Pro-Life or Pro-Choice? When do you consider a baby to be a life? At the moment the child is conceived? At the moment of the child's first heartbeat? At the moment the child is born? This subject is extremely controversial in our society and government. Should a mother be able to decide if she wants her child to live? Luckily for us, our mothers chose life. Others weren't so lucky.
In the mid-to-late 1800s, abortion was made illegal in the United States, but in 1973, with Roe vs. Wade, abortion was legalized once again. The US government made it legal to murder innocent victims. A child could be killed just because their mother doesn't want to deal with a "burden" of having a kid. A baby has his/her first heartbeat 18 to 25 days after he/she is conceived. Most women haven't realized that they are even pregnant by this point. Why does our government give a women the right to choose life or death for another human being?
In my opinion, I don't understand how anyone in their right mind could have an abortion. I also don't understand how our government thinks it's alright to keep it legal. Why do we have all the rights we can think of, but a small baby doesn't even have the right to choose to live? Something seems wrong there to me. If anyone ever asked me if i was against abortion, I would automatically say "yes" even though I didn't know all the reasons why I believed that. I just knew that's what my parents would have wanted me to say. Recently though, I watched the Silent Scream and I now understand why I am pro-life. If everyone took the time to watch this video, I don't think abortion would be legal.
3 comments:
I agree with you. Good post.
Fellow class mate’s blog Pro-life or Pro-Choice? Brooke posses the Pro-Life argument. She feels abortion is wrong and that our government should not allow it to be legal. I doubt anyone would disagree with Brooke that abortion is bad however I feel she is not fully informed regarding the Pro-Choice stance.
As defined on Wikipedia, Pro-Choice is the political and ethical view that a woman should have control over her fertility and the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy. This encompasses reproductive rights, sexual education, access to safe and legal abortion, contraception and fertility treatments as well as legal protection from forced abortion. Indeed many Pro-Choice advocates do not consider themselves “pro-abortion” and are anti-abortion but feel abortion bans actually endanger women’s health. Prior to Roe v. Wade, many sought back-alley abortions with catastrophic results.
I’m not going to debate when life begins. As a Buddhist, I strive to value all life from the unborn fetus to the death row inmate. I’m also not going to discuss why someone in their “right mind” would have an abortion. Obviously no one chooses to get pregnant only to end with an abortion. The core issue is how to prevent abortions. Even in the Silent Scream, they pose the challenge to find a non-violent answer. Many Pro-Life groups include in their argument against abortion the argument against birth control, sex education and premarital sex. How is this giving young women tools to make educated controlled decisions regarding their future and the future of their children? Pro-Life groups often provide as their only solution abstinence. Ironically the newest poster child for abstinence is teen mom Bristol Palin shown in this PSA for Candie’s Foundation. Bristol, in my opinion, arrogantly shows how it’s okay for her to be a teen mom since she comes from a “famous family” but if she didn’t it would be unglamorous.
What are some options supported by Pro-Choice? Pro-Choice groups provide information about and access to reproductive health care. Yes this means abortion but it also includes birth control, sex education, treatment for stds, spiritual support, prenatal treatment and adoption assistance. Their services are not limited to women but encompass male issues and provide male contraceptive such as condoms and even vasectomies. I’ve yet to find a Pro-Life group that even considers vasectomies. Let’s face it. That would prevent countless unplanned pregnancies.
I challenge those who support Pro-Life to recognize that people are sexual and that denying it limits this simple facet of being human. Provide solutions rather than shame. Advocate education rather than ignorance. Acknowledge there are many layers to this issue not just Life or Not.
Baby Killers!!!
The abortion controversy has been a huge debate among politicians since before I can remember. One hears the presidential candidates’ viewpoints on it during almost every presidential debate during election year. Potter Stewart said, “Abortion is inherently different from other medical procedures because no other procedure involves the purposeful termination of a potential life.” I too am a pro-life advocate. I have a 19 month old daughter and could not imagine life without her. My wife and I decided to have a child at a young age, but it never crossed our mind to terminate her when we found out we were pregnant. The keyword to my statement is the word “terminate.” The definition of terminate is to “put to an end prematurely.” Consequently, the definition of murder is the same, “to put to an end prematurely.” I am appalled, that the government allows women to choose whether or not they murder their babies. In article III of the United States Constitution, murder is outlined as a criminal law. Why is it that we allow mothers to chose whether they commit a criminal or not and let them get away with it. In the blog Pro-Life or Pro-Choice Brooke Christensen, recalls the video clip Silent Scream to exemplify her Pro-Life ideology. I agree with the opinions of Ms. Christensen and feel that the decision in Roe vs. Wade should be overturned.
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