Pro-life vs. Pro-choice

So what is pro-life? All human life must be preserved across all circumstances and situations. Speaking in terms of abortion, undeveloped, small fetuses are sacred. Abortion is not an option.

So what is pro-choice? People have self-directed freedom to make their own choices. The government does not have any right to govern choices around whether or not to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

What about science? What does science tell us? Science does not provide any evidence for a soul’s existence. The only evidence that may come into play is the idea that emotion and cognition does not develop in neocortical areas until the late second or early third trimester of pregnancy. But those who identify as pro-life state that it is the presence of DNA or presence of life itself that defines a person.

According to a study conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, which is cited in Reasons Why Women Have Induced Abortions: Evidence from 27 Countries by Akinrinola Bankole, Susheela Singh and Taylor Haas…
*68% of women who have abortions in the United States say that they cannot afford to have children and 27% cite this as their primary reason for terminating the pregnancy.
*20% cite health reasons.
*8% are young women either hiding pregnancies from their parents, or ordered by their parents to terminate their pregnancies.

Why can’t people who are pro-life take individual stories and circumstances into careful consideration then? What is going on here? The reason they can’t is because they believe life begins at conception. Abortion, therefore, is murdering a helpless life full of sanctity. “Thou shall not kill,” according to the Ten Commandments in Christianity. Adoption is seen as an alternative to abortion. Even in cases of rape, the unborn child would not be punished and shouldn’t be because it is the perpetrator who committed the crime. Abortion can result in medical complications as well and 95% of women according to the pregnancy care center in the movie regret their abortion. Moreover, they carry the burden of killing an innocent life emotionally and psychologically for their rest of their lives.

But what does the other side argue for? A fetus is not a separate being because its health depends on the health of the mother when in the womb. Adoption is not a common alternative unless it is a woman’s choice. It is very difficult for women to give up their babies after they see them or hold them for the first time and after overcoming the whole pregnancy process. They also believe that abortion is safe and there are many cases where women’s abilities to give birth in the future have not been affected by deciding to abort previously. In cases of rape, the women would only suffer from greater psychological harm as well as her baby when he/she grows up. Most importantly, women have a right to have control over their bodies and overall reproductive systems. Abortion is also one of the medical services that is supported by taxpayer dollars.

Here are three arguments that I found on http://wholeworldinhishands.com/world/pro_life_vs_pro-choice_arguments.html that further emphasize the different arguments:

“Pro Choice:
The preborn child doesn’t have enough size, ability to feel pain, viability, self-awareness, etc. to be granted rights of personhood.
Pro-Life:
Such qualities develop over time. A newborn is smaller, less developed, less aware, and more dependent than a young adult, but that doesn’t make him less of a person.

Pro Choice:
Even if the preborn has an inherent right to life, this right is superceded by the mother’s right to autonomy.
Pro Life:
Nobody has an unconstrained right to autonomy. We require parents to use their bodies to care for their children. This responsibility lasts for 18 years.

Pro Choice:
If we end abortion, we’ll go back to thousands of women dying from back-alley abortions.
Pro Life:
In 1960, Planned Parenthood reported that 84% to 87% of all illegal abortions were performed by licensed physicians. In 1972, the year before Roe vs. Wade, 39 women died from illegal abortions. Each of those deaths was a tragedy, but every abortion is a tragedy, because it kills a living human being.”

I do not wish to advocate for any side, however, I am just writing this entry to further educate myself and others about the arguments after watching 12th and Delaware. This movie really inspired me to challenge my own thoughts and take careful consideration of both sides of the spectrum. Unfortunately, this issue is presented as very black and white. I really struggled with trying to take a neutral stance on this topic because there are so many foundations in science, religion, evolution, politics, etc. that further complicate the matter. However, I hope that I was able to offer some overall insight, and that you are able to critically think and evaluate your stance. What I do believe, is that you are entitled to choose how you feel about each side according to your thoughts, morals, and emotions. So I guess you can say I am “pro-choice” in this aspect.