Over 49.5 million people in the United States have been killed through abortion since the Roe vs. Wade decision in 1973. Abortion is an extremely controversial issue; some people think it is wrong, others see no problem in it. Abortion is the intentional termination of a pregnancy after conception, in other words it is the ending of a pregnancy. Although it is a way out of an unwanted pregnancy, it is killing an undeveloped embryo or fetus and that is where the controversy comes into play.
There are two sides to the issue. Supporters of abortion believe that the embryo or fetus is not a living person; therefore the government has no right to take away the option of abortion. “Pro-Choice “ believe that the fetus is a part of the woman’s body and she can do whatever she wants to it. Many supporters of abortion also use the argument of rape. The fact is, less than 3% of women get an abortion after a rape in the U.S. From the words of a woman who is the product of a rape, “my life is not worth any less than yours because of the crime of my father.”
People who oppose abortion believe that the embryo or fetus is a living person that has the right to have his/her life protected by the government. “Pro-life” believes in a voice for the unborn. These supporters will argue that the fetus is a living person; life starts at conception. Although this cannot be proved, there are other facts that attribute to this thought. The minute conception happens, all human chromosomes are present and unique. A fetus has its own personal DNA, not its mother’s. The heart will begin to beat just 22 days after conception, about 3 weeks. At 6 weeks, the fetus is a barely the size of a kidney bean yet brain waves are still being recorded and reflexes are becoming present. All of the parts necessary to feel pain are formed by week 12, including nerves, spinal cord, and thalamus.
Post abortion complications can be an issue for women, many of them not realizing all of the risks involved. Physical problems resulting from the procedure can include hemorrhage, infection, sterility, cervical and ovarian cancer, and even death. The procedure itself can be extremely painful. Aside from the physical side affects, there are also psychological consequences from having an abortion. Depression, sleep disturbance, and mental trauma may occur a few hours after the procedure, or even years.
The bottom line is that pregnancy is 100% preventable. Teenagers receive 19% of abortions in the U.S, and over 52% of the women who obtain abortions are under the age of 25. Abstinence is not forced upon anyone, but contraceptives still greatly reduced the amount of unwanted pregnancies.
Abortion should be illegal not only because it is potentially harmful to the mother’s health and taking the life away from a human that has no voice, but can be prevented through responsible actions that people should be doing in the first place.
By: Katherine Anne Gibson
http://www.nrlc.org/abortion/facts/abortionstats.html
http://www.w-cpc.org/fetal1.html
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/abortion.html
This argument is very clear-cut. Readers should have no problem understanding your point of view or the evidence you use to back it up. I really like the fact that you base your argument not only on the murder-of-the-unborn concept, but on the mother’s health as well. The majority of pro-choice arguments I have encountered focus specifically on the health of the mother as a reason for abortion. By addressing this issue, you make it impossible for anyone to dismiss your argument on account of your definition of life.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are some changes you could make that might strengthen your argument. For example, your opening statement, although eye-catching, immediately alienates the opposition. By referring to aborted fetuses as “people” who were “killed”, you communicate that your argument is purely emotional, and you risk losing your audience before you introduce the logical and ethical sides of your argument.
Another potential weakness of your argument is that you did not discuss the logistical side-effects of making abortion illegal (i.e. increased birth rates, cost of criminal prosecutions, etc.). It may be difficult to research potential effects of such an action, but including such information would lend your argument even more credibility.
--Melanie Kyles
This argument is extremely well written. It is really easy to tell what positon your taking and I feel that you did an outstanding job backing yourself up. What really seemed to make this argument effective was you giving both sides of the issue. Doing this shows that you understand both sides which makes your argument and opinion much more persuasive. The stats and facts that back up the argument are also really effective. I really liked that stat that said that only 3% of women get an abortion after a rape. This statistic, along with the infomation supporting that the fetus is alive, go a long way in supporting your position. What I really found the most interesting, however, was the information that talked about the health affects abortions have on women. I had no idea that abortions had those kind of negative affects on women. That kind of information really doesn't get talked about that much and because of that I feel it really strengthens your argument.
ReplyDeleteBryce Vaught
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ReplyDeleteThis article is really well put together. I like how you started out the post with an attention getting statistic. It was a really interesting post to read. The argument is clearly stated and several points are made to back up your stance. The use of a quote from a woman who has first hand knowledge of this topics is very persuasive. I liked the flow of the article as you went back and forth between the views of both sides. Great statistics and backed up by the stated sources. The stats jump out at you and really help persuade the reader. Knowing that over 50% of abortions are given to women under the age of 25 helps prove the point that a lot of abortions are because women just making poor decisions. Just nit picking, I noticed 1 or 2 typing errors. Really good article and very good argument.
ReplyDeleteZach Race