Abortion

Why Must We Kill?

From the years 1981-2001, 467,910 people died due to AIDS (“Cumulative AIDS”). In comparison, in the year 2000 alone, 857,000 babies were killed (Robinson). More babies are killed in one year from abortions alone than all of the AIDS cases combined in the past twenty years. So why are people fighting to keep abortions legal? In this upcoming election, we have two choices. President Bush is the pro-life presidential candidate. Bush says abortions should be banned except in the cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is in danger. He says that he is personally against all forms of abortion but does not think that the country is ready for a constitutional amendment banning all abortions. John Kerry is the pro-choice presidential candidate. He believes that woman should have the right to choose if they want an abortion or not and that the government should not interfere. After reviewing both sides you will see that because of the questionable ethical, detrimental psychological, and physical effects that an abortion has on a woman there will be no doubt in your mind what the right thing to do is.

According to Webster’s Dictionary, abortion is “the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus; especially: the medical procedure of inducing expulsion of a human fetus to terminate a pregnancy” (“Abortion”). The problem with that definition is at what point do you say that a fetus in a woman’s womb is actually a baby or person. Is a fetus a human being when their heart begins to beat 18-25 days after conception? Or is it, a fetus is not a human being until there is brain waves after the 40th day of the pregnancy. Some say that the fetus is not a baby until it can survive outside of the mother’s womb, which is at 20 weeks (Abortionfacts.com). The lines blur as to where life starts.

As a result of not knowing when a fetus actually becomes a human being, the Supreme Court stepped in. On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States of America made a monumental decision. In the case of Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution provided the fundamental right for women to get an abortion. The Supreme Court said that the “right to privacy” gave the woman the r...

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...e to have sex, you are saying that you are willing to accept the possibility of getting pregnant. The saying goes, “you’re right to extend your fist ends at my nose.” So I’d say to anyone contemplating having an abortion that a baby has a nose, and perhaps a woman’s right to choose ends at that baby’s nose!

Works Cited

“Abortion.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2004 Ed.

Abortion facts.com. Heritage House 76. October 24, 2004.

“Abortion Surveillance.” Center for Disease Control. June 7, 2002. Center for Disease Control. October 24, 2004.

“Cumulative AIDS Deaths in the United States, 1981 to 2001.” Info Please. December 2001. Centers for Disease Control. October 27, 2004.

Hatten, Elder Douglas. “Fetus an Unborn Child?” Hope of Zion November 3, 2004.

http://www.hopeofzion.com/articles/fetus.htm

“Issues: Abortion.” On the Issues.org. On the Issues and the Speak Out Foundation.

November 3, 2004.

Physicians Search. National Association of Physician Recruiters. November 3, 2004.

Robinson, B.A. “Abortion: CDC Yearly Data.” Religious Tolerance.org. January 16,

2004. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance. October 27, 2004.