Antony 1

Alice Antony

Ms. Gardner

English 10H - 6th period

9 May 2017

Give Women a Voice, Give Women a Choice

Too frequently in our society, women are seen as murderers because abortion is demonized.

Society has made it difficult for women to feel confident about their decision to get an abortion; the

argument between pro-life and pro-choice activists is more of an attack rather than a debate. The

confidence of a woman is damaged when they are pressured by society and their peers to get an

abortionthe decision is purely their own. In the 1972 case of Roe v. Wade, Roe made it possible for

women to terminate their pregnancies for virtually any reason within certain gestational time limits

(FindLaw). Ethics and beliefs are a determining factor of abortion and though many would argue that

human life shouldnt be endangered, the decision for adoption should be open to women as it is their

choice, their body, and it isnt murderwomen deserve a voice.

Indisputably, many would argue that abortion should be illegal because it is viewed as unethical

and immoral. For example, one article says that abortion very well may be a way to legally support

murder (Enriquez). Additionally, there are arguments that unborn children deserve a chance in the world

and it is inhumane to abort them, we gamble with the lives of those who do not yet have a voice to

defend themselves, says Kyle Waltman, a graduate from Mississippi University, for the sake of

allowing women to escape the consequences of their previous decisions by removing every possible

future decision from the children dependent on their bodies for growth and development (Waltman).

Women should not simply use abortion to escape from a situation they regret or to control eugenics, as

Waltman explains. To summarize, people who support pro-life believe that abortion is considered murder

and should not be allowed. It is true that many believe abortion should be illegal; however, people have
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stopped women from getting an abortion, but have these people ever given money, help, or reassurance to

those who are hesitant about bringing a child into the world? I know a woman who was forced by her

peers to keep her child because of cultural beliefs. That woman did not have much money or support to

begin with, and when her baby was born, she was unable to provide for her child and regretfully handed

him off to foster care. The argument for pro-life is all talk and no action. Abortion should be legal because

women should not be forced into making a decision that is about their lifeit is their choice.

It is a womans choice whether she decides to get an abortion or not. Admittedly, it is arguable

that abortion should be illegal because it is unethical and immoral; however, it is immoral and unethical to

not consider the person who bears the fetus. Kelsey Fiander-Carr, a graduate from Eastern University,

shares her opinion on abortion being a choice:

In the grand scheme of things, abortion is a womans choice. A woman has the choice to raise her

child, give him/her up for adoption, or to abort it. This decision cannot be controlled by the

pressures of peers and the constant debates in the political world. What a woman does or does not

do with her body is up to her and her only.

To voice ones opinion gives strength to the person, and thats what women need to be doing. I personally

believe that women have every right to abort their baby, or keep itwhatever it is, its their decision. It

is not for doctors or anyone else to make such decisions on behalf of the woman, or to impose their moral

or religious beliefs. No one can know better than the woman herself what is right for her (DWCA). The

DWCA, Doctors for a Womans Choice on Abortion, makes a strong statement saying that others

shouldnt impose their moral or religious beliefs on a pregnant woman. It is not only disrespectful

treatment, but it makes women feel weak as they think theyve lost having a choice, or rather, having a

voice. A woman knows what is right for her, it is truly degrading to undermine the decision a woman

makes and to impel her to follow their own beliefs. With all this research, it is evident that with all the

stigma surrounding abortion, women are being degraded for wanting to go through with abortion.
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Abortion should be a choice for women to elect for freely without any added social pressure. After all, a

womans body belongs to her.

Moreover, a woman should choose what she decides to do with her body as she is in control of it.

To illustrate, Whitney Harvey from Stetson University says, Everyone is entitled to their opinion. And

everyone is entitled to live their own life according to their own morals. But since when is anyone entitled

to force other people to live by anothers morals? This quote from Harvey is significant as she addresses

morals. This also correlates with body, elucidating the point that women are allowed to live by their own

morals and do what they want with their bodies, but others cant force their opinions on them. In addition,

an article on abortion says that you have no right to disrespect a woman for what she decides to her body

because she is a living, breathing, sentient being and her rights absolutely trump any so-called rights of

an embryo. (Harvey). Though there are arguments saying that the fetus is a human and should be treated

like one, and that freedom of your own body doesnt apply when it comes to a life. Though these

arguments are there, they still arent necessarily correct. A woman is entitled to do what she wants with

her own body. Women are not slaves or vessels; they are human beings with the right to decide what is

best for them and what is not. Those who undergo abortion are not murderers; there is no excuse to go to

extremes.

According to science and research, abortion isnt considered murder. In particular, an article

comparing abortion and murder read, For a fertilized egg, there is no consciousness and also no history

of consciousness (Smith). Based on the information, we are given proof that the fetus isnt exactly a

living organism. The fetus isnt considered a human until after it is born, it is a parasite. It lives and feeds

off of another organism in order to survive. For the embryo, the body is a vessel for it to grow and

develop in. Early into the beginning stages of pregnancy, the fetus doesnt have pain receptors or a clear

conscience; however, it has developed a spinal cord and nervous system. Similarly, an article in the

Revolution said, "A fetus is not yet a human being. It is more like a seed or sprout of a human being. It is
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alive, but that is also true of all the other cells in a womans body. It has no life of its own yet. It is not

yet a separate life from the life of the woman in whose uterus it is (Abortion Science). It is agreeable that

the fetus is living and deserves a life; however, no one wants their child to suffer. It is not the mothers

guilt towards being pregnant, it is the mothers love for her baby that leads her to make the ultimate

decision: an abortion or none. Therefore, I believe it must be addressed properly that fetuses dont feel

painthis information would be a game-changer for those who swear off abortion due to ethical issues.

A major part of the decision for abortion consists of ethics and beliefs, but the most important

choice is your own. Although many would argue that human life shouldnt be endangered/harmed, it is a

womans choice, it is her body, and it is not murder when it comes to abortion. Abortion should be

legalized and addressed properly-- more importantly, the social ignominy surrounding abortions needs to

be silenced. Give women a voice to stand up for themselves. Give women a voice to make silence. Give

voice to women who made the choice.

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Works Cited

Enriquez, Lauren. "Pro-Life, but Left Out." New York Times, 27 Feb, 2017, pp. A.21, SIRS Issues

Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Smith, Don. "Why Abortion isn't Murder Why Abortion is not Murder." Why Abortion isn't Murder.

TruthSite, n.d. Web. 09 May 2017.

<http://truthsite.org/WhyAbortionIsntMurder.html?hc_location=ufi>.

"The Facts of the Matter: Fetuses Are NOT Babies, Abortion Is NOT Murder, and There Is No Such

Thing as "Partial-Birth Abortion"." Abortion science. RCP Publications, 29 Apr. 2007. Web. 09

May 2017. <http://revcom.us/a/086/abortion-science-en.html>.

Waltman, Kyle. "Pro-Life: Abortion Controversy." University Wire, 04 Feb, 2016, SIRS Issues

Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

Whitney, Harvey. "Abortion: Why It's None Of Your Business." Odyssey. Odyssey, 26 Jan. 2016. Web.

09

May 2017. <https://www.theodysseyonline.com/abortion>.