Is Abortion Wrong Or Is It Right?

IS ABORTION WRONG OR IS IT RIGHT?

Abortion is defined as: "the termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival." However, if only the debate over the abortion issue was as simple as the definition provided above. Much like every aspect of human life, a statement is neither right nor wrong, but simply left open for interpretation. There is no black and white in life, only gray areas. Some issues tend to provide us more gray areas than others. Abortion is a prime example of that. Those who refute abortion claim that it is the murder of a helpless baby who has not yet had the chance to live and function as a human being. However, the debate opposite it is just as fervent: it is a woman's right to choose what happens to her body, and if she decides that she is not capable of bringing a child into this world, than she shouldn't be forced to out of nature. Where do we draw the line between humane and inhumane, necessitated death and murder? When does a woman's right over her internal reproductive organs become that of the government's? Is abortion wrong or is it right? Are rape, incest, and potential fatality to the mother exceptions when abortion is "okay"? Are there truly any at all? So many questions are raised by such a fervent debate, that we must look at both sides of the issue to better understand it in a general, but yet thorough approach.

As expected, there is a "pro-choice advocate" which is someone who feels that the woman's right to choose should come before anything, even human life. The main argument of "pro-choice" advocates is naturally that women should have the right to choose what happens to their own bodies. They use the Roe vs. Wade case of 1973 to support their arguments. Roe vs. Wade has provided a fundamental basis for nearly all of the laws regarding abortion that exist today. It ruled that "the right of privacy... is broad enough to encompass a woman's decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy." (Roe. v. Wade, 1973). However, aside from the obvious issue of whether or not it is a woman's right to choose, pro-choice advocates also bring into play the idea of a mother's physical safety. In cases where the mother may be put in grave danger if she were forced to give birth to a child, some people feel abortion should be implicated. There are other instances where people feel that abortion is justified, rape and incest. It seems unfair to most pro-choice advocates, and many women in general, that a woman be forced to have a baby that was conceived out of rape or incest. It seems that every time the mother were to look upon her child, he or she would be a constant reminder of the horrible act that brought about that child's creation into this world. Also, incest can raise issues of mental retardation and handicaps. However, among all these issues, the right to choose remains the main focus of pro-choice advocates.

The second side to the debate, there are many people that are opposed to abortion. These people are better referred to as "pro-life advocates", or essentially, they advocate the life of the baby over the woman's right to choose. Groups such as Human Life International (HLI), The Christian Coalition, and many others support the right of human life. There are several reasons why people who are pro-life do not support abortion. A main argument is that one is killing an unborn baby, murdering an unsuspecting life, in their decision to have an abortion. They are trying to "play God" by killing someone. However, they also feel that abortion is a dangerous procedure, and puts the mother at risk as well. Pro-life advocates feel that there are other options other than abortion. Adoption, for instance, provides an alternative to abortion. Adoption would provide the baby with, (hopefully), a warm, loving home. There are many people that are willing to take in children; people that can't have children of their own. Pro-life advocates who are opposed to any and all killing would definitely support finding a home for a baby as opposed to terminating it. Many pro-life advocates feel like, 'you choose to have sex, and now you must face the consequences of your actions.' The aspect of "playing God" has surfaced in recent years. Pro-life advocates feel that a mother deciding to terminate her pregnancy is deciding something that God normally would. For example, if God wanted a woman to lose her child, he would have her miscarry. There are many different aspects of pro-life that can be interpreted in even more ways.

In recent years, the abortion debate has grown to encompass other aspects of "early-termination" pregnancy procedures. Partial-birth abortions,