Many have pondered the meaning of abortion. The argument is that every child born should be wanted, while others believe that every child conceived should be born (Sass vii). This has been a controversial topic for years. Many people want to decide the destiny of others. Everyone in the United States is covered under the United States Constitution, and under the 14th Amendment, women have been given the choice of abortion.
In 1973, Harry A. Blackmun wrote the majority opinion stating that it is a woman’s right to have an abortion. Roe v. Wade legalized abortion.
Even though these people have been given the right, the case is not closed. Pro-life activists carry a strong argument and continue to push their beliefs. They feel so strongly about these beliefs that violence has broken out in some known instances. Pro-choice activists, on the other hand, also carry very strong points.
They believe that the child inside them is their property and its life doesn’t begin until birth. In 1973, the United States Supreme Court decided that as long as the baby lived in the womb, he or she would be the property of the mother. Because of this decision, almost every third baby conceived in America is killed by abortion, which amounts to over one and a half million babies per year (Willke vii). Many countries have followed the US decision on the abortion issue, including Canada, England, and France. Other countries still believe that abortion should be illegal, such as Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Although many believe that abortion is a woman’s choice, it should be banned because it is immoral and life begins at conception. Abortion is a choice for women whether or not they want to receive one. Under the 14th Amendment’s personal liberty,” women are given the right to receive an abortion. The concept of “personal liberty” and restrictions on state action in the 14th Amendment are enough to allow a woman’s decision whether or not to terminate her pregnancy. The right to choose to have an abortion is so personal and essential to women’s lives that without this right, women cannot exercise other fundamental rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution (Paltrow 72). The state cannot interfere in the private lives of a citizen.
Without the right to choose an abortion, the 14th Amendment’s guarantee of liberty has little meaning for women. With the right to choose abortion, women are able to enjoy, like men, the rights to fully use the powers of their minds and bodies. A man can withdraw from a relationship as soon as he finds out about a pregnancy. There is no question of his involvement after that; he has made his choice. It is only fair to say that women should be given the same choice.
If one doesn’t want to hold the responsibilities of a child, then she should be able to have the choice of abortion in her options. Because contraceptives fail, and because they are not always available or possible to use, abortion is necessary if people are to be able to determine whether and when to ‘bear or beget a child'” (Paltrow 72). Couples choose the alternative of abortion so they can start or expand their families when they feel most ready and able to care for them. Women choose to have an abortion because pregnancy and childbirth can prevent them from keeping their jobs, feeding their families, and serving others in ways they consider necessary and appropriate. Pregnancy and childbirth may determine whether a woman ever gets to start or complete her education, which will significantly influence her ability to support herself and her family.
The availability of abortion makes it possible for people not only to choose the number of children they want, but also to create the kind of family life they have always wanted for themselves and to meet their responsibilities. If a woman cannot choose to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, she is denied the right to the possession and control” of her own body. One of the most sacred rights of common law is the right to choose, and if a woman can’t do this, then her most important possession is taken away. Abortion isn’t only a woman’s right, it’s a woman’s choice. However, allowing abortion to be legal is immoral. A pre-born child is given the status of a “product of pregnancy” and is never seen as the miracle that only a woman can create.
Compassion for the small ones is drowned out by a demand for rights”. But what about the rights of the unborn?
