...first point out the fact that abortion is one of the most controversial issues in the United States. The progressive left stands strong on the argument that women deserve the sole right to decide on abortion. As for the conservative right they base their judgment of abortion on religious aspects than on women’s rights. Whether your stance on abortion is pro or anti it is a legal operation in the United States. In the year 1973 abortion laws were decided by the states. Most of the states banned legal abortion unless the woman’s life was at risk. The controversial case Roe v. Wade changed the outlook on abortion. “In that year, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the controversial case Roe v. Wade. The Roe decision acknowledged both a woman’s ‘fundamental right’ to terminate a pregnancy before fetal viability and the state’s legitimate interest in protecting both the women’s health and the ‘potential’ of the fetus. It prohibited states from banning abortion to protect the fetus before the third trimester of a pregnancy, and it ruled that even during that final trimester, a woman could obtain an abortion if she could prove that her life or health would be endangered by carrying the term”(Gordon, 214). This ruling gave woman the ability to make a decision of aborting a child based on their own rights and beliefs. As of 1973 to the present year of 2003 abortion is a legal procedure but is unfortunately looked upon by some, as murder. My standpoint on abortion is developed by both the progressive...
Words: 768 - Pages: 4
...Should Abortion Be Legal and Accessible? Abortion is viewed as being both right and wrong in many ways and by a diverse selection of people in our society. As some people view abortion as safe and acceptable and a right that women are entitled to, others view the subject as a complete destruction of a helpless life and an unfortunate way to decrease the mental health of a woman who chooses to have an abortion. To begin with, I will address why abortion should be legal. My points for PRO are #1, abortions are safe and #2, women have the right to do want they want with their body. Regarding point #1, abortions are safe, it is easy to agree with that statement due to the fact that abortion is legal to this day and data shows that abortion has a safety record of more than 99%. Since 1973, abortion has been protected under the law and is something that women have a legal right to in all 50 states in the United States of America. According to Jamila Perritt- a board-certified obstetrician, gynecologist, and medical director of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan- major complications occur less than 1% of the time in abortion procedures. Furthermore, in the cases where a complication does occur, the result is similar to the ones that may occur from a miscarriage in which health providers treat every day. Because abortion has become a more common practice in today’s society, it is a matter in which continuous research is put into and is a constant part of regular medical practice for...
Words: 1445 - Pages: 6
...There have been many debates on the topic of abortion from small talks to classrooms and even leading to court rooms or political talks. Abortion has become a highly controversial issue in many parts of the world such as the U.S., India, China, Europe, Africa and etc. Although the literate covers a wide variety of issues leading to abortions, the review will focus on two major themes which emerge repeatedly throughout the literature reviewed. These themes include: abortion is against right to life and the rights a woman has on her own body. Although the literature presents these themes in a variety of context, this paper will focus mainly on whether it is morally right to terminate a pregnancy before normal childbirth. “Pro life” is people who strongly go against abortion, suggesting anyone who supports abortion are “anti life”. Gale (2010) argues that people living together in a society have rights, and if a fetus is a person just like you and me, then it too has rights, ultimately the right to life. He states that many believe that life begins at conception, when an ovum is fertilized by a sperm cell. However, Judith Jarvis Thomson (1971) contends that the development of acorns into oak trees can be used to describe why a fetus is not a person yet, because it does not follow that acorns are oak trees, similar goes to the fact that it does not follow that fetus are persons. Some countries even go to the extent of legalizing abortion given that it is done within 12 weeks from...
Words: 868 - Pages: 4
...medical ethics topic that I have researched is the issue of abortion. Abortion is the deliberate termination of a pregnancy. In the UK, every year around 200,000 women abort unwanted pregnancy. Abortion was legalised in the UK in 1967 through the Abortion Act which allows women to have a free abortion on the NHS if signed off by two doctors. It is a highly controversial issue due to many people showing that it is highly necessary but others say that it’s too easy to have. It was legalised to avoid issues such as back street abortions from occurring as many women were killed or severely injured by them. There are three main methods which are used to abort a foetus; an early medical abortion which can be used up to twelve weeks of pregnancy, vacuum aspiration which is used between seven and fifteen weeks of pregnancy and surgical dilation and evacuation which is used from fifteen weeks of pregnancy. Central to the theological debate are the different views as to when life begins, whether abortion is murder or should it just be seen as another form of birth control? Roman Catholics believe that life begins at the point of conception and preserving life is a ‘primary precept’ whereas the Islamic view is that life begins at 120 days of gestation. These different viewpoints show that abortion is even controversial within different religions. Another clear point of controversy withinthe topic is whether abortion is classified as murder. Albert Schweitzer developed the idea of ‘reverence...
Words: 1717 - Pages: 7
...Abortion: Where Has Morality Gone? In today’s society, often times many people do not even consider the question of morality before taking certain actions, because the subject of morality has become a gray area in which morality can scarcely be defined. For instance, Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines morality as "the quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct” (Webster Online). However, everyone has a different opinion of right and wrong. There are approximately 46 Million abortions per year worldwide about 1.37 Million abortions here in US (abortionno.org). This difference of opinion on what is moral causes many disputes such as in the topic of abortion. Some people believe it is a woman’s prerogative to choose whether or not to have a child, while still many others believe it is “morally” wrong to have an abortion. On the other hand, there are moderates who disagree with the idea or the morality of abortion, but agree that there are certain circumstances that should give the woman the option. Since abortion is essentially the killing of an unborn child, why are women who abort not convicted as murderers, just as women who kill their children face such charges? Morality should be a standard at all times and abortion should be no exception. In fact, abortion is destroying the life of a child; therefore, it should be considered morally wrong, except when extenuating circumstances leave no other choice for the woman. Abortion...
Words: 1138 - Pages: 5
...Claims PRO team 1 Abortions The social media are talking more about abortions. They believe that it’s a decision that should not be argued why women would want an abortion. With the evolving moral standards of society, abortions are becoming more and more justified. Abortions, the practice of removing a fertilized egg from a mother has become a controversial issue in American society, but should be generally supported because you don’t know exactly why women want an abortion or what happened to where she cannot conceive this baby. Abortion advocates must think the American people are fools. They claim the issue is not the morality of abortion, but "who decides--the woman or the state? “Most Americans favor stiff penalties for rapists. Clearly, laws against rape don't let the government decide who gets raped. Instead, these laws indicate that the government has decided rape is an unacceptable practice. Rapists disagree, but the rest of us decided to impose our morality on them. That is what laws are all about. I do not agree that getting an abortion is wrong. 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...
Words: 298 - Pages: 2
...where it starts? This leads us to very controversial issue about beginning of life. Some argue that life began at the time of conception and some says birth or later. This leads us to another subject, abortion, which is also very controversial matter. In today’s word, abortion is taking place everywhere. Many of us claim that abortion is murder. Majority agrees with a fact that life start when an egg and sperm meets and fertilization starts. Since fetus have their own genetic code, it is a new life. With that said fetus is another being and have its own rights. In Sharon Stedman case it is morally and ethical wrong for her to do abortion, since she is already four-and-a-half months pregnant. One of the obvious reason that goes against abortion is that, it is ethically and morally wrong. It is morally wrong for Sharon Stedman to abort the baby for just for materialistic reasons. According to professor Dorcas in our class lecture that “Abortion is the act which a women perform in voluntarily terminating her pregnancy” (Chung). That explain that it is a deliberate act which ethically and morally wrong and against the fetus rights. When we talk about right and wrong actions, it take us to Kant’s argument. As stated by Kant, “all behaviors and actions are done by people simply because they are the right things to do. Second, people do things based on whether it is moral rather than on any purposes (Pratt). Kant would argue against the abortion because it is morally wrong to kill...
Words: 739 - Pages: 3
...Should Abortion Be Legal? Joseph Morris PHI 103: Informal Logic William Tullis April 29, 2013 If there is one thing that everyone can agree on, it would have to be that no matter where you are in the world, there is always going to be disagreement. Today’s society is made up of such an abundant number of controversial issues. One of the most controversial issues being abortion- the act of intentionally termination a pregnancy resulting in the death of the fetus (Kreider, A. personal communication, March 24, 2011). Abortion is both constitutionally and morally wrong, and should be illegal in the United States in all but two cases: if the mother was raped (and pregnancy was as a result of the rape) or if the mother’s life would be put in endangerment by the pregnancy. Abortion is murder at any stage of pregnancy, and acts against the U.S. Constitution. Not only does abortion harm innocent babies, but abortion also rises the risk of medical complications for the mother. Majority of women who choose to abort regret the decision later in life. There is always a way to prevent pregnancy, and if by some chance pregnancy does occur and the baby is not wanted there are other options besides abortion. “When a murderer kills a woman who is with child; the murderer is charged with two counts of capital murder. Why is this?” (Huffman, 2010). The reason is because a fetus is a person whether he or she is born or unborn. Life begins at conception, since living...
Words: 2783 - Pages: 12
...protest abortion year-round claiming that abortion is murder and unconstitutional. Then there are some who believe people should have a choice whether they want to keep their child or not due to the fact many people cannot afford a child, have responsibilities in which a baby will interfere with, or even as harsh as being raped and becoming pregnant. So the question being asked around the world by many people is “Should abortion be illegal?” One of the most controversial issues debated between lawmakers and legislatures has been abortion. Disputes concerning the legalization of abortions first started back in the early 1820s. In 1965, abortion was made illegal in all states, unless the fetus was deformed or if the birth of the child would hurt the mother. In 1973, everything changed in the Supreme Court case Roe vs. Wade which ended up legalizing abortion. The Supreme Court ruled that it is the mother’s choice on whether she wants to become a parent or not. Abortion has been divided into two groups known as Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. Pro-Life supporters want abortion to be illegal everywhere and no longer performed not only in the United States but the entire world where abortion is available. Pro-Choice supporters believe that the decision of whether a woman wants to keep their child in her decision and hers only despite what others say and including the government. There has never been a dominant attitude towards abortion. During the ancient Greek times, abortion was seen...
Words: 1148 - Pages: 5
...Abortion is one of those topics that makes everybody want to scream, whether they are for or against it. People who are against abortion speak as if there is no restraint when it comes to taking away the reproductive rights of women. Advocates of abortion rights do not always have the facts straight. If the people do not understand what their rights are, how can they defend them. People who are for abortion need to understand why it is a constitutional right and what barriers the court has put out to protect the unborn child. The process of abortion has caused many controversial court cases and amendments, many movements, and has many medical reasons for and against it. The issue of abortion has led to many controversial court cases such as...
Words: 1144 - Pages: 5
...reference to the topic you have investigated. The topic that I have chosen to investigate is Abortion. Abortion is the premature termination of a pregnancy and foetus. There are two types of Abortion one being natural and procured. A natural Abortion happen without any human interference and are called miscarriages. On the other hand, Procured Abortions come about through the use of contraceptive or medical procedures. There are a number of methods used to commit an abortion. One method of abortion is an early medical abortion which involves taking two pills, which happens up to nine weeks of pregnancy. Another method of abortion is a suction termination from 7 to 15 weeks of pregnancy which uses a gentle suction to remove the foetus from the womb likewise there is a surgical dilation and evacuation from 15 weeks of pregnancy and finally a late abortion from 20-24 weeks. Pro-Choice supporters think that Abortion is acceptable as it is the right of the mother to do what she wants. On the other hand, Pro-Life supporters think the opposite and prioritise the rights of the Foetus, as they see the undeveloped potential of each individual foetus and say that every foetus has the potential to grow into a great person, and abortions mean that it can never happen. Abortion is a very controversial topic as religious views may go against abortion for example christians believe that abortion is morally wrong as in the bible our bodies are referred to as a temple and therefore should not...
Words: 1750 - Pages: 7
...10/21/2012 Abortion: Is it her choice or theirs While a woman should have the right to choose abortion without being criticized, the issue of abortion is very disputable. Everyone has their own individual opinion. Many people believe abortion is a moral issue, but it is also a constitutional issue. It is a woman's right to choose what she does with her body, and it should not be altered or influenced by anyone else Abortion represents a woman's right to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy, and this is a fundamental human right and reproductive freedom that is protected by the United States Constitution. This basic and important reproductive choice should not be made by the government or any other outside force against the woman's wishes but solely by the individual woman herself. Abortion is quite the controversial matter in society today; however, it is not widely discussed, and therefore it is hard for one to express their opinions on the matter. Regardless, many people have their views on the subject, whether these views be educated and well thought up, or simply a general view as to why abortion should or should not be practiced. However, for the most part, it seems that certain social groups of society tend to think the same way on abortion. Many forms of religion are opposed to abortion. In their eyes, abortion is a form of murder in that it involves the taking of an innocent life. Issues of life and death are closely linked to spiritual issues and should...
Words: 1524 - Pages: 7
...Affiliation Health practitioners are faced with many ethical issues. These issues are very challenging and occur on a daily basis. Some of the issues are controversial because they leave people with many thoughts and ideas either in support or against. Some of these issues have an impact in the society which is either negative or positive. This is because they have helped the society and the legal system and the health care system. This is because they value life and their main aim is to protect the life and well being of people in all aspects. This will be an analysis of ethical issues and their relation to the cycle of life. The cycle begins from beginning of life, to sustaining and improving quality of life and ends with death and dying. In each cycle there are controversial issues involved (Meilaender, 2013). In the beginning of life there are various ethical issues that are relating to it. They are family planning, abortion and prenatal ethics. This paper will only focus on abortion. It is described as the intentional termination of a pregnancy before a baby is born. To many people, it is termed as an unethical practice. It is said that abortion is first degree murder and anyone caught in the act should be prosecuted. The main problem is that health care practitioners are the ones who help women have abortions. They do this criminal act at a small fee. This shows that both the person having the abortion and the health care practitioner do not respect life. They are...
Words: 972 - Pages: 4
...It’s a Woman’s Choice to Have an Abortion Angel Jones Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare AIU Virtual Campus October 31, 2015 It’s a Woman’s Choice to Have an Abortion Abortion is defined as the termination of a pregnancy before birth using medicine or surgery, resulting in the removal of the fetus and placenta from a woman’s uterus. Because the process of this procedure ultimately results in the death of the fetus, Abortion has been one of the most debated ethical issues of our time and dividing our nation (Raffel, Borgone, D’Ambrosio, Heydon, 2015). The world is divided on this issue with pro-choice supporters on one side, pro-life supporters on the other side, and the government in the middle. The government is trying to eliminate the option of abortion for women, stripping them of their right to make decisions concerning their bodies. Is it fair? Everyone has their own opinion or arguments against abortion, but ultimately it should be the woman who makes the choice whether to have an abortion or not. There have been many debates on abortion between the pro-life and pro-choice supporters. Among those topics debated has been whether or not abortions are safe, considered murder, or if it’s used as a form of contraception. The pro-life supporters have argued that life begins at the time of conception so abortion is considered murder. The pro-choice supporters fired back stating that nearly all abortions take place in the first trimester, when a fetus cannot...
Words: 1078 - Pages: 5
...Ever since the Roe vs Wade case abortion, has become a highly controversial issue. With about a million babies dying every year through this practice, it has escalated into something unimaginable (Brown). This issue has many supporters and non-supporters ranging from women who’ve had the procedure, to the doctors that carry it out, to the protesters in front of the clinics demanding that the atrocities stop. So what exactly is abortion? According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary an abortion is the medical procedure used to end a pregnancy and cause the death of the fetus. So basically you’re killing a baby and taking a precious human life. Supporters of abortion believe that the fetus doesn’t count as a human until they are brought into the...
Words: 858 - Pages: 4