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Abortion
The legal and moral issues surrounding the practice of abortion are quite delicate and have stirred controversy and divided parties for many years, as have many other ethical matters such as capital punishment and euthanasia. It can be difficult to formulate an opinion about such controversial subjects with ethical undertones due to certain gray areas within the argument and obvious exceptions to general rules. It is therefore constructive to vigorously assess the valid arguments of the opposing views of a topic in order to develop the most informed opinion. I was presented with a similar assignment in which I was challenged to construct an argument contrary to my beliefs concerning abortion. My article, 'Who says a fetus is not a human?" provided me with greater insight into the realm of ethical debates.
As an individual who believes in pro-choice I acknowledge that there are certainly cases where an abortion may not be the most appropriate choice, yet it is the right of each woman to make such a decision.
From a legal standpoint, the ninth amendment to the constitution grants natural rights to the people and the fourteenth constitutional amendment provides equal protection clauses to all individuals. Furthermore, The Declaration of Independence most notably recognizes the unalienable rights endowed by the creator of man, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The right of a woman to choose abortion is unquestionably a right of life, especially in cases where the stress of pregnancy would endanger the life of the mother. In 1973, a young Texan woman, known as Jane Roe, sued Henry Wade for the right to an abortion due to her lack of money to support a child. The Supreme Court eventually ruled that women, under the constitution have the right to abort within the first six months of pregnancy in accordance with the right to privacy. It was argued that the fetus was only capable of sustaining meaningful life in the final trimester. The court recognized that every individual's unique beliefs and experiences result in widely opposing views, but that the right of a woman to choose was protected under the auspices of the constitution.
Perhaps the most controversial question is whether life begins at conception or at birth. Scientifically, the defining moment of conception is the union of a male and female gamete and the subsequent formation of the zygote, which contains both maternal and paternal genetic material. It is commonly argued that the zygote is in fact already a human being due to the complete genetic makeup of the cell, which contains 46 chromosomes. While humans do contain a set of 46 chromosomes, a genetic argument is not complete and is not adequate to define a human being. For example, individuals afflicted with Turner's syndrome have only 45 chromosomes and individuals with Down's syndrome have 47 chromosomes, yet such individuals are clearly human beings; therefore the chromosomal composition of an organism is not a sufficient method of defining that organism. The zygote and subsequent early fetus are perhaps better defined as potential life, for neither can subsist without the support of the mother. In fact, it has been estimated that the development and formation of surfactant is not complete until approximately the 21st week of development.
Surfactant is required to reduce the surface tension of the lungs during inhalation and prevents the lungs from collapsing when breathing. Therefore, the developing fetus is not viable as an individual separated from the mother until the end of the second trimester and cannot be considered more than potential life due to the dependence on the mother. If the fetus is a part of the mother and the mother has rights concerning her own body she therefore has rights over the fate of the fetus.
When the health of the mother is in jeopardy, abortion is a logical option to save the life of the mother while sacrificing the potential life of the fetus. The woman has indefinite rights over her own survival and has the right to abort her child in self-defense. Furthermore, if a woman is a victim of rape, she did not choose to conceive the child and should not be further subjected to the cruelty of the crime by giving birth to a child that would be a constant reminder of the act of violence. Many critics of abortion argue that the practice is abused and has become an alternative form of contraception for irresponsible women, yet clearly in all cases pregnant women may not be irresponsible. Abortion is clearly not a black and white issue but it is a complicated one, due to its moral and ethical ramifications and like other controversial subjects it similarly lies within a gray area. The support for choice establishes a greater contrast in the murky debate by demonstrating the need for a right to abortion, yet it also acknowledges the fact that abortion is not always the most suitable choice for a particular situation. As with any choice in life, the individual granted the privilege of making a decision must also accept the responsibility and consequences that are associated with the choice. It is therefore imperative that women choose carefully when confronted with the prospect of an abortion so that abortion can remain a healthy alternative and not simply become a means of escaping responsibility.
As an individual who believes in pro-choice I acknowledge that there are certainly cases where an abortion may not be the most appropriate choice, yet it is the right of each woman to make such a decision.
From a legal standpoint, the ninth amendment to the constitution grants natural rights to the people and the fourteenth constitutional amendment provides equal protection clauses to all individuals. Furthermore, The Declaration of Independence most notably recognizes the unalienable rights endowed by the creator of man, including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The right of a woman to choose abortion is unquestionably a right of life, especially in cases where the stress of pregnancy would endanger the life of the mother. In 1973, a young Texan woman, known as Jane Roe, sued Henry Wade for the right to an abortion due to her lack of money to support a child. The Supreme Court eventually ruled that women, under the constitution have the right to abort within the first six months of pregnancy in accordance with the right to privacy. It was argued that the fetus was only capable of sustaining meaningful life in the final trimester. The court recognized that every individual's unique beliefs and experiences result in widely opposing views, but that the right of a woman to choose was protected under the auspices of the constitution.
Perhaps the most controversial question is whether life begins at conception or at birth. Scientifically, the defining moment of conception is the union of a male and female gamete and the subsequent formation of the zygote, which contains both maternal and paternal genetic material. It is commonly argued that the zygote is in fact already a human being due to the complete genetic makeup of the cell, which contains 46 chromosomes. While humans do contain a set of 46 chromosomes, a genetic argument is not complete and is not adequate to define a human being. For example, individuals afflicted with Turner's syndrome have only 45 chromosomes and individuals with Down's syndrome have 47 chromosomes, yet such individuals are clearly human beings; therefore the chromosomal composition of an organism is not a sufficient method of defining that organism. The zygote and subsequent early fetus are perhaps better defined as potential life, for neither can subsist without the support of the mother. In fact, it has been estimated that the development and formation of surfactant is not complete until approximately the 21st week of development.
Surfactant is required to reduce the surface tension of the lungs during inhalation and prevents the lungs from collapsing when breathing. Therefore, the developing fetus is not viable as an individual separated from the mother until the end of the second trimester and cannot be considered more than potential life due to the dependence on the mother. If the fetus is a part of the mother and the mother has rights concerning her own body she therefore has rights over the fate of the fetus.
When the health of the mother is in jeopardy, abortion is a logical option to save the life of the mother while sacrificing the potential life of the fetus. The woman has indefinite rights over her own survival and has the right to abort her child in self-defense. Furthermore, if a woman is a victim of rape, she did not choose to conceive the child and should not be further subjected to the cruelty of the crime by giving birth to a child that would be a constant reminder of the act of violence. Many critics of abortion argue that the practice is abused and has become an alternative form of contraception for irresponsible women, yet clearly in all cases pregnant women may not be irresponsible. Abortion is clearly not a black and white issue but it is a complicated one, due to its moral and ethical ramifications and like other controversial subjects it similarly lies within a gray area. The support for choice establishes a greater contrast in the murky debate by demonstrating the need for a right to abortion, yet it also acknowledges the fact that abortion is not always the most suitable choice for a particular situation. As with any choice in life, the individual granted the privilege of making a decision must also accept the responsibility and consequences that are associated with the choice. It is therefore imperative that women choose carefully when confronted with the prospect of an abortion so that abortion can remain a healthy alternative and not simply become a means of escaping responsibility.
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