Abortion!

Abortion
By Katrina Bessem – 5 pages
In pursuit of the truth – posted by www.cinopsbegone.com – Thursday, April 28, 2011

If a child’s life is protected under law once it is born, should it not be safe while it is alive within the womb? The topic of abortion is very controversial and many people who support it believe that a child is not alive until they are actually born from the mother. Topics that are often argued about are: the definition of being alive, rape, the mother’s circumstances, and concern for the mother’s health. Abortion should be made illegal under all circumstances for it is inhumane to murder a living being and endanger lives; the convenience of the mother should not be more important than the protection of a life.

In 1821 the very first law was passed for abortions in Connecticut. Poison was the first method to be used to kill the baby. Only first trimester abortion was acceptable in most states, but Dr. Horatio Storer went on a mission to make all abortions illegal in 1856. Dr. Storer even gained the support of the American Medical Association and they worked toward his goal. Dr. Bernard Nathanson, a former abortion supporter, founded the National Association for the repeal of abortion laws. He admitted that he falsified statistics in order to persuade people for his cause (History of Abortion).

In 1973 there was a huge debate between Roe and Wade. The Supreme Court ended up striking down any state laws that would make abortions illegal. Another important debate was Doe vs. Bolton. After this, abortion was legal throughout the entire pregnancy if there was any issue with the mother’s health. However, the reasoning for most of the “health problems” were not life threatening (History of Abortion). “The medical judgment may be exercised in the light of all factors- physical, emotional, psychological, familial, and the women’s age” (What about the health of the mother?).Women could use excuses as simple as stress in order to terminate the child.

The Gallup poll of May 2010 showed the statistic that only twenty four percent of Americans believe that abortion should be legal under any circumstances” (What about the health of the mother?). Even though this was proven, the laws have not been reformed. Since abortion became legal in the U.S. in 1973, 1.1 million abortions are done every year (Abortion Facts).Of these, only five percent are for the safety of the mother, rape, or fetal abnormalities. This means that ninety-five percent are performed simply for the convenience of the mother (Central Illinois Right to Life).

Abortion brings up a lot of serious issues including: rape victims and the trauma involved, health of the mother, religion, and the debate on whether or not the child is alive. Another argument is that if it is the mother’s body, it is the mother’s choice. Most people who choose to argue about these subjects have not done enough research to realize why abortion is wrong.

The child inside the mother’s womb is a living being and its’ life should be protected just like everyone else who has been born. The definition of alive is, “alive means that this being is growing, developing, maturing, and replacing its’ dying cells” (Wilke, J.C.). This in itself proves that the baby inside the mother is one hundred percent alive because he/she does all of the above and should not be murdered.

Protecting the life of any being in the United States is written in our constitution. “The U.S, abortion rate is among the highest of all developed countries” (Abortion Facts). The fact that the U.S. allows so many abortions to take place is devastating. Just because the child is still in the womb, does not mean the law should not protect all of human life. The law states that any health reason that is a risk for the mother is a valid reason to have an abortion. Only three percent of abortions are because of the mother’s severe health issues (New Directions in Adoption). However, most of these occur after six months and the baby could quickly be saved in an emergency cesarean. A lot of the excuses made by the women have been nowhere near life threatening and are purely for the convenience of the mother (What about the health of the mother?). If the mother feels she is responsible enough to have sex, she must be responsible enough to be a potential mother if she is not safe about it.

Dr. John Bruchalski spoke out and said, “There is a movement to prevent the birth of a baby with a disability or disease” (Filteau, Jerry). Abortions are being used in order to prevent children with different defects. Should children be killed off just because they have medical disabilities? Just because technology has increased and we can learn early on, does not mean we should abuse it and use it to decide if the child should live or not. Children who have medical issues are inspirations to so many people on this earth. “We are aware of statistics indicating that ninety percent of unborn babies diagnosed with Down Syndrome will be aborted” (Filteau, Jerry). Down Syndrome children as well as any disabled ones are just as much of a blessing to this earth. They can get an education, a job, and have relationships. Just because someone’s mind is different, does not mean they should not have the gift of life.

In 1969 a pregnant woman was beaten and her child was born dead in the hospital. The man who beat her was relieved from charges of murder for the child because she was not born alive. The pressure from the public was so strong that the murder statute was eventually amended. Murder charges can only apply to fetuses seven weeks or older (Montaldo, Charles). Because late term abortion is legal in some states, it is ironic that a baby as young as seven weeks counts as a murder. Should a mother having an abortion and killing her own child be looked upon as a murderer as well?

Abortions can be extremely dangerous and harmful to women. According the article “Complications you can have with your Abortion”, there is a significant risk for breast cancer and it has increased by fifty percent since abortion became legal in the U.S. Some common injuries after the abortion include bowel and bladder issues or ectopic pregnancy; which can lead to bleeding to death. Hepatitis, infections, and even sterility are other risks. After an abortion women can have hemorrhaging and more miscarriages in the future. The problems for future pregnancies can be that the first three months the woman will most likely bleed, there is a lower chance of a normal delivery, and the child is twice as likely to die in the first months of its life. Lastly, the baby is a lot more likely to be premature and to die in the last months of its first year (Burns, Laurence).

A world renowned abortionist named Dr. Warren Hern said, “In medical practice, there are few surgical procedures given so little attention and so underrated in its potential hazards as abortion. It is commonly a held view that complications are inevitable” (Burns, Laurence). It is true that the horrible effects of abortion are often not all talked about. Planned Parenthood as well as other organizations for abortions state that Post-Abortion Syndrome does not even exist (Post-Abortion Syndrome). It is not right that they lie to the women because some could be at a much greater risk for the syndrome if they have suffered with depression in life. Organizations that deal with thousands of women need to be truthful and reveal all of the facts and possible injuries to women.

Mother Theresa said, “There are two victims in every abortion; a dead baby and a dead conscience (Webparish.com). After having an abortion a lot of women deal with trauma. About 3,700 women deal with abortion every single day and Post-Abortion Syndrome affects a lot of them. According to the article “Post Abortion Syndrome”, there are so many symptoms that go along with this syndrome. Some of them are: uncontrollable crying, low self-esteem, eating disorders, anxiety, alcohol abuse, and issues with drugs. Some women want to commit suicide and they re-experience the abortion which causes a lot of depression. Women cannot handle the sadness and have issues coping. They often experience a sort of paralysis of their emotions and the anniversary of the abortion makes symptoms even worse. The only emotion that is somewhat positive is relief and the terrible symptoms do not go away with time. Sometimes the women become obsessed with getting pregnant again in order to not feel so guilty, but it usually leads to another abortion. A study shows that women reported a few weeks after the abortion and forty to sixty percent of them reacted negatively. Another study showed that out of five hundred women, fifty percent of them were negatively affected and ten percent had extremely serious psychiatric issues (Post-Abortion Syndrome).

Post-Abortion Syndrome is made to seem like it does not exist by some organizations, but there are so many women affected and it can be completely dangerous to a woman’s life. A world renowned abortionist even reveals how dangerous Post-Abortion Syndrome can be. Risks for future pregnancies are very evident. If a woman wants to potentially have children and a family in the future, she is putting herself and her child at a higher risk of problems. If abortion was made illegal, many women would not develop breast cancer and even more lives could be saved. If a mother is more likely to lose future pregnancies to miscarriages, it can be emotionally draining and painful as well. She should not put herself at such a vulnerable position. There are so many complications that can come with abortion it is not worth risking one’s health when a child can be born and given the opportunity to have their own life. Sacrificing the baby’s life for the mother is a moral dilemma.

Just because abortion is legal, does not mean it is morally right. Whether or not a person has religious faith, the facts have shown that abortions are mainly for the convenience of the mother. A life should not be ended just because it is not convenient for another person. Mother Theresa said, “It is a poverty that a child must die so that you may live as you wish” (Webparish.com).

How fast the baby develops daily and weekly is miraculous. At the very moment of conception all of the inherited features are set and a new unique individual is instantly formed. It is all that the child will ever become (Milestones of Early Life). This means that no one will ever be like them and they can go on with their life with hopes and dreams of their own. By day seventeen the future sex cells for generations to come are grouped. This means that the abortion actually takes away future generations. By day twenty one the heart is beating and by four months the baby can feel all pain (Milestones of Early Life). So many abortions are done after four months and it is heartbreaking to know that the babies have suffered deaths with so much pain before they have even gotten the chance to live.

“1/3 of American women have had an abortion by age 45” (Abortion Facts).
Mother Theresa believed, “We must not be surprised when we hear of murders, killing, of wars, or of hatred…If a mother can kill her own child, what is left but for us to kill each other?” (Webparish.com). If a mother can murder her very own child why should we be so shocked when we see murders on the news? It is accepted by many in everyday life. “97% of single mothers keep their babies after they are born” (New Directions in Adoption). This means only three perfect are given up and that there are thousands of potential adoptive parents that are waiting for the gift of a child. If abortion became illegal all of the babies could bless over a million families.

One of the touchiest subjects is rape. What most people do not know is that it only makes up for one percent of abortions (Central Illinois Right to Life). “Rape is an act of violence where a woman has no responsibility; the abortion is an act of violence for which she will be morally culpable” (Pro-Life Answer to the Rape Question). It is such a horrible thing for anyone to go through, but the abortion will not take the pain away; it will make the pain even worse. Should a child have to pay the price for the crime of his or her parent? Two people are harmed by the assault of rape and that means two lives should be protected. A victim of rape and the mother of the rape baby said, “It is the hardest thing in the world to choose what you know is right. Being a single mother is no easier than living with the haunting memory of aborting your child” (Pro-Life Answer to the Rape Question). It does not matter how the child was conceived, even if it is something as tragic as rape, the child still deserves a chance at life like everyone else.

Abortion causes so much pain and hurt for years after it even takes place. It is sacrificing one life and putting another in danger. The child is completely innocent and is a living and developing baby. If the country states in the constitution that it will protect a life, it should definitely stand by that. Abortion makes murder seem acceptable in a twisted way. A mother’s life should never be more important than another unless she is in critical condition. Even then, the child can be saved quickly because of America’s technology. Every single living being deserves certain rights, and the most important one is the ability to live. Life is full of infinite possibilities and we should not possess the right to take away them from anyone who could potentially have an impact on the world.

Works Cited

“Abortion Facts.” Studentsforlife.org Students for Life of America, 2011. Web. 17
Mar. 2011
Burns, Laurence J., D.O., Dale Carrol, M.D., and Ronald E. Graeser, D.O.
“Complications you can have with your abortion.” Abortionfacts.com. Heritage House ’76, Inc., 2006. Web. 10 Mar. 2011.
“Central Illinois Rights to Life.” http://www.cirtl.org/about.htm, n.p., 2011 Web. 17
Mar. 2011.
Filteau, Jerry. “U.S. Doctors Biased Toward Aborting Babies with Defects” National
Catholic Reporter. 07 Jan 2011: 6A SIRS Researcher Web. 11 Mar, 2011.
“History of Abortion” studentsforlife.org Students for Life of America, 2011. Web. 17
Mar, 2011.
“Milestones of Early Life.” Abortionfacts.com Heritage House ’76, Inc., 2006. Web. 7
Mar. 2011.
Montaldo, Charles. “Fetal Homicide.” About.com. n.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
“New Directions in Adoption.” Adoptionarticles.com. n.p., n.d. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
“Post-Abortion Syndrome” studentsforlife.org Students for Life of America, 2011. Web.
17 Mar, 2011.
“Pro-Life Answer to the Rape Question.” Studentsforlife.org Students for Life of
America, 2011. Web. 16 Mar. 2011.
Webparish.com, Creighton Web Services. , n.d. Web. 11 Mar. 2011
“What About the Health of the Mother?” studentsforlife.org Students for Life of
America, 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
Wilke, J.C. “Why Can’t We Love Them Both.” Abortionfacts.com. Heritage House ’76,
Inc., 2006. Web. 7 Mar. 2011.