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/Physician+Surveys%3A+2002/Abortion-A-right-or-an-outrage/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/116460?contextCategoryId=8424>.

Saad, Lydia. U.S. Abortion Attitudes Closely Divided. 4 8 2009. 1 7 2010 <http://www.gallup.com/poll/122033/u.s.-abortion-attitudes-closely-divided.aspx>.

[1] Peru: A national conversation on abortion and women’s rights

[2] http://www.conversationsforabetterworld.com/2009/10/peru-a-national-conversation-on-abortion-and-womens-rights/

[3] http://translate.google.ca/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://menoscanas.blogspot.com/&ei=-TnzTK2WEZD4sAPl0KilCw&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBwQ7gEwAA&prev=/search%3Fq%3DLaura%2BArroyo,%2Bblog%2BMenoscanas%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4PCTC_enCA344CA345%26prmd%3Divo