Abortion

First off, I have to say that there is no definite way of knowing when something has a conscience. Therefore, I think that trying to persuade the other side about when a fetus is living is unnecessary. Instead, my argument will focus mainly on how much influence society and government should have on the decision-making of mothers.

Many are advocating Medicaid-funded abortions. They believe that abortion is acceptable and that the government should be held responsible for the well-being of pregnant women. Some believe that the Equal Protection Clause in the 14^th Amendment should be justification for this action. This is preposterous. The Equal Protection Clause is there to ensure that people are equally protected against the government. Handing out free abortion would not be in line with the thesis of the Equal Protection Clause. The Equal Protection Clause does not give out rights. Forcing the government to pay for abortion could backfire. If people have the right to be protected from the chore of parenthood, then don’t people have the right to be protected from illnesses like AIDS and cancer? Not only that, but this policy would also define fetuses as something akin to a disease. Even if one believed that abortions should be completely legal, they should not represent an unborn baby as a sickness. Some people argue that abortion is inevitable. Even if there are no abortion clinics, there is always a ready supply of coat hangers. They argue that abortion should be government funded because that would at least allow women to have safe abortions. Even if that is true, that still does not evade the right’s moral issues with government-funded abortion. Also, there is sure to be an outrage from the conservative citizens, and they will argue that their tax money should not go into this. Allowing Medicaid-funded abortions would definitely be opening Pandora’s Box.

Let’s look at a case of no government intervention. Roe v. Wade held a women’s right to get an abortion during a certain period in her pregnancy. This seems like a decent compromise. The government would not support abortion, but it would not be against it. Some people on the far right would argue that this still legalizes abortion, which is a terrible sin because it is the exact same as murder. Some people on the far left would argue that Roe v. Wade is nowhere near close enough to the rights that a woman should have, and that this is just a governmental ploy to quiet the liberal women. Both sides might be right. After all, I already said, there is no definite, concrete way of knowing which side is correct. However, the key word here is might. Since there is no real way to know which side is right, the government should take a neutral stance. It should not interfere with the activities of the citizens if there are too many people on both sides of an issue. Like mentioned earlier, if there are many people who are against it, it is not the government’s job to use their tax money against them.

Re: Stephen Marcopolis' blog

Let me first start off saying that I realize that everyone has your own opinion, and probably anything I say will not change your view. But, I also think the point of these journals is to stir up new thought and simply agreeing with someone is not as productive. This blog had no comments so here I go!
This blog has severe discrepancies in the statistics used. I do not believe the argument of abortion is a case of murder vs. not murder because murder is such a harsh word. Yes it is true that most(75 %) of abortions occur during the first trimester. But, it CAN "be identified as a baby". That hyperlink in fact is a picture of a 11 week fetus and it looks like a human to me! It DOES have eyes(week 5), legs(week 5), ears( week 5), heartbeat that is different from its mother(day 22), yes all things that to me, are human characteristic. You might say that you could identify a human by them. So yes the statement "Abortion stops a beating heart" does apply to all abortion after the 22nd day.
Now for the 2nd paragraph, which deals with the quality of life of the aborted child. Yes many situation in which abortions there are people in lesser financial situations(42% of women are below the poverty line). And yes many times they do not have the time to take care of the child. But, there are approximately 500,000 families in the US that ARE willing to take care of a child. These families are usually higher in income and a traditional, nuclear family. All of which produce a better living space for a child. But even IF they decided to not give their child up for adoption, it is ludicrous to believe that stopping that killing that child( Because as you may recall is it a human child during the first trimester after examining some facts above.) is better than allowing them to live in a lower condition of life. This is America for crying out loud! Not Uganda out in the bush. These children that would have a "bad life" are still much better off than a considerable percentage of the world.
The final paragraph is the most truthful of any of them. the statement "these adults save themselves from true hardship" is what the issue truly is. As long as the life of the conceptors( parents don't kill their children) is not interfered with it then its ok. That is what the media pushes for even though these ARE humans, they ARE alive, and they DO feel pain(week 12) during the abortion. There we have it. Take it or leave it. In the end we will all be judged by God for the choices we make.

Abortion

Abortion is a very controversial issue in the United States. People who are pro-life usually argue that abortions kill unborn babies, so it is murder to get an abortion and it should be illegal. People who are pro-choice usually argue that it’s a woman’s choice to decide what to do with her body and what’s in it. I personally believe that abortion should be legal and that it should be an option that women have for several reasons. Abortion is necessary in certain circumstances. Sometimes, a growing fetus can hurt the woman carrying it. This circumstance can sometimes escalate to the point that the woman carrying the fetus may die if the fetus is not aborted. In situations like this, abortion is safer than childbirth. Also, I believe that abortion should be an option in other circumstances, such as rape. A woman does not choose to be raped, and if she is then it was not her choice to become pregnant. I also believe that abortion should be an option for people in regular circumstances too though. Roe vs. Wade decided that abortion was solely a woman’s choice and that the government could not interfere with that choice until after the first trimester of pregnancy. I support this decision because I do not believe that life starts at conception. I believe that it would be more accurate for people who are against abortion to state that they disagree with the termination of a potential life, not the termination of a life. This is not a matter of someone deciding who lives and who dies because in the first trimester of pregnancy, a fetus cannot be considered completely alive yet. There are no nerve cells at this point and the fetus is not a conscious human being. While there may be signs of life, the fetus cannot feel anything and the brain is not fully developed at this point. The brain is there, but it is not fully functioning. A fetus would not be able to tell if it was being aborted or not, nor would it have the brain capacity to have emotions about it. I guess what it comes down to is that since the fetus is not completely alive or conscious, abortion should not be considered murder. I also believe that abortion should be a choice for every woman because many people do not have the financial means and are not responsible enough to support a baby. Babies are expensive. If a person does not have the financial means to support a child and they keep their baby anyway, the chances of that child getting into trouble are very high. A child born into a poor family will most likely have adversity in their life, which could lead them to drugs, alcohol, depression, or crime. In Freakonomics, there is a discussion of the sharp decrease of crime in the late 1990s. This is thought to have been tied to the Roe vs. Wade decision. In the 1990s, if a fetus had been aborted soon after the Roe vs. Wade decision, the offspring would be in their late teens. This is when a new generation of criminals from poor families would have cropped up. Also, I believe that every child should be a wanted child. If a teenager becomes pregnant and is reluctant to care for her newborn baby and child during his or her developmental years, what will become of that child? A woman should be able to control her own body, and no one should have the right to impose their morals on a woman. Finally, abortion is safe and if it is not kept legal, women are still going to find ways to get abortions. These back alley abortions are not safe.

Abortion: 1.5 million per year

Abortion...this is the big one. I don't know about anyone else but when I glanced over the topics that we would be covering over the weeks abortion popped off the page. Abortion is a very touchy subject because I feel that everyone has an opinion on it and no one will be changed upon their opinion. But let us dive into the world of abortion and see what really is such a hot topic.
Roe vs. Wade was passed in 1973 was in the mist of the feminine movement. Because of that decision allow with birth control, the sexual revolution was launched. Let's get real. This is just as much of an issue about sex than it is abortion. Without sex(mostly pre-marital) then there is no abortion. Because of the sexual revolution, pre-marital sex grew and grew, and with it the issue of abortion. The decision to have a sexual relationship is an adult decision. Those people are acting like adults physically as well as mental. But that is where the problem comes in. These couples see abortion as an eraser to their mistakes. There is also a sense of embarrassment that wants to be avoided with this choice.
Which brings me to my next topic: the myth of choice. In the usual situation( a woman gets pregnant before marriage), there is little choice involved. In many situations the man will tell the woman that if she keeps the child he will not be there for her. She is afraid and sees no other way out. Is this really a righteous choice? Also, if the woman does decide to go through with her abortion the process is not over after the procedure. Some women die( 10 every year) and all women are severely affect physically by the procedure that is unnatural. There is also deep seeded emotional pain that follows for many women. It can be a process that scares women for the rest of their life.
But what are the other choices? Well, with almost every situation there are four choices: abort the child, get married (or keep the child as a single mother), and give the child up for adoption. Having said a good bit about abortion I will now focus on the other options. There is always the option of getting married. Awhile ago these "shotgun weddings" were more popular but as times have changed the numbers have declined. Some may argue that they are not in the right position to get married. I would say that drastic times provoke desperate situations. You cannot have your cake and eat it too. And with the divorce rate fluttering around 50% you might as well take your chances. But there is the last option that is largely overlooked. In our culture today we honor the single mothers that work three jobs for her kids. But, it has been shown that kids raised in a single parent home are not as likely to succeed in life. Although her effort is valuable, it is very hard to balance being sole provider and have time to be fully loving mother. On the other hand, adoption is seen as "giving up" in a way. But the truth is that there is sooo many people that long for a child and cannot have one. People are willing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for adopted Chinese girls, so the need is there. In reading through other people's blog I saw people arguing that it would be harder to birth the child, hold it, and give it away than terminate it before it breathes its first breathe. I would say to them that the parent's job is to do what is best for their child. Although it may be extremely hard, a good parent wants what's best for their child; even if that means giving them up. I have many friends that are adopted and they have the utmost amount of respect for their birth mother who was strong enough to give them away.
Finally I want to finish this overly long blog focusing about the child( or the fetus if you must). If it is anyone whose "choice" is not being heard it is them. There is much debate about technicalities and definitions but there are certain things that cannot be ignored. That child IS NOT a part of the mother. It has its own brain, it's own heart and its own DNA. Although some may argue it is not fully human because it is a "clump of cells" but those clumps of cells could have been your child and your decision prevented that. Abortion stops a beating heart, even when they are in the 1st trimester. Lastly, take a look at these pictures of aborted babies that were legally aborted and you be the judge how much the resemble a human being: something of great value.

Abortion

Abortion is yet another one of those sensitive issues like gay-marriage, affirmative action, etc. that everyone is always debating. Unfortunately, in my opinion anyway, there's seems to be no clear resolution to this issue.
If you’re for abortion then you’re basically giving the fetus's parents the sole right to decide whether their baby should live or die. This is clearly a problem because lets say that the parents are suffering from some sort of mental disease that is affecting their judgment. Obviously they are in no condition to decide whether an unborn fetus should live or die especially if that fetus is due to be a completely healthy and functional human being. In addition, if you let one person decide another person's fate then, much like the death penalty, your not even giving the other person a chance to perhaps fight for their life or defend themselves. It’s like kicking someone when their down.
Now if you’re against abortion then you’re denying the parents, more specifically the mother, the ability to control the state of her body. In addition, if the fetus is expected to have some crippling birth defect, then your denying its parents (who we will assume are not mentally challenged) the ability to put it out of its misery before it is born. If you’re completely against abortion then you’re basically forcing parents to care for a child who they for example, have no interest in caring for or are unable to deal with the responsibility.
In this sense, you can't really be either completely for or against abortion unless you’re completely oblivious to the points made above. If I really had to say whether I was for or against abortion I would most likely say for. However, the problem with our current system, which allows abortions, is that anyone can get an abortion. In my opinion, only parents who have proven that they are mentally stable can be granted the right to have an abortion. I know this is a rather abstract realm -- deciding who gets the right to abort their child -- however, we need some method to ensure that the proper decision is made when it comes to deciding whether a potential human being should live or die.
Another potential idea to support the concept of abortion is the fact that an unborn fetus is technically not a human being, meaning that if it were aborted, it would not be affected in any way because technically, an unborn fetus has no conscious. This is debatable, however, because who is to say that fetus’s have no conscious. Just because humans never remember what it was like to be a fetus, does not necessarily mean that, in that state, humans were never conscious.
Unfortunately this debate is far too abstract. Its comparable to searching for the meaning of life. The bottom line is there is no right answer—or perhaps if there is then, we humans, are too mentally underdeveloped to grasp the solution. (I am adding this sentence because believe it or not up until this point I had written exactly 499 words)

I really never had any side or even though of taking any sides on this abortion issue. I even try to avoid having to debate about abortion in debate. My problem with the debate about abortion is that there are no good arguments that could be made on either sides of the debate. It seems that every single argument that could be made on this issue could only be backed by pathos and nothing else. For example no one really knows when a fetus becomes “with life” or desire life (of course you can argue this issue all you want and think you are right, but really, science AND God might beg the differ). Also no one really knows how to evaluate this whole “oh maybe she was raped and the baby is bad” against “but the baby is still a life” stuff. And of course, no one could get away with saying “Well we need to look at this issue objectively” without being called a Nazi (or some sort of nihilistic figure). For example, those who try to look at the abortion issue with objectivity, i.e look at the economics or societal effects of abortion, are all met with statements such as “you don’t care about the babies?!?!” or “you don’t care about freedom?!?!”. This distancing from objectivity makes a devastating toll on the argument quality in the debate about abortion. Instead of weighing stuff that people could actually compare, we are weighing arbitrary constructions (such as our artificially created bright line on what constitutes life, liberty, murder, and freedom). This is also what distances me from this debate; simply because there is nothing intelligent to say and if there were intelligent things to say then those things would be dismissed as a form of dehumanizing either the baby or the person.
However, since this is a blog post and I do have to pick a side in order to get credit, I guess I could come up with a conditional advocacy. So I think that the right to abort a pregnancy could be practiced if and only if there is proof that the pregnancy was forced upon the woman. I guess it is fair to say that most abortions happen because the parent does not want the responsibility of taking care of the child or the parent does not want a child yet. Therefore it seems fair for women who were raped to have an abortion because they did not choose to become pregnant. It also seems good to not waste anytime with those who are aware of the consequences of their actions and still get pregnant. And also there are advocates to this position and they say stuff like how babies born without a father will live a bad life, how it deters un-protected sex, etc. Although these might be good points, but they are also points that people get really angry over so I won’t be capitalizing on those. Look this is as in-depth as I want to go on this issue of abortion. I am not a woman, I would never claim to understand how they feel about this issue if it was forced upon them; therefore, I really shouldn’t have an opinion on this matter.

Abortion-Own up to your mistakes

Abortion is an extremely sensitive issue it seems like now-a-days, and it should be because it is pretty much a matter of killing someone or not. I do not think that abortion should exist personally, to me it is horrible and it is not just because of my religious beliefs. I mean it is really not a religious issue at all, murder is not a religious issue; it is an ethical one. It seems people tend to write off pro-choice people as just following their religion and what it says, and I mean yes, but at the same time no, that is not the deal at all and it is annoying to write people off like that. It is not just because we believe that each person is God’s creation and we should respect the life He gives us, but the fact that we are murdering innocent children- you do not have to be a church going, Bible reading Christian to see that. And yes they are children, not some mass that has a scientific name that cannot technically be called a person yet. People have all these reasons- also known as excuses- to get an abortion: not ready to have a kid, was not planned, etc. have you never heard of the idea of adoption? You are never going to be ready to have a child so do not use that as an excuse. Like for real people you are taking away this life that you have created and throwing it in the garbage because of your own mistake. People need to own up to their actions, face the situation, and handle it like adults, do not just try to throw it away and pretend like it never happened. I mean it is pretty crazy when you think about how far people will go to get rid of a child. Women sometimes even kill themselves in the process of trying to kill their children. People complain about it being their choice on whether or not to keep the child, but is it really? Who really should decide whether or not a child should live? Are we trying to play God? It is the same argument as the death penalty- who has the final say in whether another lives or not. This subject just really annoys me personally. People try to be all like “well if you were in this situation you would understand.” No, if I was in your situation I would suck it up and act mature about it. I got myself there and now I am gonna own up to it- not take the easy way out. I do not think abortion is ever going to go away though because people like being able to fix their mistakes, cover them up so people never have to know they messed up. They can do what they want and not have to face the consequences, but I think living with the knowledge you killed your own child would be far worse than actually having the child to take care of. I mean that is just my opinion though, no big deal.