Photo by Liv Bruce on Unsplash Imagine all the life experiences people can achieve a lifetime. Now imagine that none of that happened because the woman faced with an unwanted pregnancy decided abortion was the best choice is to get rid of the problem. Why would that happen? Some people believe it is the woman’s body and she has the right to do what she thinks is right for her body. Luu Ireland of the University of Massachusetts Medical School stated, “Women choose abortion for multiple reasons. The most common reason cited is that pregnancy would interfere with education, work or ability to care for dependents.'' What about the life inside that woman? Does it have rights? Is abortion the only way to get rid of the “problem”? Any person, young or old, who believes abortion is a viable option to giving birth should understand that this is a life and death matter, because life begins at conception, abortions reduce the number of adoptable babies, abortion promotes a belief that life is disposable, and abortion is the same as murder.
To begin with, anyone considering an abortion, should understand that this is a life and death matter because science has proved that when a human egg is fertilized, all the material to create that human being is immediately transferred from the mother and father. The father contributes half the DNA and the mother provides the other half. From that point on, who that human being is going to be is already decided. The embryo has all the characteristics, chromosomes, and genetic material that is present in almost all living organisms. The book, Human Embryology & Teratology, states, “Although life is a continuous process, fertilization is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed...” (O’Rahilly et al12). Given that the human embryo is a living organism with a structure of DNA, it will be who it was from conception to an embryo to a fetus to an infant. People argue abortion is legal because a fetus can’t live outside the mother. They believe, “Viability has . . . become an important feature of the law . . . . In jurisdictions adopting this approach, abortion is lawful or accessed with less difficulty, before the point that a fetus is deemed viable” (Romanis). Since an embryo has all the chromosomes and DNA that it will carry for all its life, it is a living human being. Just because it gets oxygen from the blood of its mother through the umbilical cord, does not mean it isn't alive. Viability means nothing. The fact is that it is a life even though it is temporarily inside the mother, or not viable, should help anyone to understand that at conception the fertilized egg is already alive.
Moving on, another life and death matter when considering abortion is that abortions reduce the number of babies that are available for adoption. The Adoption network estimates that there are between, “one and two million couples” waiting to adopt a baby, and that “. . . there are about 1.3 million abortions” every year. Yet, “only 4% of women with unwanted pregnancies place their children through adoption”. If a woman does not want to become a Mom, then there are millions of women who want to be but can’t have their own child. The argument is that, “. . . children born should preferably be wanted children . . .”, then abortion is not the only option for an unwanted pregnancy. (Humanist International) There are ways to control whether or not a woman gets pregnant. She can take birth control or use other methods. The ratio of abortions to live births is “ . . . 186 abortions per 1,000 live births”(CDC). That’s 186 more babies that anyone who is considering abortion could realize that just because the child they are carrying is unwanted should realize that that child could be adopted by a mom and dad who are waiting for a child.
Another reason this is a life and death matter for anyone considering abortion, is that it promotes a belief that life is disposable. Life is precious, and ending a pregnancy by killing the life inside throws that life away. In 2014, Congressman, Randy Hultgren said, “When we tell one another that abortion is okay, we reinforce the idea that human lives are disposable, that we can throw away anything or anyone that inconveniences us”. Some claim that abortion is needed when the fetus has something wrong with it, or has a disability like Downs Syndrome, because the fetus will never live a normal life, but whose life are these people trying to protect? You should never kill someone just for selfish reasons. If someone is considering abortion they should understand that there are other options to this life and death matter, and no life is disposable.
More importantly, there is a life and death issue anyone considering an abortion should realize before making that decision. The killing of an innocent human is wrong. It is actually murder. The dictionary defines murder as, “ . . . the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought” (Murder, Merriam-Webster). Even the U.S. government and 38 states know how wrong it is, and even passed a law protecting unborn babies against violent acts. This is U.S. Code 1841, known as the Protection of Unborn Children law. This law makes it a crime to injure an unborn child “maliciously”, and considers them as human beings by the Federal government. The claim that women control their own body was supported by the courts in an abortion case knows as Roe v. Wade. It stated, “. . . the Constitution gives “a guarantee of certain areas or zones of privacy,” and that “This right of privacy… is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy”(Romanis). Regardless of what this case says, the unborn child is a human being and the woman carrying it inside of her is like an incubator. So in the end, the consideration of abortion before a baby takes its first breath is not only a life and death issue, it is still murder.
In conclusion, any person, young or old, who believes abortion is a viable option to giving birth should definitely reconsider this life and death matter. People who supported abortion might have been preoccupied with viability, or the ability to survive outside the womb, and the right of the woman to control her own body regardless of the fetus inside her. However, as the evidence above indicates life begins at conception, abortion reduces the number of adoptable infants, abortion promotes a belief that life is disposible, and that abortion is actually murder. First, who you are when you are born is determined at conception even though the fetus continues to grow and develop because the genetics are set at conception. Second, if a woman does not want to become a Mom, then there are millions of women who want to be but can’t have their own child, so adoption is an option. Third, life isn’t something you just throw away. It is precious and you only get one shot at it. When you think about it, abortion is even worse than killing someone, because you are killing them before they can even experience life. Fourth, The killing of an innocent human is wrong. It is actually murder. Even the US government and 38 states know how wrong it is, and passed a law protecting unborn babies against violent acts. Imagine all the life experiences people can achieve in a lifetime, if when the mother is faced with an unwanted pregnancy, abortion was not the option because the woman understood abortion is a life and death matter and chose life instead of death.
Works Cited List
“18 U.S. Code § 1111 - Murder.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1111. (Went into law June 25, 1948)
“18 U.S. Code § 1841 - Protection of Unborn Children.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1841.
“Abortion.” Abortion - MU School of Medicine, medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/health-ethics/faq/abortion.
“Abortion.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2020, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abortion.
“CDCs Abortion Surveillance System FAQs.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 Nov. 2019, www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/abortion.htm.
Goldsmith, Barton. “People Are Not Disposable.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 6 July 2015, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-fitness/201507/people-are-not-disposable
Hamilton, Brady, et al. “Vital Statistics Rapid Release PDF.” CDC, CDC.gov, May 2020.
Ireland, Luu. “Who Are the 1 in 4 American Women Who Choose Abortion?” University of Massachusetts Medical School, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 27 June 2019, www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2019/05/who-are-the-1-in-4-american-women-who-choose-abortion/.
Marianne Bitler Madeline Zavodny, et al. “Did Abortion Legalization Reduce the Number Of Unwanted Children? Evidence from Adoptions.” Guttmacher Institute, Guttmacher Institute, 6 Dec. 2016, www.guttmacher.org/journals/psrh/2003/01/did-abortion-legalization-reduce-number-unwanted-children-evidence-adoptions.
“Murder.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2020, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murder.
O'Rahilly, Ronan, and Müller Fabiola. Human Embryology & Teratology. 2nd ed., Wiley-Liss, 1996.
“Population Control, Family Planning and Abortion.” Humanists International, 28 Jan. 2019, humanists.international/policy/population-control-family-planning-and-abortion/.
“Pros & Cons - ProCon.org.” Abortion, 4 June 2020, abortion.procon.org/.
“Pros & Cons - ProCon.org.” Abortion, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 June 2020, abortion.procon.org/.
“Pros and Cons of Abortion: 16 Things Every Woman Should Know.” Unplanned Pregnancy,
Indikon Media, 2020, unplannedpregnancy.com/abortion/making-your-abortion-decision/pros-and-cons-of-abortion/.
Rettner, Rachael. “Is a 'Fetal Heartbeat' Really a Heartbeat at 6 Weeks?” LiveScience, Purch, 17 May 2019, www.livescience.com/65501-fetal-heartbeat-at-6-weeks-explained.html?_ga=2.248162887.1981102804.1604866831-1435737810.1604866829.
Romanis, Elizabeth Chloe. “Is 'Viability' Viable? Abortion, Conceptual Confusion and the Law in England and Wales and the United States.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 9 Oct. 2020, academic.oup.com/jlb/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jlb/lsaa059/5918485.
“US Adoption Statistics.” Adoption Network, Adoption Network Law Center, 2020, adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-statistics.
To begin with, anyone considering an abortion, should understand that this is a life and death matter because science has proved that when a human egg is fertilized, all the material to create that human being is immediately transferred from the mother and father. The father contributes half the DNA and the mother provides the other half. From that point on, who that human being is going to be is already decided. The embryo has all the characteristics, chromosomes, and genetic material that is present in almost all living organisms. The book, Human Embryology & Teratology, states, “Although life is a continuous process, fertilization is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed...” (O’Rahilly et al12). Given that the human embryo is a living organism with a structure of DNA, it will be who it was from conception to an embryo to a fetus to an infant. People argue abortion is legal because a fetus can’t live outside the mother. They believe, “Viability has . . . become an important feature of the law . . . . In jurisdictions adopting this approach, abortion is lawful or accessed with less difficulty, before the point that a fetus is deemed viable” (Romanis). Since an embryo has all the chromosomes and DNA that it will carry for all its life, it is a living human being. Just because it gets oxygen from the blood of its mother through the umbilical cord, does not mean it isn't alive. Viability means nothing. The fact is that it is a life even though it is temporarily inside the mother, or not viable, should help anyone to understand that at conception the fertilized egg is already alive.
Moving on, another life and death matter when considering abortion is that abortions reduce the number of babies that are available for adoption. The Adoption network estimates that there are between, “one and two million couples” waiting to adopt a baby, and that “. . . there are about 1.3 million abortions” every year. Yet, “only 4% of women with unwanted pregnancies place their children through adoption”. If a woman does not want to become a Mom, then there are millions of women who want to be but can’t have their own child. The argument is that, “. . . children born should preferably be wanted children . . .”, then abortion is not the only option for an unwanted pregnancy. (Humanist International) There are ways to control whether or not a woman gets pregnant. She can take birth control or use other methods. The ratio of abortions to live births is “ . . . 186 abortions per 1,000 live births”(CDC). That’s 186 more babies that anyone who is considering abortion could realize that just because the child they are carrying is unwanted should realize that that child could be adopted by a mom and dad who are waiting for a child.
Another reason this is a life and death matter for anyone considering abortion, is that it promotes a belief that life is disposable. Life is precious, and ending a pregnancy by killing the life inside throws that life away. In 2014, Congressman, Randy Hultgren said, “When we tell one another that abortion is okay, we reinforce the idea that human lives are disposable, that we can throw away anything or anyone that inconveniences us”. Some claim that abortion is needed when the fetus has something wrong with it, or has a disability like Downs Syndrome, because the fetus will never live a normal life, but whose life are these people trying to protect? You should never kill someone just for selfish reasons. If someone is considering abortion they should understand that there are other options to this life and death matter, and no life is disposable.
More importantly, there is a life and death issue anyone considering an abortion should realize before making that decision. The killing of an innocent human is wrong. It is actually murder. The dictionary defines murder as, “ . . . the crime of unlawfully killing a person especially with malice aforethought” (Murder, Merriam-Webster). Even the U.S. government and 38 states know how wrong it is, and even passed a law protecting unborn babies against violent acts. This is U.S. Code 1841, known as the Protection of Unborn Children law. This law makes it a crime to injure an unborn child “maliciously”, and considers them as human beings by the Federal government. The claim that women control their own body was supported by the courts in an abortion case knows as Roe v. Wade. It stated, “. . . the Constitution gives “a guarantee of certain areas or zones of privacy,” and that “This right of privacy… is broad enough to encompass a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy”(Romanis). Regardless of what this case says, the unborn child is a human being and the woman carrying it inside of her is like an incubator. So in the end, the consideration of abortion before a baby takes its first breath is not only a life and death issue, it is still murder.
In conclusion, any person, young or old, who believes abortion is a viable option to giving birth should definitely reconsider this life and death matter. People who supported abortion might have been preoccupied with viability, or the ability to survive outside the womb, and the right of the woman to control her own body regardless of the fetus inside her. However, as the evidence above indicates life begins at conception, abortion reduces the number of adoptable infants, abortion promotes a belief that life is disposible, and that abortion is actually murder. First, who you are when you are born is determined at conception even though the fetus continues to grow and develop because the genetics are set at conception. Second, if a woman does not want to become a Mom, then there are millions of women who want to be but can’t have their own child, so adoption is an option. Third, life isn’t something you just throw away. It is precious and you only get one shot at it. When you think about it, abortion is even worse than killing someone, because you are killing them before they can even experience life. Fourth, The killing of an innocent human is wrong. It is actually murder. Even the US government and 38 states know how wrong it is, and passed a law protecting unborn babies against violent acts. Imagine all the life experiences people can achieve in a lifetime, if when the mother is faced with an unwanted pregnancy, abortion was not the option because the woman understood abortion is a life and death matter and chose life instead of death.
Works Cited List
“18 U.S. Code § 1111 - Murder.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1111. (Went into law June 25, 1948)
“18 U.S. Code § 1841 - Protection of Unborn Children.” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1841.
“Abortion.” Abortion - MU School of Medicine, medicine.missouri.edu/centers-institutes-labs/health-ethics/faq/abortion.
“Abortion.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2020, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/abortion.
“CDCs Abortion Surveillance System FAQs.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 Nov. 2019, www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/abortion.htm.
Goldsmith, Barton. “People Are Not Disposable.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 6 July 2015, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/emotional-fitness/201507/people-are-not-disposable
Hamilton, Brady, et al. “Vital Statistics Rapid Release PDF.” CDC, CDC.gov, May 2020.
Ireland, Luu. “Who Are the 1 in 4 American Women Who Choose Abortion?” University of Massachusetts Medical School, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 27 June 2019, www.umassmed.edu/news/news-archives/2019/05/who-are-the-1-in-4-american-women-who-choose-abortion/.
Marianne Bitler Madeline Zavodny, et al. “Did Abortion Legalization Reduce the Number Of Unwanted Children? Evidence from Adoptions.” Guttmacher Institute, Guttmacher Institute, 6 Dec. 2016, www.guttmacher.org/journals/psrh/2003/01/did-abortion-legalization-reduce-number-unwanted-children-evidence-adoptions.
“Murder.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, 2020, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/murder.
O'Rahilly, Ronan, and Müller Fabiola. Human Embryology & Teratology. 2nd ed., Wiley-Liss, 1996.
“Population Control, Family Planning and Abortion.” Humanists International, 28 Jan. 2019, humanists.international/policy/population-control-family-planning-and-abortion/.
“Pros & Cons - ProCon.org.” Abortion, 4 June 2020, abortion.procon.org/.
“Pros & Cons - ProCon.org.” Abortion, Encyclopedia Britannica, 4 June 2020, abortion.procon.org/.
“Pros and Cons of Abortion: 16 Things Every Woman Should Know.” Unplanned Pregnancy,
Indikon Media, 2020, unplannedpregnancy.com/abortion/making-your-abortion-decision/pros-and-cons-of-abortion/.
Rettner, Rachael. “Is a 'Fetal Heartbeat' Really a Heartbeat at 6 Weeks?” LiveScience, Purch, 17 May 2019, www.livescience.com/65501-fetal-heartbeat-at-6-weeks-explained.html?_ga=2.248162887.1981102804.1604866831-1435737810.1604866829.
Romanis, Elizabeth Chloe. “Is 'Viability' Viable? Abortion, Conceptual Confusion and the Law in England and Wales and the United States.” OUP Academic, Oxford University Press, 9 Oct. 2020, academic.oup.com/jlb/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jlb/lsaa059/5918485.
“US Adoption Statistics.” Adoption Network, Adoption Network Law Center, 2020, adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-statistics.
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