The Rift Between Life and Death

Roe vs. Wade was a law established in America on January 22nd, 1973. This court decision allowed women to be able to get abortions in the first trimester. Despite this, the debate on whether abortion should be legal is still going on today. Two common views of this discussion are typically expressed through conservatives and liberals: pro-life and pro-choice.

Conservatives are the ones that usually disagree with the concept of abortion. Most republicans are religious; however, being pro-life is not always a religious issue. They believe that life begins at conception; which is when a sperm unites with the egg. If life begins at conception, then abortion would be considered murder. This goes against their moral code since it takes away the potential for life. Liberals also believe that murder is wrong. However, they disagree that life begins at conception. According to them, abortion is not murder. The legal definition of murder is the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another. Someone cannot be murdered if he was not alive to begin with. They do not think a fetus is a human being because it cannot be independent from its mother. It is also not conscious of its surroundings and does not know it exists. A fetus is just a under developed bag of cells that can be safely removed in the first trimester. Despite this debate being about women, men want to also be involved.

A multitude of people think men are sticking their noses where it does not belong: the decision regarding abortion. When it comes to abortion, conservatives believe that a man has every right to have a say. It takes two to make a child; meaning that half of the fetus’ genes come from the biological father. If men are involved in the reproductive process, then they should be able to stop a woman from aborting a fetus. On the other hand, liberals think that a man should have no say whatsoever. Men do not have to go through the struggles women must face during pregnancy and birth. Men do not have to deal with carrying a child for nine months, morning sickness, mood swings, and cravings. They also do not have to experience the pain of squeezing out a mass the size of a bowling ball out of their genitals. A woman’s body should only belong to her. A man should have no control in what she does with it. A fetus is inside a woman and is a part of her body; as a result, it she owns it. A man can give his opinion but a woman needs to make her own decision regarding what is inside of her. Besides the life debate, others think that it also has something to do with responsibility.

Many pregnancies have been unplanned or accidental. Some have even occurred while more than one contraceptive was being used. Conservatives believe that a woman deciding to have a baby is the responsible choice. If she decides to have an abortion, then she is avoiding the consequences of her actions. A few even believe that a woman should not get an abortion if she was raped. They feel that it would be punishing the baby for something it did not do. It would also be unethical prevent someone from having a life because of the actions of another. Less than 1.5 percent of abortion result from rape, incest, or health problems. Therefore, conservatives think most women do not have a justifiable reason to get an abortion. Liberals think that a woman should be able to have one in any case; including rape. They can agree that a fetus is not at fault for rape. However, they also know that it was not the woman’s fault either. No man or women would ever choose to be raped. These women did not make a choice; therefore, they do not have to deal with the responsibilities of having a child. Liberals also claim that not wanting to give birth to a child is reason enough for an abortion. They believe that it is also unethical to force a woman to give birth. That would be a violation of her individual rights. If she is forced to have the child, then she will resent it. This can cause harm to the child because he or she will feel unloved and unwanted. Both sides of the argument can agree on not wanting a child to feel neglected. Conservatives will argue that putting the child up for adoption is the best alternative. Liberals will disagree and say an abortion may be the best alternative for a woman. She could fear her future child never getting adopted and staying in the foster care system. Also, the danger of the child getting physically, emotionally, or sexually abused by the foster parents.This makes liberals see abortion as a practical decision.

Typically, conservatives are pro-life and liberals are pro-choice. The pro-life community see a fetus as a human life that should not be taken away. People who are pro-choice feel that women need to be given more priority over a bundle of cells. It seems like this argument will remain unsolved and continue for decades to come.