Pro-choice vs. pro-life: Whose rights matter?

Pro-choice:

Abortion. It’s a word that hangs heavy over America and is considerably one of the most controversial topics in our country. Many factors can contribute to the stance a person takes on the topic. However, I feel that many times people do not inform themselves before jumping to conclusions and choosing to support Pro-Life. I believe that, ultimately, more lives are being saved by keeing abortion legal. There was a time in American history that some states made abortions illegal, or very hard to obtain. This led to women turning to desperate decisions: using coat -hangers, back-alley “doctors,” or drugs. Every day women would mutilate their bodies because their government did not provide a proven, safe medical procedure. Nurses and doctors from those times often recall the amount of women who showed up in the emergency rooms, and most agree that too many women were losing their lives. Countless women would have been saved, if only the government would have given them access to abortions. Pregnancy can be risky and complications can arise that put the mother’s life at risk. So if abortion were to be made illegal, what would these women do? Would they be forced to succumb to their medical complications and die along with their fetus, when their life could have been spared? It is also critical to consider rape when discussing abortion. A rapist strips away any shred of dignity his victim clings to and completely dehumanizes them. It takes a monster to commit rape, so what kind of monster would force a victim to carry her rapist’s child? It is disgusting that anyone would even consider forcing a victim to such a horrible crime to carry a reminder of the darkest day of her life for nine months. There are millions of factors that go into the decision of getting an abortion. Age, financial status, health issues, abuse, rape and mental state are just a handful of factors that can lead to the decision to abort. These women are doing what they feel is best. Otherwise, they could be forced to raise a child in abusive, poor or otherwise unfit conditions. Getting an abortion is a woman’s right. If the government were to take that away, it would be the government telling a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. Only the individual owns the body and only the individual can know if their situation is worthy to raise a child in. Nobody should be forcing woman into a physical condition she does not want, especially her government.

Pro-life:

All over America there is a clear divide on the subject of abortion. A person who is pro-life does not accept or agree with abortion, whereas a person who is pro-choice shows support and approval of abortion under all circumstances. But the truth is that abortion is murder. One reason people use to defend pro-choice is that it aligns with their religious beliefs. However, religion differs all across America, whereas human rights connect all Americans. These rights should rule dominance over religion, since abortion interferes with the fundamentals of these rights. People think that just because you can’t see the child, it is real or it isn’t living. What is so wrong with bringing a child into this world, a child that is yours and was created by you? Abortion is not a preventative, it is a death wish. The issue with abortion is that women are using it as an escape from responsibility and reality. There are numerous ways to prevent this situation from arising with the help of contraception and there are also ways to make it affordable. If you can’t be responsible enough to protect yourself and your potential child, then you shouldn’t have the authority to kill a person. The sad truth is that there are also women who would love to bear a child, but physically cannot. Taking that opportunity for granted is a slap in the face to those who are more deserving. Luckily, there are alternatives to abortion that should be taken advantage of in these situations. Adoption sounds a lot better than abortion, especially to the millions of people that would love to have a child, but cannot have one on their own. Sometimes we forget our rights as Americans. There are countries that have limitations on how many children you are allowed to have and we live in a country that allows you to have as many children as you want. Why can’t we see that we are incredibly lucky to live somewhere that allows all life to prosper? Yet, we have laws supporting the choice to end a life, regardless of all the adoption clinics, foster care and Planned Parenthood locations to accommodate these mothers who may not be ready to be mothers. Many people say, “A woman should have the right to her own body.” Right, but what about the future man or woman inside of you. What rights do they have? They are humans too and deserve the same rights we are all given the second we are concieved. For someone to decide the fate of another defies basic human rights. Everyone should have the right to life, whether they can be seen inside or outside of the womb. If you wouldn’t kill a baby when you can physically hold it and see it, you shouldn’t be able to when you can’t.

#opinions