Pro-Choice Abortion, Term Paper Example

Introduction

Abortion has in most cases been conceived as a controversial subject to everybody whether one is involved directly or indirectly and whether one is for it or against it. It is virtually impossible to find any person lacking an opinion concerning abortion (Marquis 186). Both groups that support or oppose abortion have their superior arguments to make in defense to their beliefs as well as views. The arguments behind the Pro-choice along with the pro- life relate whether abortion should be banned or not. Abortion is extensively an emotional issue among the Pro-choice along with the pro- life, and their positions are unlikely to change at any one time (Bachiochi 7; Marquis 186). The thesis statement that will be explored in this essay is the perspective of Marquis (1989) that it is morally wrong to kill a human being while in their development and cause them to become deprived of a future. The perspectives of Bachiochi (2004) and Marquis (1989) were accessed in the research.

Rights of the fetus

The pro- life have stood firm in strongly opposing legalization of abortion. The rights of the fetus as well as the embryo supplant the rights of the mother to warrant taking away the life of the fetus through abortion.  According to the pro- life personhood starts all along since conception and consequently, abortion is perceived as an equivalent to murdering a human being and this is perceived as an immoral act. Abortion has been linked to great suffering which is inflicted to the fetus and thus considered to be an unfair act yet considering that other people toil due to their biological incapability of bearing any child and thus they may adopt if they have to rear one. The pro- life consequently enforces the government obligation in preservation of human life under any circumstance (Bachiochi 11; Marquis 188).

The pro-choice are the proponents who argue that the choice of abortion is a preserve of the mother and therefore government as well as religious authority has no authority to limit their decision which is supposed to outweigh the rights which fetus may claim (Bachiochi, 12). According to the views advocated by the pro-choice holds, such limitations and absence of legal option on abortion has all potentials of promoting cases of unlawful abortion. Contrary to the beliefs held by the pro- life concerning the issue of abortion, the act must unquestionably not be used as a primary means of birth control. The right decision must be arrived at on the basis of prevailing circumstances surrounding pregnancy (Marquis 191).

The mother is supposed to reserve all the rights of choice to execute an abortion in a situation of being raped, impregnated by a distressed man or through incest. It is ethically unfair if such a woman is forced to bear an unwanted baby and forget all her sweet dreams that she ever had and the baby born out of such a pregnancy becomes a constant reminder of the rape that she went through for her entire life (Bachiochi 52; Marquis 191).

In further opposition to the pro life proponents, the life of any woman must never be sacrificed or put at any form of risk. The woman must be accorded the rights of abortion if there arises any form of complications as well as any potential risk that may endanger her life as well posing a threat to the life of the baby. It is therefore considered to be morally wrong to bear a severely deformed, awfully handicapped as well as an incompetent child who may continue to suffer for the rest of their lives under the watch of their parents. This is an act that will most likely torment the mother as well apart from the baby. That baby may never be average and happy. In addition, the child might be subjected to a feeling of dejection for not resembling other children (Bachiochi 57; Marquis 191).

It may take a lot of dedication, energy, will power, prayers as well as finances to care of an ill-fated child, and that is the reason of sending them to institutions regardless of how much they may be loved and worse still, in these institutions they can hardly achieve great things in their lives. It is also not good to imagine the suffering that such a child may face in the situation that the mother passes away while in labor or delivering. There is only so much a father can do. This situation is quite unfair to the unborn child (Bachiochi 114; Marquis 185).

According to the pro-choice stance, the starting point of the human life begins is the stage of conception. On more information on the beginning of human life at the stage of conception, the perceptions of the scientific regarding the beginning of human life is an issue that has never been authenticated. It is commonly accepted that the human life involves a continuous process that commonly starts at the stage of an egg which joins with a sperms. These can be virtually wasted in the situation of spontaneous abortion being rampart in nature (Bachiochi 76).

The majority of the people disagree with the point of view that abortion is incorrect at all times. In majority of the situations, abortion is associated with constructive implications at the time of considering the health and lives of the mother. Majority of individuals hold strong believes that bearing unwanted child is a crime and that it is morally inappropriate to force a women bear a child against her wish (Bachiochi 31). The wishes of the pro-life are that abortion must be prohibited, as they relate abortion to murder. Their argument holds that, the baby is innocent and has not committed any wrong to deserve to be killed through abortion (Bachiochi 49).

The child also never requested to be born and therefore has all rights to life. This argument can very well be understood since it is logical but importantly noting, the fetus lacks any feelings and memories. The fetus is merely mass of tissues in the first place. It is however prudent to put in to consideration the results and the future of the baby who never deserve to live in melancholy, poverty as well as abuse, the baby may become subjected to aberrance at a later date, leading a ghastly life in the hands of terrible parents who never care and cannot afford raising them (Bachiochi 104).

The legal rights of fetus

In a situation that the rights of the fetus were given priority by the constitution, then this translates to a simultaneous subordination of the rights and health of the mother in favor of protecting an embryo that has not even been seen. Introduction of a regulation of this magnitude therefore is directly linked to a situation of catastrophic implications to the life, health and rights pf the mother. The most suitable approach of protect the fetus is through promotion of the well being as well as the health of the mother (Bachiochi 59).

Registrations that prohibit abortion              

The laws that have been enacted to ban abortion have never been applicable on account of the fact that they have only promoted unsafe abortion. Abortion has persisted as a universal practice that has been a part of human life irrespective of being legal or illegal. Pro-life commonly translates to pro-family while pro-abortionists are anti-family. Abortion is a potential cause of destruction to the family: Legalizing abortion is a constructive approach to setting some limitations to the size of the family such that parents are able to afford and sustain their healthy family both socially and economically. Pro-choice is therefore a good manifestation of pro family as well as pro child due to the fact that, the resulting families are stable as well as stronger. Laws that are set in favor of restricting abortion are potential causes of hardships together with stress in societies with limited resources and with a tendency of bearing unplanned for children (Bachiochi 34).

The anti-abortionists do not at any one time attempt to oppose the use of contraception: Opposition to contraceptives is a hypocritical as well as irresponsible position. The people who oppose abortion need to express their good will on the well being of mothers through promotion of contraceptives as well as sex education instead of baselessly opposing legal abortion. Such initiatives could go a long way in reducing the rates of abortion within the society (Bachiochi 72).

Easy accessibility to contraceptives coupled with abortion legalizing promotes sex among the teenagers: Sex among adolescents is habitually linked to multifaceted causes within the society. Issues of sexually oriented ads, movies as well as TV are among critical contributors to sex among teenagers (Bachiochi 129). The best move toward to reducing cases of abortion is provision mechanisms that promote legal abortion and birth control especially among adolescents. The prevailing arguments hold that, conducting safe abortion  requires the consent of parents for the adolescents and the consent of husband in case of the married (Bachiochi 14).

However, such laws can only be considered as flawed based on several considerations. Every person has individual rights to privacy together with freedom from interference in child bearing decisions. If the mother is not financially, emotionally and physically prepared to have a baby, she should have the choice because every child who is born must be wanted. It is important to note that so many children are on welfare, foster care or abused. These could have a feeling of rejection in the society, by their parents who never wanted them in the first place, and might rebel later on in their teen years (Bachiochi 11).

Pro-life promotes adoption and this is a perfect approach of giving a baby a better life and a future. But it is a much difficult to give up a newborn than it is to abort it. All mothers attest to that fact. Mothers are usually attached to the baby during the pregnancy and do not care anymore about giving up the baby even if they cannot afford to take care of it. Consequently, adoption is not an option anymore. It is therefore prudent to conclude that, abortion must absolutely be the choice of the mother but some restrictions are needed of course such as the mother should not exceed the first 21 weeks (Bachiochi 65).

Conclusion

Mothers are proficient in making their decisions. It is important to appreciate the fact that, this is their most critical constitutional right and they are the bearers of the outcome or guilt. It should be between the mother, her religion, her conscious, and her morality. Nobody has the right to impose his or her morals on anybody. Sometimes abortion is a way out of misery not just for the mother but for the baby, too.

Works Cited

Bachiochi, Erika. The cost of “choice” women evaluate the impact of abortion. San Francisco, CA: Encounter Books, 2004. Print.

Marquis, Don. ¨Why abortion is immoral. ¨Journal of Philosophy 86.April (1989): 183- 202.