ABORTION SHOULD BE LEGALIZED

PRO
1. Women rights to their body
Every person has an inherent and undeniable right over their own bodies, and as such, it
is their choice to do with it as they please.This notion forms the backbone for every
argument relating to a person’s rights, such as the right to life and liberty, or the right to
freedom of speech and expression. While we all have this inalienable right of choice, we
also have to be responsible for the consequences of those choices. From a logical
standpoint, however, whether a person is responsible or irresponsible for their actions
doesn’t change the fact that they have the freedom to choose and act to begin with. In
fact, the presence of the consequence reinforces this notion, because consequence
can’t exist if without the natural right to choose. If we allow our inherent rights to be
limited, we find ourselves on a very slippery slope. The suppression of this right may
begin with abortion, but where will it end? Inherent rights are by nature, natural and
unquestionable, and should be left unchallenged.
The infrastructure around us is designed to support and protect the rights of
citizens. Hospitals do not tell you what to do with your body or act without your
consent; they suggest courses of action based on medical practice and inform you of the
consequences of each.Schools do not tell you what to study, but they provide a
foundational base of learning to equip you with the tools in your desired
profession. These prove that our society operates on the foundation of natural human
rights. Why then should we restrict a woman’s right to choose to terminate a pregnancy
when it is the same as her right to choose what school to go to, what medical procedure
to undertake, what profession to pursue, or what opinions to express? It is her natural
right regardless of whether anyone approves or disapproves of the outcome, to make
that choice. In the same way, it is your right, regardless of whether or not I disagree or
agree with you, to form your own opinions about these arguments.The bottom line of
this argument is that the same thing that protects your right to do as you wish is the
same thing that protects a woman’s natural right to choose what to do with her own
body. In the end, we must remember that we live lives of dignity because our choices
are protected by a society that recognizes our inalienable rights. The right to choose is
paramount to our humanity, and it shouldn’t be denied.
2. Personhood begins when fetus is viable
Now that we have established the right of women to choose what to do with their
bodies, what then of the fetus’ right to its own body?Many pro-life standpoints argue
that when a woman chooses to have an abortion, she is committing the crime of
restricting the right of the fetus over its own body. While this does sound compellingly
correct, it has a few grey areas. The natural right to choose what to do with your body is
tied to your personhood, a concept that is not absolutely black and white. A fetus is
 considered viable when it is able to live outside the woman’s uterus on its own. The
concept of being “self-determining” comes into play. When we are capable of deciding
on a course of action for ourselves, we have the right to pursue it even if it’s right or
wrong, and we then have the responsibility of facing its consequences.
A fetus under 24 weeks old is incapable of self-determination, because it has not
properly developed the necessary organs or systems to make this possible yet. This is
different from saying that a fetus under 24 weeks is not alive. Life begins at conception,
but personhood begins at self-determination. The embryo is considered the potential to
be a person if the pregnancy is carried to full-term.If we considered it a person, then our
birthdates would be upon conception, and artificial insemination, which involves
numerous fertilized eggs thrown away, would be genocide! Plain and simple, a fetus
under 24 weeks is not independent or self-determining, as it is reliant on the woman for
survival.
3. Human rights to live
While most arguments highlight abortion as the termination of life, they tend to be
argued strictly focusing on the life of the unborn child. As with everything, there are
elements around a pregnancy that can lead to complications for the woman. Not all
women are given the gift of complication free pregnancies. Cases where complications
in the pregnancy lead to significantly higher risk to the woman’s life are more frequent
than we wish they would be. To deny a woman the option to abort a pregnancy when
her own life is at risk is akin to forcing her to play Russian roulette.
No person, regardless of gender, should be denied the right to fight for his or her own
life. Societies and laws are built around this very framework. Fanatics of the pro–life
argument are sometimes so focused on the fetus that they put no value to the mother’s
life and do not even consider the viability of the fetus. What if a doctor was faced with a
situation where the fetus was not viable and if it were not aborted, the mother would
die? While the decision will always be difficult, the decision is not ours to make, and as
such we have no right to deny someone his or her own choice.
4. The rights of abortion
One of the most defining movements in the past century is that of gender equality. Like
most social movements, gender equality arguments have foundations linked to equally
serious issues of racial or social equality. Fundamentally, the argument is sound; society
should not discriminate a person on an element for which he had no control over, and
one cannot choose to be a man or woman, their race, or their social status. Each person
has the fundamental right to life and all that it entails. Gender does have certain aspects
that make the pursuit of a happy life different for each side, this we cannot deny.
Because women are the childbearing gender, this presents certain challenges. While
each challenge bears its own weight, the financial challenge is probably the most
consistently felt and has the most clearly visible effect. Equality as a concept means that
 every person has the right, without restriction, to pursue the same things whatever they
may be.
A woman cannot sincerely be considered to have equal standing in society if she does
not at least have the choice to remove the challenges that will come with a
pregnancy. Many corporations have faced criticism because women face much
discrimination simply due to the fact that they bear children. Their likelihood of going on
leave is higher due to this biological fact, but it is not right for companies to avoid hiring
them just because of this. If we want to be able to say that we have no gender biases or
gender discrimination, and man and woman have equal rights to pursue the life that
they choose to pursue, women must have a choice. They must not have to deal with
challenges but instead be given responsibilities upon choosing to become a mother. The
choice to become a mother must in the very least be given to the woman. By failing to
freely provide this, society also fails to support their fundamental rights, not as women,
but as people.
5. Banning abortion risks illegal abortions
Statistics shows that an estimated 49% of pregnancies in the United States are
unintended. These numbers simply prove that the situations surrounding pregnancies
are not limited to happy families who have planned and intentionally tried to have
children. A large percentage is in fact unplanned for. Naturally, a woman or couple who
face the situation of an unplanned pregnancy may not have the right circumstances to
raise a child properly. Some cases even show that they are unable to financially or
medically see the pregnancy to its full term.
Regardless of the situation, of those 49% of pregnancies that are unintended, the
percentage that is unwanted will be looking for ways to terminate the pregnancy. Prior
to the recognition of this procedure and the modernization of medicine, back-alley
abortions used to be via coat hangers, illegal or unregulated pharmaceutical products,
knitting needles or a punch to the stomach. If there is no legal, viable alternative, this
percentage of couples or mothers will inevitably have to resort to these back-alley
operations, which are highly dangerous.
6. Modern medicine makes abortion less of a risk
Statistics estimate that the risk of death from an abortion is 0.6 in 100,000. The risk of
death from childbirth is 14 times higher, at 8.8 in 100,000. In line with a woman’s right
to life is also her right to mitigate the risk to her person. Advancements in the medical
field have dramatically reduced complications from abortion, studies show that it is
actually safer than carrying a pregnancy to full term.
It is estimated that in 1972 illegal abortions resulted in 39 maternal deaths, which
occurred before abortion was legal. In 1976, after it was legalized in the United States,
the number went down to 2.World Health Organization statistics estimate that in 2004
these back alley abortions caused an estimated 68,000 deaths globally.68,000 deaths
 are 68,000 lives unable to reach their full potential because abortions were not legal
and therefore not properly conducted. The state has a duty to protect its citizens;
sometimes, protecting its citizens does not involve fighting wars but providing the
infrastructure to safely conduct sound medical procedures.
7. Abortion gives women the option to minimize their child’s suffering
Circumstantially, not every pregnancy is a bed of roses. Many have complications; some
fetuses have severe disorders that can cause the child to live a very difficult and painful
life. Some disorders can be so severe that death is guaranteed after a brief and painful
life. Anencephaly, for example is a disorder where the brain is missing. Limb-body wall
complex, a disorder where organs grow outside of the body, is equally as horrific, and
yet it occurs. It is the woman’s right as a mother to decide what is best for her child. No
weight of society or majority moral opinion of philosophers, religious or even state
leaders have the right to decide for her. A mother’s right to decide to not put her child
through that kind of suffering is her right and her right alone. To deny her a safe option
to exercise that right is to deny her of that right in itself.
Remember, the consequences of pregnancy do not just end in childbirth. A woman has
to undergo the physical pain and risks of childbirth and once born, she is emotionally,
socially and financially tied to the child for the rest of the child’s life once born and vice
versa. All the risks she faces are multiplied a hundred fold, and the child must face them
as well. If the woman has health risks, the child must suffer through the pain. In many
cultures, the woman’s stature in life or even the gender of the child puts the child in
harm’s way. When we think of choice, it’s often from the standpoint of a regular
situation. There are some cases where the odds for both mother and child are bleak,
and this is when choice becomes a critical factor. If we remove this ability to choose, it
may mean a life sentence for both of them.
8. Anti-abortion law is impossible
Having and raising a child is a significant decision. Ideally it involves proper preparation
and planning. However as we have seen, this is not always the case with pregnancies.
There still exists a significant amount of unwanted pregnancies, significant enough to
merit high numbers of abortions in countries where it is legal, and high amounts of
illegal abortions where it is illegal. This shows that unwanted pregnancies are an
inescapable element of our society. Any form of anti-abortion law would then simply be
impossible to completely enforce. Those that do not have the economic capability or the
desire to see a pregnancy to its full term and raise a child will continue to seek illegal
abortions long after it has been made illegal. Because of the risks of illegal abortions, the
difference will be greatly felt in the mortality rate.These are productive lives; lives with
potential denied their fulfillment because society tries to enforce something
unenforceable.If anti-abortion laws are implemented, they may simply increase the
number of poorly done abortions, and likewise increase the number of deaths.
 9. Abortion is humane
Studies show that fetuses do not feel pain when abortions are
performed. Neuroscientists argue that because a cortex is critical for feeling pain, and
the cortex is not yet functional when most abortions are performed, the fetus does not
feel any pain. What is often mistaken for pain reactions is believed to be simply reflexes
as the cortex only becomes functional on the 26th week of pregnancy.For healthy
pregnancies, this makes abortion a humane option for whatever the reasons the mother
may choose to undergo an abortion. This is especially true in the cases where the fetus
will suffer greatly it is brought to full term. For pregnancies with complications, either
threatening the mother’s life or complications that will guarantee the child’s suffering,
abortion is a difficult choice, but a painless and humane solution.
10. Abortion is not a question of morality it is a question of providing options to prevent and
mitigate risks in certain circumstances
Finally, most proponents of pro-life will argue based on issues of morality or
ethics. True, terminating life will always be morally wrong even if it can be argued
valid. The issue with abortion is not a moral one, however. If it were, then wars and
various elements of the criminal justice system and state security laws should be made
illegal as well. And yet, these things are constantly present in the modern world as they
have been historically, because they account for circumstances that validate an act that
may be morally wrong.Abortion is a prime example of this. It is not a question of
morality, it is a question of standing by a person’s inherent right to choose, their right to
life and safety, and even to their right to choose a humane death for a loved one. It
cannot be rejected simply because it is morally wrong, instead it must be viewed as an
option that mitigates circumstantial risks, preserves life, and provides a humane way to
end guaranteed suffering.