Abortion: A Basic Right

Abortion: A Basic Right

The abortion controversy has been debated for years. The presidential election this year has become very involved with this topic. On one side, John F. Kerry, along with third party candidate Ralph Nader, the pro-choice supporters, sees individual choice as central to the debate: If a woman cannot choose to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, a condition which affects her body and possibly her entire life, then she has lost one of her most basic human rights. However, George Bush feels the complete opposite. He thinks having an abortion is unethical and unjust. I agree with Kerry. The government has no right to interfere with a mother’s decision and trying to deny abortion to any woman is denying that mother’s civil rights.

In order to form an opinion on this matter, it is important that one understands many of the common factors, which are constantly debated. When does human life begin? There is a societal agreement that a newborn is a human person. People disagree about whether a zygote, embryo, or fetus is a person. People have different opinions about the stage at which human life begins. This is the core disagreement that drives the abortion wars. Bush argues, “I believe banning partial-birth abortion would be a positive step toward reducing the number of abortions in America. This is an issue that’s going to require a new attitude. We’ve been battling over abortion for a long period of time. Surely this nation can come together to promote the value of life” (Bush). This opinion is based solely on an individual’s moral point of view. Decisions based on those ethical beliefs should not be made by the government. It should be up to the individuals. During conception life is created; however, even though it might be considered a living thing, is it a person? Whether or not abortion should be legal seeks the answer to the question of whether a fetus is a person and if so, at what point does the fetus become a person.

This is a question that cannot be answered rationally or practically. “The concept of personhood is neither logical nor empirical: It is essentially a religious, or quasi-religious idea, based on one's fundamental (and therefore unverifiable) assumptions about the nature of the world”(Campos) In my opinion, to make a person a person there must be evidence of a personality. A personality is formed when a baby has entered the world. It acts and reacts to situations put upon it and forms its opinions in that manner. It is only then that we can consider it a unique person with it’s own personality. Someone could argue that an abortion is taking an unborn child’s life, but what life are they talking about? To be alive, one must have experiences, which an unborn child simply does not have. A woman’s rights outweigh those of an unborn child’s. Society is constantly changing and although the Supreme Court shows sympathy and respect for traditional values, it also recognizes the need for change. The Supreme Court agrees with Kerry and other pro-choice supporters.

One such influential case involving abortion