Student Essay on A Pro-Choice View of Abortion

Abortion is arguably one of the most controversial issues discussed in the United States today as the laws and the ideas of right or wrong are argued by both sides. Many believe that abortion should be considered "baby murder" (prochoice.anomalistic.net), taking the life of an innocent human being, and in some cases people believe that it is the choice of the mother to make the decision. I believe that abortion should be pro-choice, as the decision should be left up to the mother.

Kate Michelman, President of NARAL, Pro-Choice America, responded to President Bush's late term abortion ban beginning November 3, 2003 by stating "Today, we saw the real George Bush. If we could afford to, we would put that speech on television every day from now until the election" (prochoiceamerica.org). Our president has expressed his views on abortion and how he believes that it should eventually become illegal, however, many Americans have differing opinions. The Bush administration is slowly working toward eventually banning abortion in the future. They are now laying the groundwork for abortion to become a crime in the near future. The new law will go after doctors who perform late term abortions and will prosecute them, stating that the fetus has been endowed with civil rights (Salon.com, Goldberg).

NARAL is an organization that is trying to gradually work towards a lesser need for abortions in this country by offering better access to contraceptives and pregnancy prevention tools. The NARAL, being pro choice, is all about helping mothers who are considering having abortions. They do this in hope that in the future people will be more cautious and aware of their actions so that abortions will gradually be unnecessary.

Many laws state that women can only have abortions if the baby has become detrimental to the mother's health, and has a chance of harming the mother if the pregnancy is carried out. In the court case Roe. Vs. Wade, this was the case. In Texas, a mother, Roe, challenged the law that stated that women could only abort their pregnancies if the baby was detrimental to their health. The court ruled that the Texas abortion laws were in direct infringement of Roe's 9th and 14th amendment rights. As she was the mother, it was her choice as to whether she wanted the abortion.

The controversy regarding abortion begins to become heated as the growth of the baby inside the mother continues. As the pregnancy progresses the opinion on abortion changes greatly. Many people believe that the baby is a human as soon as it is conceived, and that removing the little embryo is considered taking the life of a human. Others, such as our president who enacted a new law, state that an abortion can be performed up until the second trimester of pregnancy.

As a firm believer in pro choice, I feel that if the mother is aware of the consequences that may result in an abortion, and can live with the decision for the rest of her life, then it is her choice. Many circumstances come into play in this as well. What if rape is a factor in the pregnancy? Should a woman have to bare the burden of having the baby of the person that has terrorized her life? Should she have to bare the pain of pregnancy of a child that they had no intention of having?

People like President Bush do not take things like this into consideration when they are trying to lay the groundwork for banning all legal abortions in the near future.. A woman who is raped should not have to suffer twice. Taking the pro choice approach to abortion leaves options open for the woman. If she has been raped, she can rid herself of the pregnancy.

New laws that are being developed make it harder and harder for women to deal with the problems of pregnancies. If laws were adapted leaving the choice up to the families of the newly conceived, it would make their lives and their choices a lot easier.