At 40+ pages it's a little difficult to determine what the ongoing debate is really about. In fact, even the first post seemed to be somewhat vague in that matter. Are we debating whether or not abortion is moral? Are we arguing that it should be made illegal or see increased legislation? Or maybe we're trying to figure out a solution to the problem as a whole (and it
is a problem, no can argue that there isn't dissent over the issue). Either way, I'm itching for some controversy and this is a good opportunity for me to put in my two cents on the matter.
I'd like to start off by saying that I am opposed to abortion. I am not "pro-life" because that puts a bias on my argument right away, just like the term "pro-choice" does. Frankly, we'd be better off if people simply stopped referring to themselves as either. My reasons for opposing abortion
in the majority of cases (please note: not all), are roughly the same as the OPs. It simply can't be justified as a means of birth control, and any argument I've been presented with that claims that the fetus does not qualify as a human being has always failed in some significant regard. In fact, the kind of argument that I believe has any chance of providing a moral validation for abortion is one that focuses on woman's rights vs. human rights.
One of the things that really bothers me about this is the number of male centric arguments both opposed to and supportive of abortion. I'm a man; I'm opposed to abortion; but I'm not arrogant enough to assume that my personal involvement in the instance of a pregnancy some how entitles me to determine whether or not a woman should be forced to carry such a heavy burden. That isn't to say that as a man I can't have an opinion on it. I may not be able to experience a pregnancy or childbirth but I can certainly understand them.
But back to the topic of this thread in particular, while the OP's argument may not have been perfect was still well though. Also, and this may be because I had to skip many of the pages here, but I have yet to be presented with a compelling argument that does promote abortion, both on and off of these forums. Of course, this is referring to whether or not abortion is an ethical problem. I believe that life begins at conception and as far as I can tell there is no effective argument that can deny that. If I've missed one, I'd love to be presented with it.
The crux of the argument remains to be women's rights. When you think of abortion the moral dilemma should not be "does a fetus count as a human life?", as far as I'm concerned that isn't even an issue anymore. What you should be wondering is whether right to life overrides right to choose. I for one think it does, but not in all situations.
This is where I start to sound especially insensitive, and believe me I don't like it. I know this is a delicate issue and that tempers run hot on both sides, but before someone flames me as being a narrow minded bigot please take a moment to consider everything else I've said. Even those who are supportive of or have had abortions please know that my heart goes out to you. I know that it is probably the most difficult decision a person could make and I don't hold it against anyone for making it. Okay, here goes.
The reason why I believe right to life overrides the right to choose (yes, I'm kind of resorting to those terms I condemned earlier
), is because of all the alternatives. Birth control options are abundant and easier to obtain than ever. You can get the pill, use foam, a diaphragm, get your tubes tied, get a vasectomy, or use one of the greatest inventions of all time: the condom. The condom is particularly important because not only can it prevent pregnancy but it can prevent the spread of so many STDs that it is irresponsible for anyone to not consider it when having sex. Apart from the number of pharmacutical and medical contrceptives that exist there are also a number of ways that one can have sex that won't result in pregnancy; Oral, anal (give it a shot, and patience), hands only and there are probably a few other terms I'm forgetting but watch some videos and you'll get some ideas. Lastly, there is abstinence, the only 100% effective pregnancy deterrent.
I acknowledged the fact that abstinence is the only fool proof birth control method for a reason. All those other methods, for whatever reason, can fail. But I don't believe that means that abortion should still be widely accepted, and I feel that way for one reason. We have known, and will continue to know, that sex equals babies for a very long time. When about to have sex one should remind themselves of the consequences their actions might have. If in fact a fetus is a human being, can we really justify abortion just because a person "wasn't ready" to have or carry a child? Didn't they know when having sex, that they might get pregnant? When a person decides to take a risk then shouldn't they have to deal with the consequences? There are some who would argue that an abortion is dealing with the consequences, but it seems to me like it's putting the responsibility on the fetus, which, if we all agree is a human being, is unethical.
Now this is not a black and white issue. There are cases where abortion is acceptable, though this is another matter of debate. The real problem with the abortion issue is that both sides are hesitant to acknowledge that the real solution is to agree to disagree. By maintaining a complete and utter lack of abortion legislation (I'm Canadian and writing from home) there will always be an uproar, especially when the babies delivered to abortions performed ratio is made clear. Conversely, banning abortion altogether will simply drive women back to back alley abortion clinics to receive unsafe procedures where the chance of the woman dying or being hurt is significantly higher. The real solution is to change our attitude towards sex.
If birth control was more readily available and sex education (real education, not "abstinence only" programs) was more effectively supported there would be less unwanted pregnancies. There is a local church that has a program set up to support pregnant teenagers who want to keep their baby, or assist them in carrying it to term and putting it up for adoption. These are trends and practices that I want to see more of. There would still probably be abortions and I would still consider them to be morally wrong, but at least the number would be heavily reduced. As a society I believe the only way for us to come to some consensus on the issue is for us to put down the picket signs and embrace the more common solution.
That was much longer than what I originally intended to write. Now my brain is tired.:areyoucra
