Abortion, right and wrong by rachel richardson smith essay

“ I wonder how abortion got to be the greatest of all sins. What about poverty, ignorance, hunger and weaponry? ” Around two weeks ago, a friend of mine from UP Diliman sent me a link and told me to read it if I had spare time. It was an argumentative essay entitled “ Abortion, Right and Wrong” by Rachel Richardson Smith. In the said article, the writer stated what she thought about the two sides – pro-abortion and pro-choice. She also provided arguments for the stand of both parties and in conclusion, Rachel Smith stated that she fully supports neither stand for the reason that both of their causes are not absolutely correct. She said that she is against abortion but believes that women should be given a choice.

I was surprised when I found out that this essay was written around three decades ago due to the fact that it seemed so coincidental with the recently reignited heated debates about the Responsible Parenthood Act (RH Bill). That’s when it hit me – the topic on abortion has spurred heated debates in different countries as well and has been going on for quite a while. Initially, I though that the writer of the article was a bit ambiguous about her stand in the said issue. However, I eventually realized the point she was driving at.

Both parties believed that their stand is flawless and correct – that it is the absolute truth. It’s either they fail to recognize the mistakes and the shortcomings of their arguments or they are too stubborn to do so. The writer simply wanted to stand by her belief in the sanctity of human life and did not want to be a part of either party which advocates the absolute truth of their flawed stands. In reality, the issue is just not about abortion. Personally, I am a supporter of the controversial RH bill because I believe that it would be advantageous to our nation in the long run; however, I am against abortion.

Ironic isn’t it? I know for a fact that it is not a perfect proposition and that it will not exactly solve all of our country’s social issues. I also know that the possibility of the misuse of the allotted budget exists and I also know that some parts of the bill may be deemed unnecessary and questionable. However, I dislike the fact that the opposition does not even take time to consider the state of our country, why they feel the need to sugarcoat our real condition and the fact that they tend to invoke our faith in order to prove their point. I can only wish that our politicians were critical enough to arrive at a certain compromise with our country’s best interests as the basis.

I am not saying that my stand in the RH bill is a perfect one but I believe that the said bill is a risk – a risk that we have to take. Now, the point of this entry is not to convince the readers to support abortion or support the RH bill or anything along those lines. I merely am trying to reflect on the article of Smith.

Now allow me to clarify my stand. I am against abortion but I support the RH bill. I am against the taking of human life but as Smith stated, in our society, it is apparent that there are some instances in which it is justifiable to do so. Taking away an unborn child’s life is immoral in my opinion; however, I do know that people make mistakes and accidents happen. Not only that, there are also cases in which an accident is created against a person’s will.

Now think about it, would it be right for a child to grow up knowing that he/she was created within the premises of a forced action? People will have varied opinions about the said issue. Some would still accept the child, considering him/her as a blessing while others will consider the child as a scar – a reminder of the events in the past over which they had no control of. Either way, as Smith mentioned, no woman reacts to abortion with joy; rather, they half-heartedly do it as circumstances demand. I am not any authority on morality that can go around telling people what to do. In this era, society usually dictates the norms which we follow and consider.

However, I believe that people should be given a choice and that they should take charge of their own lives. Their decisions will ultimately affect their happiness and that is something we have no control over. I cannot judge everyone based on the decisions they make because they have their own reasons –reasons I perhaps cannot question. Alongside Smith however, I weep for those who have gone. Ultimately, the decision is yours. Thus, I leave you with a question. On which side will you stand by in this never-ending debate? References: na (2007).

Diamondpich : Argumentative Essay : “ Abortion, Right and Wrong”. Retrieved from http://diamondpich. blogspot. com/2007/08/argumentative-essay-abortion-right-and. html on October 4, 2012.

na (2010). CFI Forums| Abortion, Right and Wrong by Rachel Richardson Smith. Retrieved from http://www. centerforinquiry.

net/forums/viewthread/8906/ on October 16, 2012.