Education Is The Key

In this argument there are many differing viewpoints which all have a sound basis whether for against abortion. I'm quite sure if you talk to someone who has had an abortion there will be a strong possibility that they have some regrets on making that decision. I do not think you would hear anyone who has had an abortion say it was the best decision they ever made. I agree with Nichole that abortion should not be made illegal, especially in cases of rape or incest. However, I do think people, especially young people should have to take some steps and get better educated on abortion before they pull the proverbial trigger. I am a firm believer in educating or youth and making very option available to them possible, cause lets face it our kids live in a culture saturated with sex. We must protect our children the best we can by giving them the tools needed to make informed decisions before, during, and after pregnancy.

Choices By People, Not Courts

In regards to Nichole’s post titled “When is it appropriate”, Nichole agrees that abortions might be morally wrong but could also be necessary in some cases. I agree that it is a complicated moral dilemma for women and it should be the women’s choice. She goes on to say that it would be hard to regulate women who might seek abortions because of a back up of court cases if abortions were made illegal. While I do agree that abortions should not be made illegal and only legal in certain circumstances. I don't agree that the courts system would need to be greatly involved. I'm saying that abortions should be perscribed like perscription drugs and regulated by the courts system.There should be certain criteria that a woman must meet in order to be given an abortion and certain facts and information should be given to women about abortions before they make that decision.
There is however a better way to prevent alot of abortions from ever having to be a choice made by many young women.In every sitauation people face in life there are choices. These choices determine determine outcomes that lead to more choices and so forth. Its a never ending cycle that happens every moment of our lives, and we must live with these choices no matter the outcome. A fetus that is inside the womb of a woman has no choices to make. It dosen't choose when it's heart, skeletal structure, tissues or organs develop. It dosen't even choose when it is going to come into the world and take it's first breath. Those decisions are left up to nature. Furthermore I beleive women need to be better informed about not just other options like adoption, but also the after effects of having an abortion like post abortion syndrome.Post abortion syndrome can have effects that can last decades after the abortion is performed(Why Women Should Not Choose Abortion). If we as a society take better stake in informing young people about things like abortion and sex then our young people might make better decisions for themselves. Teenage abortion rates did not change from 2002 to 2007 making me question whether or not we are educating our teenagers on these topics. Just like everything knowledege is key to making an informed decision in these matters.



citation



Chittom, Lynn-nore. "Counter Point: Why Women Should Choose Not To Abort"

2007, p.3-3,1p Points Of View: Abortion. Century College. 9/18/2009

http://search.ebscohost.com.cenproxy.mnpals.net/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=2W62W6890907464&site=pov-live



Marcotty, Joesephine. "State abortions rates have declined; why not for teens?: The teen abortion rate, once on the decline, remains flat - and rose among 18- and 19-year-olds.

Star Tribune. Points Of View: Abortion. Century COllege 9/18/2009
http://search.ebscohost.com.cenproxy.mnpals.net/login.aspx?direct=true&db=pwh&AN=2W62W6890907464&site=pov-live

Compromise

The debate on abortion will continue whether it is legal or not. It is a topic that everyone has an opinion on but there is no real consensus on a solution. The best option to appease both sides is to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place. If we can increase the availability of contraception and implement more sex education for the public at large we may be able to make a dent in the current abortion rate. There also needs to be early pregnancy screening and adequate prenatal care to prevent pregnancy-related complications and to increase the health of the babies in utero. These measures combined would be steps in the right direction for pro-life and pro-choice advocates. The ultimate goal of pro-choice activists isn’t to promote abortion but to protect the right to a safe and legal means to terminate a pregnancy if need be, while pro-life supporters want to protect life at all stages of development. Preventative education, increased prenatal care, and widespread contraception would meet the objectives of both groups by limiting abortions and preserving unborn lives. This topic goes beyond the argument of abortion itself and enters the realm of women’s rights and reproductive freedom.

No matter what steps we take, abortions due to unwanted pregnancies will continue to occur as well as abortions related to legitimate medical complications (i.e. fetal anomalies and other pregnancy-related health issues). What we do have the ability to accomplish is reducing the overall rate of abortions by the above mentioned measures. These cases require the legal option of abortion to protect women’s health and their reproductive rights. Reversing Roe v. Wade would be a step backwards for our country, forcing women to have illegal and risky procedures performed often at the cost of their own lives.

When is it appropriate?

Abortion is a multifaceted issue that continues to be a hot topic of debate. Even when focusing on the legal aspects of abortion moral issues and fetus rights are brought into the argument. Nick argues that he believes some abortions are wrong but they should be allowed under other circumstances, which brings in the whole host of issues I listed above. If he is referring to morally wrong he may have a point. Many people think abortion is morally wrong and to some extent I agree. I believe that the choice to have an abortion creates a moral dilemma for most women but their circumstances don't allow for a decision based on morals alone. It is also true that morals differ from person to person and cannot be considered in the law protecting women's health and reproductive freedom.

The other topic Nick's argument brings to mind is regarding the circumstances that would have to exist for an abortion to be deemed appropriate and also which instances would abortion be considered unnecessary. An editorial quote from the New York Times eloquently stated the point I would like to make, "The argument for unregulated abortion rests on the idea that where there are exceptions, there cannot be a rule. Because rape and incest can lead to pregnancy, because abortion can save women's lives, because babies can be born into suffering and certain death, there should be no restrictions on abortion whatsoever" (Douthat par. 7). Now this is only a portion of this article, the writer goes on to list some disturbing statistics that argue against the medical necessity of the majority of abortions. He states that half of the 1,000,000 abortions performed in the U.S. each year are repeat abortions and around a quarter are third or fourth procedures. He goes on to say, "Of the more than 100,000 abortions that are performed after the first trimester very few involve medical complications of any kind" (par. 6) Yes, these statistics are unnerving and are very good arguments against abortion, but there will always be cases that will be considered exceptions to any law banning abortion. This means if abortion became illegal then each woman pursuing an abortion would have to prove her case in court. Not only would this cost taxpayers a ridiculous amount of money in court fees but women in need of an abortion would be delayed for weeks or even months before a decision was made in their case. Regulating abortion on a case by case basis sounds like a good idea in theory but it is not a viable option.

Works Cited

Douthat, Ross. "Not All Abortions Are Equal." New York Times 9 June 2009. Lexis Nexis. Century College Library, White Bear Lake, MN. Web. 11 Sept. 2009.

Women Low Priority?

Joey's recent post regarding the so-called evidence showing the number of illegal abortions being significantly less before Roe v. Wade is completely unfounded. I'm not sure where anyone got the number 600,000 from, seeing that these illegal procedures were not exactly documented. I do agree with you on one point, the illegal means of abortion by all of the methods you mentioned are absolutely horrific. Again, these desperate and extreme measures caused substantial injury and even the death of many women. Contrary to what Joey implies in her previous post, it is relevant and essential to include women's health in the topic of abortion. Their lives are no less important because they have aborted a fetus.

Taking both sides into account, prevention of unwanted pregnancies would satisfy both pro-life and pro-choice groups. In an ideal world the answer does lie in prevention rather than abortion, but we all know we don't live in a perfect world. Another conclusion from the WHO study I referred to in my previous post states, "The statistics indicate that the places in the world where abortion is legal and where contraceptives are easily available are also the places with the fewest abortions relative to population" ("Curb" par. 3). Perhaps the most realistic goal is lowering the number of abortions by promoting widespread contraception use. We can all work on prevention but it is impossible to completely eradicate abortion.

Works Cited

"Want to Curb Abortion? Keep It Safe and Legal." Editorial. St. Petersburg Times. 20 Oct. 2007, South Pinellas Edition: 16a. Lexis Nexis. Century College Library, White Bear Lake, MN. Web. 3 Sept. 2009.

Murder as an Option?

All that is being considered here is the right of the woman to choose whether or not she wants to have an abortion. You are both failing to consider the other human being involved in the situation -- the child. The child is dependent on the mother and father to make decisions in his or her best interest and in this case the decision to be made is whether or not to allow them a chance at life. First degree murder, defined in the dictionary, is the killing of a human being by a sane person, with intent, or malice. So the law currently allows certain types of abortion which is ending life in the womb. I want to know why we are allowed to take certain lives and not allowed to take others. It was asked in an earlier post, where is the line and when should abortions be legal. I think a more important question should be why are we drawing the line at some murders are legal and some are not, especially when the people at risk are certainly unable to speak for themselves and are at the mercy of the person who gets to decide.

In response to the comments about "back-alley" abortions and the Roe vs. Wade impact, abortions have increased from approxametly 600,000 per year to over 1.5 million since they have been legalized (Strauss). This shows that when abortions were illegal and women that were using back-alley methods such as sticking themselves with wire hangers or consuming tissue-eating lye to dispose of their babies, the numbers were significantly less. They were still outrageous, but significantly less. The only history we have to base our future opinions on is the facts from before the legalization. Back-alley abortions are horrible, tragic, and grusome - but the human lives of irrational mothers would not likely be saved whether abortion was legal or not. This should not be a topic that is high on the priority list when making decisions about the laws of abortion.

Strauss Lilo T., MA, Gamble Sonya B., MS, Parker Wilda Y., Cook Douglas A., MBIS, Zane
Suzzane B., DVM, Hamdan Saeed MD, PHD. "Abortion Surveilence---United States,
2003." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 24 Nov. 2006. Web. 6 Sept. 2009.

Back Alley

Back alley abortions will definitely increase if abortion is made illegal in the United States. Women without any legal alternatives will turn to risky procedures to terminate a pregnancy. Legal or not, abortions are being done all over the world and will continue to take place as long as unwanted pregnancies continue to occur. According to a recent study done by the World Health Organization and Guttmacher Institute, "Globally, abortion accounts for 13 percent of women's deaths during pregnancy and childbirth" (Rosenthal par. 2). The statistics also indicate that "about 20 million abortions that would be considered unsafe are performed each year and that 67,000 women die as a result of complications from those abortions, most in countries where abortion is illegal" (par. 10). Clearly, women who only have illegal means to have an abortion are putting themselves at a much higher risk of death than women who have legal and medically regulated abortions. Pro-life groups are not only looking to keep late term abortions banned, they are looking to have all abortions outlawed regardless of the circumstances (including rape, incest, and severe birth deformities).

Works Cited

Rosenthal, Elisabeth. "Legal or not, Abortion Rates Compare." New York Times 12 Oct. 2007, Late Edition: 8a. Lexis Nexis. Century College Library, White Bear Lake, MN. Web. 3 Sept. 2009.

Opinons or Fact

One of the arguments of womans rights groups is that by making abortions illegal it will increase the number of illegal "back alley" abortions and cause the death of women who run into complications while having the abortion. Of course the objection of some pro lifers is that banning abortions dosen't have an effect on the number of deaths caused by illegal abortions,"..the number of women who died from abortions prior to the legalization has been drastically exaggerated; furthermore, woman still die each year from complications of legal abortions" argues Clarke D. Forsythe in Contemporary Issues Companion: Womens's Rights. In 2003 the Supreme court ruled to uphold the a ban on certain types of "late term" abortions. The question now looming seems to be along the lines of when should abortion be legal? 1.Forsythe, Clarke D.

"Legal Abortion Is Not Necessary to Protect Women's Health." Contemporary Issues Companion: Women's Rights. Ed. Shasta Gaughen. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2003. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Century College Library. 6 Sep. 2009 .

Who decides?

Pro-life groups are steadily pushing their agenda into the political arena. Charmaine Yoest, president of Americans United for Life (a politically powerful pro-life group), was even involved in the recent swearing in of Judge Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Yoest lobbied senators to vote against the confirmation of Sotomayor because of her answers to abortion-related questions. How much power do organizations like this have? To my surprise, they have been involved in every pro-life case heard by the Supreme Court since Roe v. Wade ("Testifies" 2009). On the aforementioned video, Yoest slams Judge Sotomayor’s judicial philosophy. My assessment, from her seven minute speech, is that she simply did not like Sotomayor’s answers on the regulation of abortion. Yoest pitted herself and her organization against Sotomayor because she does not support their agenda. The AUL does not believe abortion is a woman’s right; however, that is far from the truth, a woman is well within her rights to make decisions that involve her body, her health, and her reproductive life. You may think pro-lifers are the minority in the United States, however, a Gallup Poll shows 47% of people consider themselves pro-life, 46% pro-choice, and of the pro-choice group only 21% said abortion should be legal under any circumstances (Biskupic par. 10). So what does this really mean? Most citizens in the U.S. want some form of restriction on abortion. Since the majority of people are pro-life, it is certainly plausible that abortion could become illegal. But who decides when abortion is appropriate and when it’s not? It is the fundamental right of a woman to have control of her own body and carry out reproduction when she deems appropriate.

Works Cited

Biskupic, Joan. “Abortion Fight is Enduring Divide.” USA Today 24 July 2009, Final Edition: 5a. Lexis Nexis. Century College Library, White Bear Lake, MN. Web. 3 Sept. 2009.

“Dr. Charmaine Yoest Testifies Before the Senate Judiciary Committee.” AUL.com. 2009. Web. 4 Sept. 2009 .

Abortion is no doubt one of the most controversial issues in the 21st century. It has created a firestorm in both politics and religion that can stir up emotions that have even lead to violence. Lately the issues of woman rights and the right to life have been making waves in the splitting party lines. The landmark decision in 1971 Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade made abortion in the first trimester the woman's choice no matter the circumstance. While most conservatives and pro-lifers argue that most abortions should be illegal and that the unborn fetus is as important as the mother's life, others beleive that there are some instances where the mother's life is at risk and the fetus must be aborted to save the woman's life. While I agree that some abortions are wrong, on the other hand there are other circumstances when it is necessary, and it is the woman's right to save her own life.

Uphold Roe v. Wade

It is crucial to defend women’s freedom of choice in regard to reproductive rights. The decision by the Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade upholds the legal right for a woman to have an abortion during the first trimester of her pregnancy. Pro-life advocates would like to have Roe v. Wade overturned, thus making abortion illegal in the United States. They are under the impression making abortion illegal will dissuade women from having the procedure done. Just the opposite is true, making abortion illegal will only force desperate women to seek out dangerous back alley abortions. Legal abortions are done under sterile and safe conditions in medical facilities with little risk to the woman's health. A decision this important and personal should not be left in the hands of lawmakers.