...Abortion Shauntel Williams MED100 Medical Law, Liability, & Ethics Robyn Johnson November 6, 2014 Shauntel Williams Robyn Johnson MED100 Medical Law, Liability, and Ethics November 6, 2014 Abortion The debate over whether or not abortion should be a legal option continues to divide Americans long after the US Supreme Court’s 7-2 decision on Roe v. Wade declared the procedure a "fundamental right" on Jan. 22, 1973. Proponents, identifying themselves as pro-choice, contend that choosing abortion is a right that should not be limited by governmental or religious authority, and which outweighs any right claimed for an embryo or fetus. They say that pregnant women will resort to unsafe illegal abortions if there is no legal option. Opponents, identifying themselves as pro-life, contend that personhood begins at conception, and therefore abortion is the immoral killing of an innocent human being. They say abortion inflicts suffering on the unborn child, and that it is unfair to allow abortion when couples who cannot biologically conceive are waiting to adopt. Variations exist in arguments on both sides of the debate. Some pro-choice proponents believe abortion should only be used as a last resort, while others advocate unrestricted access to abortion services under any circumstance. Pro-life positions range from opposing abortion under any circumstance to accepting it for situations of rape, incest, or when a woman's life is at risk. Some prominent pro-choice organizations...
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...Should Abortion be banned? Abortion is one of the most controversial issues in our societies and politics today. Since 1973, when the Supreme Court of the United States of America legalized abortion in its landmark Roe vs Wade decision, the opposing groups of abortion have sought to increase or restrict access to abortion, leading to intense debates among pro-life and pro-choice political leaders and activists both at state and federal governments levels and as well as religious organizations. The abortion debate is often considered a two-sided controversy; however, the issue involves questions about biology, morality and religion and legal rights. For example, people who consider themselves as pro-life activists argue that abortion destroys human life, which they believe begins at conception. As a result, the pro-life activists regarded abortion as immoral and should be illegal and abandoned. Some of the moderate pro-life advocates allow exceptions in the cases of rapes, incest, or if mother’s health is at risk. People who identify themselves as pro-choice activists contend that every woman has a right to make decision concerning her body and her future outweighs the right of the fetus. Some pro-choice supporters endorse restrictions on abortion, such as informed consent laws, which require that a woman receive state-authored literature on abortion before undergoing the procedure, and mandatory waiting periods. One of the most controversial restrictions on abortion requires...
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...Luca Santoro A00354983 Reflection #4 The Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Gladue, [1999] 1 S.C.R. 688, as well as, Section 718.2(e) of the Criminal code have stated that judges should account for these considerations when making sentencing decisions. This ruling asks judges to apply an analysis that recognizes the adverse background cultural impact factors that many Aboriginals face. Upon analyzing these factors, if present in their personal history, work to alleviate or reduce the culpability of offenders. Judges are then asked to consider all reasonable alternatives to jail in light of this. After such an analysis, it is more likely to lead to a restorative justice resolution, being used either in place of a jail sentence or combined with a reduced term. In applying principles of restorative justice to Aboriginal offenders, in the context of urban aboriginals discussed in the Gladue decision, it is necessary not only to focus on the individuals before the court, but as well to work with the First Nations communities, to restore their ability to deal with their members in a manner consistent with their traditions. While some critics suggest that decision in the Gladue case is “bad criminal justice policy”, I feel that comment speaks directly to aboriginal restorative justice, the tradition of restoring victim, offender and the community to a state of compatibility is a genuine and widely recognized one in Aboriginal communities around the world. The move to implement restorative...
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...legal in the United States, abortion has been an ongoing controversial topic for many years, especially when it was legalized throughout America in the 1973 case of Roe vs. Wade. Present day statistics say that if abortion continues at the ongoing rate, about 1.2 million a year, almost ⅓ of American women will have an abortion at some point in their life. Abortion has become commonly used in America, yet many people are demanding to minimize the allowance to abort a child without realising the damaging effects it may have. Without the right of an abortion, the number of children being put up for adoption will increase, women will have a higher risk of being injured from trying to receive an abortion illegally, and ban other benefits of being able to have a safe, legal abortion. According to a 2014 study, 48% of people who participated in an abortion survey seem to believe that abortion is morally wrong. A large amount of people who are against abortion are mainly under the impression that having an abortion is considered murder. Pro-lifers (people...
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...should be allowed to decide if women can get abortions and others say they should not. I believe the right for a woman to get an abortion should be in her own hands whether I agree with her decision or not. So who favors abortion and who opposes it? Through this research there will be presented three different viewpoints on this topic: those that favor, those that oppose, and my own personal viewpoint. So who favors abortion? Well first what does abortion even mean? According to Google, abortion means the deliberate termination of a human pregnancy. Ever since 1973, with the decision from Roe vs. Wade legalizing abortion in every state and even before that the debate about abortion if it is right or not, has always been a very touchy subject in politics. One very common viewpoint you often see in research about someone who favors abortion is if their perception is more pro-choice instead of pro-life. For example, a 22 year old woman who recently just found out...
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...Abortion has been debated for many years. In 1967 the Committee on Human Reproduction wanted a policy against induced abortion except if the unborn child were not viable, in cases of rape, or for the mother's health. In 1973 a class action suit was filed against Texas, stating that the Texas abortion laws were against the constitution of the US. The plaintiffs were Roe, a couple named Doe and Dr. Hallford. Dr. Hallford had been performing abortions illegally and was going to be prosecuted by the state of Texas. Roe was a woman who was not married and she was pregnant. The Does were a couple who were worried that they might need an abortion in the future. The defendant was Wade. He was the District Attorney. The Does' case was found, by a district...
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...Abortion in America is a controversial issue in which both sides have valid arguments at face value. The pro-choice side has many arguments to support it belief in keeping abortion legal. Many of these are faulty, and argue points irrelevent to the issue as I will attempt to illustrate, thereby eliminating the main pro-choice arguments. The pro-life position has somewhat different ideas. The most popular of these is: The unborn entity is fully human from the moment of conception. Abortion results in the intentional death of the unborn entity. Therefore, abortion can be defined the intentional killing of a human being. This killing is in most cases unjustified, since the unborn human being has a full right to life. If, however, there is a high probability that a woman's pregnancy will result in her death (such as tubal pregnancy, for example), then abortion is justified. For it is a greater good that one human should live (the mother) rather than two die (the mother and her child). Or, in such cases the intent is not to kill the unborn but to save the life of the mother. With the exception of such cases, abortion is an act in which an innocent human being is intentionally killed; therefore, abortion should be made illegal, as are all other such acts of killing. One argument made by people in favor of abortion is an appeal to pity. When one fallaciously argues by appealing to pity, one is arguing that certain actions should be permitted or tolerated out of pity...
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...TermPaperWriter.org Abortion The subject of legal abortion has lead to a nationwide, often emotion-filled, debate that has endured for many years and will for many years to come. People are decidedly in either in the ‘pro-choice’ or ‘pro-life’ camp. There are no compromises to 1 be negotiated: one concerned with the life of a child; the other, the freedom of choice and woman’s health. This paper will first present the ‘right-to-life’ then follow with the ‘prochoice’ argument. The right to choose is the foundation upon which this country was built. Those who are pro-abortion trumpet this slogan while proclaiming a woman’s ‘God given right’ to make her own choices without government interference. This simple ideology is embraced by some but the arguments are flawed when the realities of abortion are examined. Studies have shown that most women are coerced into committing this murderous act of a living human and that there is no such thing as safe abortions as many are led to believe. There is little freedom of choice for women who are experiencing an unwanted pregnancy. The women themselves usually wish to bring their baby to full term. Other powerful influences in her life such as husbands/boyfriends, parents and friends are generally the forces that exact pressures on her to terminate the pregnancy. “Eight out of 10 women surveyed after abortion said they would have given birth if they’d had support and encouragement from family and friends” (Reardon, 2002). It’s the abortion that, in...
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...and Nicholas L. Danigelis. 2002. Changing Frameworks in Attitudes Toward Abortion. Sociological Forum, Vol. 17, No. 2, 187-201. The article looks at the issue of legal abortion, and attitudes have changed over the years. The researchers examine how the determinants of abortion attitudes have changed between 1977 and 1996, using data from the General Social Surveys. There are several reasons to explain how the approval of abortion has increased between 1977 and 1996. By the 90s, abortion had been legal for two decades, the population had become more educated and more secular, and other sociodemographic trends were consistent with increasing desire for contraceptive methods. For the study, the 20 years are divided into four periods of relatively equal duration and subsample size: 1977–80, 1982–85, 1987–91, and 1993–96. From this, it is noted that early time periods, whites were more approving of abortion than blacks, that pattern had reversed by the late 1980s. As part of their research study, they used weights to control for the effects of over sampling blacks in 1982 and 1987. The dependent variable was a summated Abortion Approval Scale based on the number of “yes” answers to six situation-specific questions about abortion which ranges from a low of 0 that represents complete opposition to abortion in all described situations (“no” to all questions) to a high of 6 that represents tolerance of abortion in all situations (“yes” to all questions). Ten independent variables have...
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...Policies in Relation to Abortion Before and After the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Case New Mexico State University Jennifer Walker Abstract The Roe versus Wade Supreme Court Case has had a huge impact on abortion laws in the United States. Before 1973, abortions were illegal and criminal, with few exceptions. Overnight, the decision in the case legalized first trimester abortions while leaving the specifications of the other trimesters up to the states. This case has led to many debates over the value of life and when life begins whether at conception, independence from mother, or first breath. All of these can be defined by religion, law, or individual beliefs. Unfortunately, none of the policies before or after Roe versus Wade have addressed the issue of unintended pregnancies, which is the underlying cause of abortion. Until this is addressed, policies will continue to be created, implemented, and challenged. Policies in Relation to Abortion Before and After the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Case Introduction In 1973, a case was selected to be heard by the Supreme Court that would substantially impact women’s rights then and continue to impact them today. The case was over Texas policy article 1911 that stated, “If any person shall designedly administer to a pregnant woman or knowingly procure to be administered with her consent… and thereby procure an abortion, he shall be confined in the penitentiary not less than two nor more than five years…” (Law Library, 2014). The...
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...The Supreme Court has been hearing cases and passing laws about the discrimination against working women and pregnancy for years. The laws, acts, and clauses that are in place to protect women’s rights are debated, and left up for interpretation. The Supreme Court case of General Electric Company v. Gilbert in 1976, was one of the focusing factors in the case of Young v. UPS. This case along with the case of Geduldig v. Aiello is what lead Congress to create the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). The PDA amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. It states no company with 15 or more employees could fire, not hired or discriminate against an employee due to pregnancy or...
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...The Supreme Court of the United States was created in 1789 by Article III of the Constitution. A key precedent of the Court was established in 1803 through the case of Marbury v. Madison. Since then the Court has ruled on the constitutionality of laws throughout the United States. Two more recent landmark cases are Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey. These cases focused on women’s reproductive rights, such as abortion and a state’s rights to restrict abortions based on the constitutional rights. Roe v. Wade took place in the early 1970’s. The 1960’s were a time of hippies, peace and “flower power.” Going into the 1970’s women were demanding respect and equal rights. (“Roe v. Wade.” United States History) Norma McCorvey, also known as...
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...Abortion is a huge topic of debate in the United States and in the world. In the United States, the majority of the members of the Democratic Party are pro choice, meaning they are for abortion, while the majority of the members of the Republican Party are pro life, meaning they are against abortions. In the United States, abortions are legal, but everyday there are people working to stop them. Abortions are still illegal in many developing countries and women die from unsafe abortions every day. There are many valid arguments on both sides of the debate, such as the fetus being a human vs. women-having control over their own bodies. Scientific research has been conducted for both sides of the argument, and both sides will say that the research...
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...Legal Abortions Abortion is it murder or not? There is a great controversy over many individuals on whether or not abortion should be legalized. After doing thorough research on the subject, I have come to the conclusion that the benefits of a woman having an abortion outweigh the causes. As a utilitarian, I believe that legalizing abortion will maximize happiness for the greatest number of people while minimizing their unhappiness. Many people believe that a fetus is a parson who has feelings and is able to feel pain, but according to the philosopher Mary Ann Warren, that is not really the cause. Warren argues that in order for a fetus to be considered a being he must have certain qualities, such as: “ 1. consciousness and ability to feel pain, 2. a develop capacity for reasoning, 3. Self-motivated activity, 4. Capacity to communicate messages of an indefinite variety of types, and 5. Self-awareness. (The Moral of the Story, Nina Rosenstand, pp.640)”. Qualities that not even the most developed fetus has, therefore we can state that by a woman having an abortion she is not committing a murderous act. Furthermore, a woman should be given the right to decide whether or not she wants to go through with the pregnancy. Having an abortion is a subjective decision. Most of the times woman have abortions because she is not ready to become pregnant, she cannot afford a baby, she Name 2 does not want to be a single parent, she or the fetus...
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...“The Impact Of Illegal Abortion” Critique Of “The Impact Of Illegal Abortion” Critique of “The Impact of Illegal Abortion” Generally, legal abortion is a controversial problem in our world. I just read an article named “The Impact of Illegal Abortion”, and it was written by The Abortion Access Project, which was an organization committing to access to safe abortion for all women in the U.S. This article indicated some influences of illegal abortion, which shows a strongly persuasion that abortion should be legal. Moreover, I also consider that abortion should be legal based on the impact of illegal abortion. In the past, I always thought that a lot of abortion happened because of legal abortion. Women had never considered that whether they wanted to keep their unintended pregnancies, and they did not need to worry about abortion would bring punishment. After reading this article, I know there is very little relationship between abortion legality and abortion incidence, but abortion legality is strongly correlated with abortion safety. “Estimates of the annual number of illegal abortions in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s ranges from 200,000 to 1.2 million” (Abortion Access Project). Illegal abortion would cause safety problem. In addition, doctors lacking skills and an environment lacking the minimal medical standard would lead to unsafe abortion. More than two hundreds women would die from an unsafe abortion each day. Illegal abortion becomes a big factor of...
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