Person's Opinion On Abortion For Example example essay topic

A woman is pregnant. She already has seven children: three are deaf, two are blind and one is severely disabled. She is poor and suffers from syphilis. Would you recommend and abortion?

Yes? You just killed Beethoven. Whether the facts of this joke are correct is irrelevant, the point is true. The aborted foetus could have been a genius of some sort. The joke displays the different factors that affect a person's opinion about abortion. The legality of abortion is a very controversial issue in today's society.

The definition of abortion, as written in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary is: the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or foetus. The topic is controversial as it has opposing opinions and extreme and definite sides to the argument. Reasons for the choosing to be "pro choice" (legalising abortion) or "pro life" (prohibiting abortion) include: religion, background, experiences, circumstances, culture and education. Religion plays a large role, as Catholicism prohibits abortion, which means that if a Catholic woman would like to have an abortion, she is betraying her religion. The background and experiences of someone can also influence that person's opinion on abortion, for example living in a conservative community / household or what that person has heard or seen about abortion.

The circumstances of an individual can also be influential. If a woman has been raped or has been impregnated through incest and does not want the baby, then abortion may be an acceptable option for her. Culture may also influence a person's decision on whether to be "pro choice" or "pro life", as seen in China, where the one child limit encourages abortion of female fetuses. Education and awareness of abortion and its consequences may also affect a person's opinion, as schools, homes and the community can shape a person's perspective on abortion.

There are many arguments regarding the need to prohibit abortion. One of them is that abortion can be seen as murdering an innocent being, murdering a child. In this state of mind, the foetus is a child, and a child is a human and hence abortion goes against basic Human Rights. However, since the maximum gestation of pregnancy to be terminated in Western Australia is just 19 weeks and 6 days, the foetus has no brain, no emotions and no feelings and therefore should not be regarded as a human. Yet, as shown in the joke, that terminated foetus could have grown into a genius. Every human being should have the right to a life.

Some people may say that it is the woman's fault that she got pregnant, as she may have had sex out of wedlock or not had safe sex, and that she should live with her mistake, however, children should not be a burden, as a child should be wanted in his / her family. These arguments for or against abortion focus on the rights of the child, however the rights of the woman should also be considered. The circumstances or situation of the pregnancy should be taken into account, ie. if the woman has been impregnated through rape or incest. Under these circumstances abortion would allow the victim to continue a normal life without constant living reminder of her ordeal.

Abortion could be an option for a woman that got pregnant but is afraid of how her society would regard her if they found out. The availability of abortion may offer an option for pregnant women who do not want a baby, however other "legal" options are already available, for example adoption. Abortion is merely an option, it is not compulsory. It simply allows women the freedom to control their lives. Women can have the choice of having children or going through pregnancy. This means that they do not have to let go of their ambitions and / or careers because they are pregnant.

It give women options. The arguments discussed all have merit in the abortion debate, however, since legality is the issue, the "pro choice" arguments stand out as more logical. The moral arguments prohibiting abortion are very emotional and personal. The fact that legalising abortion creates an option for pregnant women does not force those who think it is against their moral values to choose it.

Abortion is giving a choice. It can help parents, for example: young pregnant women or those who are not emotionally or financially prepared to have a baby. It can also protect the future child from being brought up in an environment where their chances of leading a fulfilling life are limited. Abortion is an extremely emotional issue. This is illustrated by the actions of passionate "pro life-ers" who in their quest to enforce their opinion have torched abortion clinics, killed security guards and threatened doctors who practise abortion procedures. There are a wide range of opinions on the matter, even among people in agreement.

Because of this, it is impossible to decide who should have the power to make abortion illegal. Prohibiting abortion limits those who find it acceptable. However, legalising abortion would cater for both sides as it is not compulsory. The power to make abortion illegal should not belong to anybody.