Abortion: A Controversial Issue

Abortion: A Controversial Issue

One of the major controversial issues confronting the society today is abortion. I choose abortion as the topic of discussion since it contradicts my values and beliefs. Abortion is the extraction of the human fetus from the mother’s womb with an intention to end the life of that fetus prior to its natural birth. The controversy surrounding abortion is whether it should be legalized or not? In my opinion, abortion is morally and ethically wrong because it leads to violation of human rights. Life is precious and only it’s Creator has the right to take it away. I chose this issue for discussion to bring to light many of the hidden facts and arguments, of which people are unaware and not very sensitive today. Three of the many aspects of abortion can be taken into consideration 1) Motives behind abortion 2) Pro life v/s pro choice. 2) The growth of the “Dead Baby Industry.”

Abortion is an issue lacking of humanity and moral value because of the various motives behind it. Abortion is the most extreme, permanent and devastatingly violent solution, for an unborn child. As said by former Surgeon General and a pediatrician Dr. C. Everett Koop, the most common reason for abortion is convenience. Only three to five percent of all abortions performed are for reasons of rape, incest, the possibility of a deformed child, or severe threat to the life of the mother. As Dr. Koop, has pointed out, the majority of partial birth abortions are not required by medical emergency. According to researchers at the Alan Guttmacher Institute, of those obtaining abortions in 1980, 30 percent were under age 20 and 79 percent were unmarried, which shows that abortions in the United States are most often sought as a "solution" to the problem of pregnancy outside of marriage. The major reason behind most of the abortions is mere inconvenience or unwantedness of the baby seems mean, insensitive and unreasonable.

Pro-life vs. pro choice is a leading fundamental concern regarding the abortion controversy. The main argument of the pro-choice view for legalized abortions has to do with a woman's right to privacy and her right to control her body. The pro-choice viewers do not approve of governmental interference in personal matters like abortion. Certainly this right of privacy and choice is very important, but is it enough to override the fundamental right to life? The pro-life view believes that all living beings should be given equal protection under the law right from conception, i.e. from where their biological life begins. The right to life is the most basic and important right that we have and should be protected over the right to choose . Abortion is called a “choice”. What is really chosen is the killing of a human being. It has been scientifically proven that this is a unique individual human life and not just a bunch of cells. The real question is not about “choice.” It is whether we have the right to kill over 4,000 human beings a day, for any reason (www.abortionfacts.com). In the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates, Abraham Lincoln clearly replied "No one has the right to choose to do what is wrong,” against Mr. Douglas’s argument defending the right to choose.

I strongly take a pro-life stand on the issue of abortion. I’ve been raised in a Hindu family. Ethics and morals play a vital role in my life because the basic Hindu principle of non-violence is embedded within me right from childhood. Hinduism believes that life begins at the very point of conception. Therefore in my opinion, aborting a fully human fetus is definitely considered as a murder. The government cannot grant or deny the right to life, because it does not come from the government, it comes from the Creator of life. The wide agreement amongst men and women on this issue shows that bitterness in political debate can be overcome by compassion, protection and the power of conscience.

Abortion is immoral not only scientifically, but also through a religious perspective. People thoughts, actions and their behavior are usually governed by their religious beliefs. Pro-life arguments are rooted in America’s heritage of respect for god as our creator and the source of our rights. The “Holy