Abortions must be legal so that any
woman who wants or needs one can get one in a safe and responsible
environment.
Thankfully, everyone agrees that there
are a few cases in which an abortion is necessary to save the life of
the mother or prevent serious health issues, and that they must be
legal at least that far.
I would hope that most people agree
that when a pregnancy is the result of rape abortion should be an
option. Rape is an incredibly traumatizing event as it is, and to be
forced to carry the physical reminder for at least nine months
(assuming that the mother then puts the baby up for adoption) is
heartless and cruel. Some women may choose do that path, but it
should not under any circumstances be required.
Any teenager should have the option of
an abortion, though assuming that the girl has supportive parents
keeping the child or putting it up for adoption can be given a little
more weight. A teenaged mother loses chances at normal socializing,
normal schooling, and a normal life, and no, that is not her
"punishment" for making a mistake. Especially because that
"punishment" could have detrimental effects on the child,
should she choose to keep it, or even should she choose to give it up
for adoption: if a teenager is not mature enough or doesn't care
enough, she will not be able to properly care for herself or her
child.
When a woman is living in poverty,
especially if there are other children to care for, an abortion can
save her and her family much suffering. No child should have to be
raised in poverty, and most programs that would throw money at a
mother to get her to decide against abortion will not help her at all
after the child has been born - they should at least help her put the
child up for adoption. If she can get the care she needs during
pregnancy and will be helped to put the child up for adoption, that
is a viable option; however, if she decides an abortion will be
better for her situation, she should be able to get one.
Some women simply don't want to deal
with the hassle, though they can afford to be pregnant and raise a
child. This seems like the perfect place to ban abortions, to make
people live with their "mistakes" (what if the pregnancy
happened due to a failure of birth control?), but even here the
mother should be allowed an abortion if she wants one. It's possible
that a woman in this situation would simply drag herself through the
pregnancy if required to continue it - she would not take care of
herself, not stop drinking or smoking, not listen to the advice of a
doctor. As in most cases, adoption should be suggested here, but not
required. The woman should be able to make her own choice, not have
it made for her.
The decision to keep or abort a baby,
no matter the circumstances, should be the choice of the mother.
There should be restrictions - counseling should be required, in most
cases adoption should be fully explored and possibly even pushed, and
the abortion should take place before too much time has passed - but
it must be available for those who want it. Also, society's views
need to change. Not only do we need to not judge a woman for getting
an abortion, but we need to support women who decide to keep the
child.
You don't have to agree with me, but if you don't, at least realize that the issue is more complex than you might think. This isn't baby killing vs. babies living happily every after. At the very least, realize that there have to be tradeoffs. You can't ban abortion and cut welfare. You can't ban abortion and judge teenage mothers. You can't ban abortion and tell a woman her rape wasn't "legitimate." You can't ban abortion and restrict access to birth control. You can't ban abortion and under-educate your children about sexuality. You get to choose at most one side, though in my mind, it's a choice between two evils.
I choose a third option: abortion must be legal.
