To Abort or not to Abort...

By: Jay Gray

Abortion is a very controversial subject for many people in this country. Since the legalization of abortion in 1973 with the historic case Roe vs Wade, the country has not stopped fighting over the ethical and legal issues of this case. For many people it is viewed as the murder of an innocent child but for others it is seen as an escape from bad circumstances which can potentially ruin lives. Abortion is used for women that have been raped and for some women who are simply too young to raise a child. Recently many laws have been passed to state governments which put more limits on abortions than ever before. It is important to keep the laws concerning abortion reasonable to avoid the abortions which were so prominent before which involved a knife and a clothes hanger.

The original laws concerning abortion allowed for a woman and her doctor to get an abortion in the earlier stages of pregnancy without restrictions but with more restrictions later on in the pregnancy. This is a sensible ruling because in the early stages of pregnancy the fetus is little more than the size of a pinky finger and is not yet considered a child so to speak. This is the perfect time for victims of rape and others to obtain an abortion and the process is relatively easy compared to later on in the pregnancy. While for many people this procedure can be emotionally painful, it is worth is later on in life and many women who receive abortions earlier on in life tend to have kids later on in life when they are more ready. If these laws are limited it will raise the statistics on unmarried mothers and teen mothers as well. For many people abortion is the last stop in a desperate attempt to get their lives back. Many people might ask, why not choose adoption? Adoption is in many ways more difficult for the mothers because they have to carry the child for the whole nine months and form an emotional attachment to the child.

For many people who receive abortions, it is a way of giving the child up because they cannot provide an adequate life for their child. This is especially poignant with children with debilitating handicaps that their parents are unable to provide for. Many people are willing to adopt children with mental handicaps, however the fees for an adoption agency to adopt a mentally or physically handicapped child are higher than for a physically and mentally sound child. Another good reason for abortions is when children have terminal diseases detectable early on in the pregnancy such as trisomy 18 which kills most affected children within one month of them being born causing an significant amount of pain and grief for the parents. In cases such as this one it is physically and mentally easier to simply receive an abortion than having to mourn over a lost child.

Abortion should be used in only cases in which it is absolutely necessary and not as a form of birth control, but for people that need it, it can be a lifesaver. If the restrictions that are being put through in congress actually make it into law, there will be many women who revert back to the old way of doing abortions and could potentially be harmful to themselves and to their children if the abortions are unsuccessful. It is ultimately easier to just keep abortions legal for the aforementioned reasons, and if made illegal, will be a huge setback to the American population.