Abortion is inherently immoral because life begins at conception and therefore abortion is murder and infringes on ones unalienable rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness stated in the Declaration of Independence. Abortion also takes a physical and emotional toll on both the fetus and mother and therefore the sanctity of life must be protected. Although pro-life advocates argue the moral side of abortion— the killing of the innocent is immoral, pro-choice advocates argue the legal standpoint—the illegalization of abortion is a breach of privacy and therefore is unconstitutional.
In each debate one must recognize there are never two distinct sides however, for abortion two sides tend to be more common: pro-life advocates argue the issue is very black and white; do you support life or the killing of the helpless. While pro-choice proponents see the issue as part of natural human rights, each woman should have the ability to choose to do what they want with the pregnancy.
The battle between legality and morality has been actively debated and has found precedence in the Supreme Court. The legality behind abortion differs from state to state, but universal law was enacted in 1973, when the Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade gained strong recognition. Roe, a single pregnant mother living in Dallas, Texas was on the hunt for a legal abortion, stating it would be given from a certified physician. However, her attempts were hindered because at the time Texas law stated—the mother’s life must be at risk during pregnancy in order to legally terminate the fetus. (Case Law) Roe disputed the issue declaring that her constitutional rights were violated. “She claimed that the Texas statutes were unconstitutionally vague and that they...
... middle of paper ...
... Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
NA. "Roe v. Wade 1973." Phschool. Phschool, n.d. Web. 06 Dec. 2013.
NA. "State Facts About Abortion: Oregon." State Facts About Abortion: Oregon.
Guttmacher Institute, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
Rossi, Marco Rosaire. "Nonreligious and pro-life: the new normal or same old, same old?" The Humanist Sept.-Oct. 2012: 32+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.
Roe v. Wade. 410 U.S 113. Supreme Court of the United States. 1973. FindLaw. Web. 6 December 2013.
Smith, Nick. "Both Sides Have Highs, Lows in Abortion Battle." Bismarck Tribune. Bismarck Tribune, 08 Dec. 2013. Web. 09 Dec. 2013.
Street Law. "Landmark Cases of the U.S. Supreme Court." Background Summary & Questions (•). Street Law Inc, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
Terzo, Sarah. "LifeNews.com." LifeNews.com. Life News, 2 July 2013. Web. 08 Dec. 2013.
US const. amend. XIV. Section. I.
5. Harrison, Maureen. Gilbert, Steve. Landmark Decisions of the United States Supreme Court II. La Jolla, California. Copyright 1992. By Excellent Books.
Abortion has been a subject of controversy over the past century. Eventually the decision was settled in favor of pro-choice, in the Supreme Court case Roe versus Wade. At 10:00 a.m. on January 22,1973, the United States Supreme Court announced that the Texas abortion law was unconstitutional. The Court also declared the Georgia abortion law unacceptable. The vote was seven to two, with Burger, Blackmun, Powell, Stewart, Brennan, Douglas, and Marshall in the majority. Rehnquist and White opposed the decision. Abortion throughout the nation had been declared legal. Abortion laws in thirty-one states, including Texas, were overturned. Fifteen states, including Georgia, would have to rewrite their more liberal laws. Three other states, Hawaii, Washington, and Alaska-where rigid abortion laws had been repealed-had residency requirements or other limits that would have to be eliminated. Only the New York law, which allowed abortion without restrictions, was unaffected by the decision (Gold69).
No other element of the Women’s Rights Movement has generated as much controversy as the debate over reproductive rights. As the movement gained momentum so did the demand for birth control, sex education, family planning and the repeal of all abortion laws. On January 22, 1973 the Supreme Court handed down the Roe v. Wade decision which declared abortion "fundamental right.” The ruling recognized the right of the individual “to be free from unwanted governmental intrusion into matters so fundamentally affecting a person as the right of a woman to decide whether or not to terminate her pregnancy.” (US Supreme Court, 1973) This federal-level ruling took effect, legalizing abortion for all women nationwide.
Abortion is a very controversial and sensitive topic in today’s society. Two different sides to this argument is pro-life and pro-choice. Pro-life proponents believe in the right to life for unborn fetuses saying that abortion should be considered murder regardless of how far along in the pregnancy the woman is. Pro-choice advocates people who believe the woman carrying the fetus should be able to make her own decision on aborting the fetus.
In 1973, in what has become a landmark ruling for women’s rights, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of a woman’s right to an abortion. Ever since, individual states have adopted, altered, and/or mutilated the edict to fit their agendas – Texas included. However, the decision made by the justices in Roe v. Wade didn’t set clear cut, inarguable demarcation lines, which has allowed the fiery debate to consume the nation. Rather than establishing a legal ruling of what life is, or is not, the Supreme Court has remained silent on the issue.
Twenty-one percent of all U.S. pregnancies end in abortion (“Induced ABortion in the United States). Abortion is murdering defenseless babies who would‘ve otherwise had a happy life with a couple that is unable to have their own child. Is killing an innocent person ever moral?
Pro choice vs pro life has divided people for numerous reasons. Abortion is expected to date back to the 1800s, it is now seen as taboo and inhumane to some. Fact of the matter, whether abortion is wrong or not it is the fight for giving a woman a natural right to her own body. For decades, legislators that are full of man have created laws and regulations on abortion. Abortion ideally ought to be pro choice for women everywhere for the victims' own protection, expanding young girls life opportunities, and individual freedom.
Abortion cannot be discussed unless you know the origin of the debate. In December 13, 1971, the argument of abortion surfaced (“Roe v. wade,”). The class action suit was brought by a pregnant single woman who challenged the constitutionality of the Texas criminal abortion laws, which proscribe or attempting an abortion except on medical advice for the purpose of saving the mother’s life (“Roe v. wade,”). Proceeding Roe v. Wade, abortion was illegal in almost every State. In 1973, the courts ruled and abortion became legal again.
Remy, Richard C., Gary E. Clayton, and John J. Patrick. "Supreme Court Cases." Civics Today. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe, 2008. 796. Print.
"Jane ROE, Et Al., Appellants, v. Henry WADE." LII. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Dec. 2013.
Hall, Kermit L, eds. The Oxford guide to United States Supreme Court decisions New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
In our society, there are many ethical dilemmas that we are faced with that are virtually impossible to solve. One of the most difficult and controversial issues that we are faced with is abortion. There are many strong arguments both for and against the right to have an abortion which are so complicated that it becomes impossible to resolve. The complexity of this issue lies in the different aspects of the argument. The essence of a person, rights, and who is entitled to these rights, are a few of the many aspects which are very difficult to define. There are also issues of what circumstances would justify abortion. Because the issue of abortion is virtually impossible to solve, all one can hope to do is understand the different aspects of the argument so that if he or she is faced with that issue in their own lives, they would be able to make educated and thoughtful decisions in dealing with it.
In the year March 1970, a woman dubbed Jane Roe took federal action against Texas abortion laws. These laws prevented Roe from terminating her pregnancy because abortions were only allowed in the scenario that the fetus was harming the life of the mother (Rosenbaum 63). Because Roe wasn’t in any way harmed by her pregnancy, she could not get an abortion. “Roe believed that TX statutes were unconstitutionally vague and that they abridged her right of personal privacy, protected by the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments” (Rosenbaum 64). She wanted an abortion done professionally in a clean and safe environment (Rosenbaum 63). Women before the legalization of abortion would resort to unsafe methods to terminate their baby (Tribe 113).
Those who adamantly oppose abortion are regarded as pro-life and those who are supporters of abortion are considered pro-choice by contemporary standards. Even among those who advocate abortion, there are discrepancies in their views such as up until what point in the pregnancy is abortion morally permissible. In my opinion, abortion is morally permissible at any stage in a woman’s pregnancy. This is ethically acceptable because a woman should have the right to control what goes on within her body. Along with this, fetuses are still far from personhood (having the qualities of a human being); therefore, we cannot liken abortion to any variety of murderous activity.
Abortion “is an issue that raises questions about life and death, about what a person is and when one becomes a person, about the meaning of life, about the rights of women, and about the duties of men”(Velasquez 485). Abortion is an unresolved ethical issue that has been in doubt for many years because one can argue that you are killing an innocent person/fetus but many argue that is not person because they don’t have a conscious or the characteristics that defines a “person”. John Stuart Mill in a way justifies abortion, Mill is known to be openly speak about women’s rights and about human rights. Although, it might be immortal to end someone’s life one might argued that the individual has the right to choose and have the option. But in