Advocates see abortion in terms of women's rights, a centuries-old debate, in and of itself. Despite the underlying controversy, these proponents address the issue simply in terms of does a woman have a right to have an abortion if she choices. Those against abortion consider the baby's rights. Their view is a fetus has a right to be born.
While the issue is addressed from different sides, both factions can make compelling arguments. Unfortunately, these arguments appeal directly to the emotions of the public and not its intelligence. Who hasn't been subjected to the Pro-Life commercials that proclaim all babies deserve to live? Similarly, the Pro-Choice campaign plays on the sense of injustice that lead to the Women's Liberation Movement.
To get to the heart of the issue, one has to look past the emotions and see the facts. This isn't an easy task because perpetuation of the species is an emotional topic. But, from as an objective point of view as is possible, clearly the continued legalization of abortion poses the least threat to the American population.
Opponents to abortion charge that the abortions are acts of murder. This view is not entirely accurate. Yes, an abortion is the taking of a human life. However, the Supreme Court in Roe vs. Wade (1973) ruled that abortions are legal. During the years since that judgement, not one of the many abortion cases put before the court has caused the overturning of the decision. From this point of view, any claims of abortions being as illegal as murder are unfounded.
The other main argument against abortion is that it is immoral. Since morality is not a single set of beliefs, but rather a variant that changes with ethnic groups, to claim that the immorality of a subject in one culture extends to all others is a gross distortion of the facts. What an Italian Catholic finds immoral is not the same as what a German Protestant would see as sinful. Immorality alone is not enough to judge abortions wrong.
The pro-choice point-of-view is based on three main facts. Firstly, women should and do have the right to choice what happens to their bodies. Even before women were given the rights to vote or freely express their opinions (rights that all Americans now view as fundamental), nature deeded the responsibility of continuing the species to women. It also provided natural abortifacients (drugs that cause abortions) such as pennyroyal, tansy leaves, and cotton root bark. For centuries, these forms of abortions have been occurring.
The second piece of pro-choice reasoning is that women will find ways to rid themselves of unwanted babies, even if abortions were abolished. Should such a situation occur, natural abortifacients and contraceptives may be used in harmful quantities. It is also possible for these drugs to have unknown side effects. Similarly cases exist where the stress of pregnancy can have severely adverse effects on a woman's health. By allowing legal abortions and imposing standards on such chemicals, society can eliminate some of the risks that a woman might otherwise be forced to take.
Even if there isn't a health reason, a mother may simply not want a child. Abortions do seem a little unnecessary in these cases. However, should such a child be born, the probability of that child later being abandoned or somehow mistreated is much greater than that of a wanted child. These children usually end up wards of the state and a burden to society in the monetary sense. Abortion activists will say that there is another option, the "adoption option."
Adoption would be a wonderful alternative to abortions if it worked as it was supposed to. Unfortunately it doesn't. Many children and adults have lived part of their lives in the foster care system, awaiting an adoption. Saying that a fetus need not be aborted because someone out there wants to adopt it is nothing more than wishful thinking. In some cases this does happen, but its rarity makes it an infeasible solution.
Abortion may not be the answer in all cases. However, to take away the option from the cases where it is necessary or the only real choice is to risk women's lives. Desperate people will do desperate things. Legal, available abortions can eliminate some of that desperation. Are we as a society ready to take the risks involved in making abortions illegal?
