Abortion Essay Research Paper AbortionA MATTER OF

Abortion Essay, Research Paper

Abortion

A MATTER OF CHOICE

The topic of abortion is one of the most controversial of our times.

It has caused countless deaths and several violent confrontations between

the two separate parties of opinion. The fight between pro-life and

pro-choice supporters has been long and brutal. This is because, despite

what several people may believe, abortion is neither right nor wrong. It

is a matter of personal opinion. In this way, each side can say with

certainty that the other is wrong.

Therefore the question remains; should abortion be legal. Though

some may disagree on this point, the fact is that legalized abortion is

the only option that will protect the lives of American citizens. One

only needs to look into American history to see the results of prohibiting

abortions to women. The violence which occurs today because the of

pro-choice/pro-life conflicts is minimal in comparison to the thousands of

hopeless women who turned to the illegal abortions –either self-inflicted

or preformed by the backroom “professionals”– which resulted in

infection, massive blood loss, and death. It is better now that they have

a place to go where abortions can be performed cleanly and with minimal

risk. Legalization of abortion is the only choice no matter what side one

takes in the debate. Women will try to do what they think is necessary to

live as they wish, no matter what the risk. In order to live as she

chooses a woman may give up her freedom, her morals, her beliefs, her

family, or even her life.

Abortion has been around for thousands of years in every inhabited

corner of the globe. It has always been accepted as a means to prevent

the suffering of both woman and potential child. It has been practiced

widely in every society for many reasons including famine, war, poverty,

overpopulation, or simply because a woman felt she was not ready for a

child (Whitney 40). No one ever questioned a woman’s right to this

procedure. After all, who but God had the right to judge what a woman did

with her own body. This thought process lasted till the 1800’s. During

this era of change people began to turn their attention in a new

direction, the fetus. They began to protest abortion as cruel, inhumane,

and murderous. Filled with a new sense of purpose and the glory of a

fresh, righteous cause to uphold this new morality swept the countryside

enveloping everyone in its wake. Abortionists who were once revered and

depended upon were now scorned and threatened. Though abortions still

happened with regularity, they were kept silent and seen as a matter of

shame. “Over the next hundred years, public sentiment for the fetus

continued to rise until the inevitable happened in America during the

early 40’s; Abortion was made illegal.” (Cohen 17). There was much back

patting and congratulations among the pro-life supporters. And why not.

They had succeeded in saving the lives of the hundreds of innocent babies

who would have been senselessly slaughtered for the convenience of

selfish, ignorant, and irresponsible women. Because of this new law,

women would settle down and raise families or give these beautiful

children over into the hands of the hundreds of loving couples who were

just waiting for a baby to call their own. It seemed that the perfect law

had just been passed. Or had it.

It has been proven time and time again throughout history that the

human spirit will not allow prohibition. Something inside us feels the

need to strike out at that which restrains us and holds us from the life

we want. Just as prohibition of alcohol made a black market for liquor (a

virtual underworld was immediately erected to fulfill the new need for

abortions). Government, through regulation, had once again created a need

that would be fulfilled by the lawless. Most doctors, fearing

incarceration, refused to treat the women who so desperately wanted

abortions. Women, seeing no other solution to their problems, were often

desperate enough to turn to these “Back Room” clinics. These clinics were

located in poverty-ridden sections of the city and their conditions were

deplorable. The places themselves were layered in filth and disease.

Inexperienced butchers using dirty and crude equipment treated the girls.

As if these backroom clinics were not bad enough, there was an even more

appalling decision a woman might face. If a she were unable to pay the

exorbitant price for the illegal surgery, she would often perform the act

herself. “Knitting needles, coat hangers, antiseptic douches and poisons

were used most often” (Welton 123). “Emergency rooms primarily in the

more urban areas were reporting higher numbers of intractable bleeding to

the point of death. Pelvic inflammatory disease and other forms of life

threatening sepsis w

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