Her Choice, Her Problem
In Richard Stith’s “Her Choice, Her Problem” article, Stith presents an argument of how pressure, responsibility, and burden are placed on women by family, friends, and employers since abortion became an option for pregnancy. The article describes that women who have the right for an abortion can be blamed for their choice, no matter the reasoning, and give men empowerment and freedom from the repercussion of sexual intercourse and conception. Therefore, the easy access to abortion has eliminated the consequences of sexual intercourse.
Since abortion is now legalized in the United States, the expectation and frequency of sexual relationships has been increasing. As a result, women find themselves in a difficult situation to deny themselves to a man without losing him due to pressure of sexual exploitation.
Abortion seems to liberate certain type of men, those who just want sex. However, this liberation is actually an enslavement to women. Legalized in 1973, there have been over 57 million abortion in the United States alone. These deaths of unborn children has created a social disaster which is apparent by female poverty and the neglect of women by careless males. Furthermore, abortion allows men to escape their moral commitment to marry and take responsibility for their children.
I agree with Stith that women receive blame for elective abortions. In our culture today, a woman is now solely responsible for aborting a pregnancy, despite influential pressures. However, this shouldn’t relieve a man’s responsibility to prevent pregnancy or force a woman down this path, but ultimately, woman is the only person who determines life of a child if she becomes pregnant.
This article reminds me of the issue of physician assisted suicide and euthanasia. While not legal in all but one state (Oregon) in the United States, this subject holds