The Abortion Debate

Document Type:Research Paper

Subject Area:English

Document 1

The main arguments revolve around subjects concerning an individual’s state, who executes the matter related to abortion, the circumstance under which abortion should or should not take place and the person who is authorized to perform the procedure (Young, 376). Better still, abortion raises questions fundamental to discussions such as when life begins and what it takes for a person to be human; is an embryo or a fetus human? It is also at the heart of touchy subjects such as the degree of the state to protect the unborn fetus, the woman’s right to choose and control their bodies, the conflict between secular and religious views on abortion, the conflicting rights of the mother and the unborn child, and the rights of the spouses to take part in the abortion decision (Dorr, 86).

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Also central to the debate is one of the most contentious social matters; abortion of children with disabilities. In her piece of writing, “the abortion argument no one wants to have” Patricia Bauer questions the society’s justification of abortion regarding a certain group of people- children with disabilities, and uses ethos to support her argument against circumstantial abortion. Why does society justify the view of abortion regarding a specific class of people: children with disabilities? Some groups of people especially the pro-social movement of abortion advocate for the abortion of children with disabilities because they perceive that they do not want to harm or subject them to any problems as they grow up (Young, 377). She employs a writing style that makes the audience gain confidence in her by stating that Margret is living a normal life just like any other teen and she is not unhappy like other people claim.

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At the very beginning of her article, the author asks the audience, “Why then do us society view abortion as unremarkable and justified when it comes to children with disabilities?” by asking this Question, the author taps into the emotions of the audience and is able to reconnect with them on a personal level (Bauer,1). The author also utilizes the use of logos but on a very minimal level but even so, one does not need evidence to take up their stand on the issue of abortion. She refers to the Ancient Greek society to conflict her argument where babies with disabilities were left at the mercies of death (Bauer, 1). But she does not relate any facts or evidence in the current world.

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The back story Abortion as a controversial issue dates back to forty years ago, a time when in the United States, abortion was part of life. People did not protest or scream about the issue, and they openly marked the services. There was a booming business of selling drugs that induced abortions, and they advertised them all over the newspapers and televisions (Dorr, 87). It was an easy task, people could get the drugs from the pharmacists and physicians and for some, they send them through mails; and if the drug process did not work, they could visit medical practitioners for more effective procedures. The concerns regarding abortion during that time was solely on poisoning, but it was not about morality, politics, or religion.

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In the 18th century, the common law allowed for the abortion practices and people widely practiced them. Reagan (1966) asserts that right after the conception before four months of the pregnancy; no individual believed the existence of human life, let alone the Catholic Church. It was not until 18180 that the Church was against abortion. Feminists such as Susan B. Anthony spoke and wrote about and against abortion, opposing the procedure as unsafe medical practice for women that endangered their lives and health (Belvedere, and Belvedere, 1). In the early 2000s, there was a significant conflict of the abortion laws over the issue of late pregnancy termination by those who oppose the bills. The advocates of the pro-choice movement maintained that they carried out abortions to protect the life of the mother or in situations where the fetus.

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On the other hand, the pro-life held their stance that it was possible to protect the fetus and blamed people for practicing abortions in cases that were not hopeless. President George Bush put a sign on the anti-birth abortion bill which later passed the Congress in 2003 (Fung, 465). More recently, the controversies of abortion have been frequenting at the state level, with an attempt to modify the legal date of feasibility and eliminate exceptions such as rape and incest from the abortion laws. A less restrictive law passed in support of the ban of abortion concerning disability is the Prenatal Education Act of 2014 of Pennsylvania with regards to Down syndrome. Several states have passed this bill, and it hinders the connection between the doctor and the patient in the realm of the prenatal opinion of Down syndrome.

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This law was passed following the story of a father with an eleven-year-old child with Down syndrome who reflected that people perform abortions with regards to Down syndrome because they lack adequate information regarding the disease (Ryan, 1). The father resolved to make sure that pregnant women are given the necessary information regarding the disability through a fair and well-thought-out passage of legislation. This information included educational, physical and psychosocial outcomes, treatment options, life expectancy, and intellectual and developmental outcomes (Jones, 290). This attitude in a society where it perceives disabled children to be costly and a burden to society is what is fueling these debates. Ryan writes that having disabled children is like an inconvenience and a tragedy that should be avoided while women who choose to have an abortion are selfish and shallow (1).

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So, this debate is a black and white scenario where no common ground can be established. The fact is there is a substantial prejudice surrounding this matter. This is a society that people with disability are supposed to live in and endure the negativity, jokes, and isolation. Michael Shaw, who has a six-year-old daughter with Down syndrome, says that he hopes the society can someday value the differences that exist in people in an article by Wente, “Disabled kids are the abortion debate no one wants to have (1). ” Abortion has enormous implication on the future reproductive system and life of a woman. One of the negative repercussions is that they undergo premature death (Colman, and Joyce,1). A woman can suffer an untimely death when she gives birth four or more weeks before the actual due date of her delivery.

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Researchers have named abortion as an absolute factor on the medical grounds of premature delivery (Gillon, 58). The elemental idea that a female may choose with her assent regarding abortion is a troubling notion to a considerable section of the humanity who hold different views to the subject. Even so, advocates of abortion among them champions of health and human rights hold that explicit laws prohibition abortion do not consider the crucial outcomes of unnecessary pregnancies, and yet they take no notice of the women’s choice abilities of coming up with independent and informed judgment. It is important to point out also that abortion has been around for a long time in almost every society; however, its debate began in the mid-1990s.

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Abortion, however, remains one of the most controversial dilemmas of the world (Jesudason, and Epstein,541). One group highlights on the idea of saving a human life regardless of circumstances while the other side holds that women have the right to choose and control their bodies to the point of determining when to bring forth life. Abortion is such an enormous issue, and yet people speak about from the polar ends of the arguments. With these controversial issues at hand causing conflicts from both sides, it is essential to establish a central ground that will bring about understanding. As it is, education is crucial, and knowledge is a powerful tool in enhancing this middle ground understanding (Gillon, 66). The sad reality is that children as young as ten years old are having sex, and as uncomfortable and squeamish as the notion may sound, adults need to educate and prepare children about sex education in a safe environment.

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Parents and teachers should teach their children about sex, its function, its risks, and types of contraception (McCurdy, 24). It also represents good politics because American want promises that help touch problems in the society such as abortion which has raged the country for far too long. With the high rates of unintended pregnancies in the society, it escalates the rates abortion, and hence, the idea of contraceptive use can help minimize these high rates. Conclusion What would it look like, a world without abortion? While the pro-choice advocates that woman should be given a right to choose what happens to their bodies, it is not as safe as they think. They want the society to perceive a world without abortion to be filled with hemorrhaging women and women who are dying because of self-abortion.

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But imagine a world where the people treated women’s fertility as a superpower, and that they respect the life of an unborn child regardless of the circumstances it is born. For the last forty years, more than fifty million children have been aborted, how can a society thrive on such premises? The future society where there is no abortion would have made the experience of having a baby a dream for every woman- guess what, it is freaking amazing that a woman is growing! But that is not only it; every individual in the society would have to help a pregnant woman because without them there is no society, it can screech to a halt. Unfortunately for this fantastical world to come by, the government will have to enact strict abortion laws and educate people on sex education and significance of keeping a baby regardless of the ability of the child, status, or income.

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We live in a society where if one experiences unplanned pregnancies, they should work twice to make up for their fertility or choose to have that baby by termination. It is even worse for women who give birth to disabled children. Patricia Bauer asserts that because she has a Down syndrome, people look at her differently with conspicuous eyes that seem to ask the question, “Did you undergo the test? They consider the child born disabled as not a blessing or rather a burden, and it is her problem. "Uncovering the history of the abortion debate | Berny Belvedere".  First Things, 2018, https://www. firstthings. com/web-exclusives/2016/01/uncovering-the-history-of-the-abortion-debate. Accessed 13 Nov 2018. 1, 2013, pp.  Oxford University Press (OUP), doi:10. 1093/ohr/ohp035. Fung, Archon. "Making rights real: roe's impact on abortion access".

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