Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Response Question 3
Before women actually get an abortion there are many factors and unknown circumstances that contribute to her decision to go through with the procedure. Under what circumstances do you think that abortion is socially/morally acceptable, if you think abortion is never acceptable, why is don't you approve of the reasons behind the choice?
Response Question 2
Another factor that affects the abortion process is whether or not parental consent is needed to perform the procedure. Parental consent involves the parent being informed of the abortion before it occurs, and in some giving permission for their teen to get an abortion. Do you think that parental consent should be mandated in all states or do you believe that teens should be allowed to make the decision for themselves?
Response Question 1
Many people argue about when human life officially begins, and this debate sways their opinion on whether or not abortion should be made illegal. Often times people believe that the earlier an abortion is performed the more moral it is, and the later the abortion occurs the more inhumane it is. When do you think human life begins, and how does this affect your stance on abortion?
Our Stance on Abortion
After doing a great deal of research on the topic of abortion and many opinions read, our group came up split on how we felt about the controversial issue of abortion. Two of us, Brynn and Margaret, found that they were pro-choice and felt that abortions were acceptable. While the other on of us, Shannon, decided that she was pro-life and against the choice to abort. After this stalemate we decided that the two different sides would each write their own stance on abortion and post them here.
Shannon's Stance:
Abortion is a decision made between a doctor and the mother but someone is being left out. The unborn baby, not only is this child a person it is living. Some people believe that a baby is not a human being until it has been born but I believe conception is where life begins. A person's a person... no matter how small...taking a life away that has not been given the chance to live is unthinkable to me. People should not be allowed to kill more than 3,000 babies a day, babies who don't even have a voice. Abortion is allowed in the United States through all 9 months of the pregnancy, so if you do not believe that a fetus is not human is a 9 month old unborn baby still not a person?
There are many reasons that a woman would feel the need to abort her child but these are all excuses. Financial crisis's, unplanned parenthood, this all cannot be blamed on the child because it is in no way his or her fault. If anyone becomes pregnant it is no ones fault but their own and this mistake should not cost the life of another. Stopping abortion could bring new lives into this world whom might not have been given a chance to walk this earth. If all of us living being started off as fetuses what gives us the right to live and denies the aborted babies that right. As U.S.A citizens we should not be denying any of the rights granted in the constitution, one of which is life.
Brynn & Margaret's Stance:
We feel that abortion is an acceptable option that woman should have access to as a last resort. There are many reasons that a woman could choose to get an abortion, including rape, lack of means to take care of the child, lack of time to dedicate to the baby, incest, young age, lack of a significant other to help them with the child, or simple fear of what will happen to them and their lives after the birth of the baby. We believe that all of these reasons are equally viable as acceptable reasons to get an abortion. Some may say that these are just excuses, but we see them as showing a sense of responsibility of the woman. She knows her limits.
If the United States made abortions an illegal procedure the consequences would be severe. Without having a qualified doctor legally allowed to perform the procedure many women would resort to "back alley" abortions which would put their lives at an extreme risk. They would have to rely on inexperienced, perhaps not even doctors, to perform their abortion. We think that this risk associated with making abortions illegal is too great a chance to take regarding the safety of American citizens.
We also think that the government, or others, do not have the right to impose their morals on women. These women choosing to get an abortion should have the opportunity to make their own choice on whether or not to have their child, and the government should not have a say in this. In the long run the woman choosing to have the baby is the one is most affected by her decision, not the government.
Lastly, every child who is brought into this world should be a child that is going to be cared for and loved to the best ability of the parent. If a woman knows that she can not provide for a loving environment for her child then she should definitely have the chance to get an abortion. Having abortions as a legal option decreases the number of children wrongfully brought into this world and the number of abused children.
Shannon's Stance:
Abortion is a decision made between a doctor and the mother but someone is being left out. The unborn baby, not only is this child a person it is living. Some people believe that a baby is not a human being until it has been born but I believe conception is where life begins. A person's a person... no matter how small...taking a life away that has not been given the chance to live is unthinkable to me. People should not be allowed to kill more than 3,000 babies a day, babies who don't even have a voice. Abortion is allowed in the United States through all 9 months of the pregnancy, so if you do not believe that a fetus is not human is a 9 month old unborn baby still not a person?
There are many reasons that a woman would feel the need to abort her child but these are all excuses. Financial crisis's, unplanned parenthood, this all cannot be blamed on the child because it is in no way his or her fault. If anyone becomes pregnant it is no ones fault but their own and this mistake should not cost the life of another. Stopping abortion could bring new lives into this world whom might not have been given a chance to walk this earth. If all of us living being started off as fetuses what gives us the right to live and denies the aborted babies that right. As U.S.A citizens we should not be denying any of the rights granted in the constitution, one of which is life.
Brynn & Margaret's Stance:
We feel that abortion is an acceptable option that woman should have access to as a last resort. There are many reasons that a woman could choose to get an abortion, including rape, lack of means to take care of the child, lack of time to dedicate to the baby, incest, young age, lack of a significant other to help them with the child, or simple fear of what will happen to them and their lives after the birth of the baby. We believe that all of these reasons are equally viable as acceptable reasons to get an abortion. Some may say that these are just excuses, but we see them as showing a sense of responsibility of the woman. She knows her limits.
If the United States made abortions an illegal procedure the consequences would be severe. Without having a qualified doctor legally allowed to perform the procedure many women would resort to "back alley" abortions which would put their lives at an extreme risk. They would have to rely on inexperienced, perhaps not even doctors, to perform their abortion. We think that this risk associated with making abortions illegal is too great a chance to take regarding the safety of American citizens.
We also think that the government, or others, do not have the right to impose their morals on women. These women choosing to get an abortion should have the opportunity to make their own choice on whether or not to have their child, and the government should not have a say in this. In the long run the woman choosing to have the baby is the one is most affected by her decision, not the government.
Lastly, every child who is brought into this world should be a child that is going to be cared for and loved to the best ability of the parent. If a woman knows that she can not provide for a loving environment for her child then she should definitely have the chance to get an abortion. Having abortions as a legal option decreases the number of children wrongfully brought into this world and the number of abused children.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
History of Abortion in the United States
Originally in the United States abortion was not only a legal option, but widely encourage and available to those who desired the procedure. This attitude was widely accepted until 1821 when Connecticut became the first state to make a law against legal abortions. After this first law barring abortions other states began to follow suit to the point where in 1860 twenty states had laws against terminating pregnancies. By 1965 all fifty states banned abortions.
For a long time period the topic stayed untouched on the political scene until 1965 when the Supreme Court, in the case of Griswold v Connecticut, ruled against prohibiting giving married couples information about birth control and contraceptives. This case showed people gave people confidence in their ability to change the political scene regarding birth control, and hinted that changes in other areas, such as abortion, were possible. Very shortly after in 1967 Colorado made the first law that allowed its people to get legal abortions.
In 1973 a landmark case on the topic of abortion was raised. In the case, Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court ruled against state laws that made abortions illegal. This hugely controversial case sparked intense debates, still alive today, on the topic of abortion and its questionable legality. After the ruling in Roe v Wade Congress made the first Hyde Amendment, saying that federal Medicaid would not be used to pay for economically challenged women to have abortions. The next year this amendment was revised, allowing abortions to be covered in cases of rape, incest, or when it would damage on a a long term level the woman.
Today abortion is still a widely debated topic that continues to appear in court cases around the nation. Legislation is still constantly changing regarding limitations and restrictions on abortion and whether or not women should have the right to an abortion.
For a long time period the topic stayed untouched on the political scene until 1965 when the Supreme Court, in the case of Griswold v Connecticut, ruled against prohibiting giving married couples information about birth control and contraceptives. This case showed people gave people confidence in their ability to change the political scene regarding birth control, and hinted that changes in other areas, such as abortion, were possible. Very shortly after in 1967 Colorado made the first law that allowed its people to get legal abortions.
In 1973 a landmark case on the topic of abortion was raised. In the case, Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court ruled against state laws that made abortions illegal. This hugely controversial case sparked intense debates, still alive today, on the topic of abortion and its questionable legality. After the ruling in Roe v Wade Congress made the first Hyde Amendment, saying that federal Medicaid would not be used to pay for economically challenged women to have abortions. The next year this amendment was revised, allowing abortions to be covered in cases of rape, incest, or when it would damage on a a long term level the woman.
Today abortion is still a widely debated topic that continues to appear in court cases around the nation. Legislation is still constantly changing regarding limitations and restrictions on abortion and whether or not women should have the right to an abortion.
Reasons for Aborting-US 2004
This pie chart demonstrates the reasons women gave for having their babies aborted. Some people believe that abortions should be made illegal/legal based on the reason for the termination.
*click to enlarge*
*click to enlarge*
American Opinions on the Legality of Abortion Based on Point in Pregnancy
Many Americans are more likely to approve of abortion when the abortion is executed very early on into the pregnancy. This graph illustrates the opinions of Americans on when during a pregnancy abortion should take place.*click to enlarge*
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