- Published: September 11, 2022
- Updated: September 11, 2022
- University / College: Harvard University
- Language: English
- Downloads: 48
“ If the anti-abortion movement took tenth of the energy they put into noisy theatrics and devoted it to improving the lives of children who have been born into lives of poverty, violence and neglect, they could make the world shine. ” 1 This quote refers to all the unwanted children in the world that suffer every day and every minute only because their mother could not abort them. One may ask, what is the point of bringing these children into the world when there is no one to take care of them when they are hurt, hug them when they are sad, and make them feel special? Some of these children might actually be wishing to die rather than live in their cruel lives. This is when the pro- choice movement arises.
Being pro-choice doesn’t mean being pro-abortion, it means that a woman should have a choice between bringing a wanted child into the world and killing an unwanted child. Even though the world has prospered so much over the years, many people are still ignorant. According to our society, religion, and government, abortion is immoral and unjust, but are they being just to a woman? A woman should have her own choice on whether to keep her child or to abort it, without the interference of others, and that is what being prochoice is mainly about. The Coat Hanger Project, which came out in 2008, is a documentary film by Angie Young.
In this film, Young aspires to teach her audiences about abortion rights and reproduction justice. The Coat Hanger Project describes how a large number of women tried to dislodge their pregnancies by inserting coat hangers, knitting needles, and other elongated objects in their uterus. Some of these women also tried to self-abort their child by throwing themselves down the stairs. The documentary shows that after the Roe vs. Wade court case of 1973 “ anti-choice forces have been making it their decision to dismantle women’s reproductive freedom. ” 2 Despite all the gains in this movement, many people in the world still hate the idea of women having control of their own lives. When the society or government deny women access to abortion, it forces them to carry a fetus to a term that they do not want, or they try to end the pregnancy to themselves or with the help of an underground provider.
This underground provider may or may not know what they are doing, which can lead to the death of the child as well as the mother. The Coat Hanger Project enlightens us on the pro-choice movement and provides us an idea as to why bearing a child should be a choice, not an obligation. People that are pro-life believe that life begins at conception, which is certainly not true. It is believed that when a child is in the womb, it is still part of its mother, not an individual, which gives the mother the complete right to abort it whenever she wants. A fetus cannot survive without the amniotic fluid in the womb until it is 25 or 26 weeks, so until that time, the fetus is still a part of its mother. “ There is no scientific consensus as to when human life begins.
It is a matter of philosophic opinion or religious belief. Human life is a continuum—sperm and eggs are also alive, and represent potential human beings, but virtually all sperm and eggs are wasted. Also, two-thirds of human conceptions are spontaneously aborted by nature. ” 3 Legally, a fetus is not considered alive until it is viable.
There are many religious people believe abortion is immoral. They don’t understand that taking away the rights of a woman is also immoral. If it is because of religion, it should be clear that America was founded by people who were escaping religious oppression. A woman should not be forced to do what she doesn’t want to. According to all religions, women and men are supposed to be equal.
God gave us freedom of choice and if He, as a God, gives all of us this freedom, what right does anyone have to take it away from women? It is obvious that abortion is not an easy choice to make and the women who are unexpectedly pregnant have to make these tough choices. Teenage girls have to choose between their education and whether to give birth to that child. If the teenage girl chooses her unborn baby over her future, her future is already ruined. Many of these teenagers remain unwed and are forced to do things they do not want to. “ The most common form of prostitution is young unwed mothers who have to do whatever it takes to find food and shelter for their children…Abortion liberates women from the life of a whore/sex slave and allows her to control her own life and decide when and with whom she will have children with. 4 An older woman, who already has grown up children, has to make a choice of whether she wants to give birth to a child younger than her grandchildren or not.
If a mother wants to abort her unwanted child, it should be her choice, not anyone else’s. The society plays a significant role in the choice of a woman. When a teenage girl gives birth, it causes disgrace to the whole family and if she aborts that child, she is perceived as immoral.
If an older woman gives birth, she is looked down upon for bearing a child at an old age and if she does not, it makes her immoral as well. If the society keeps on changing their perceptions, what are these mothers-to-be supposed to do? Many people try to force their beliefs on others and judge them for their actions. These people need to judge themselves before they start to judge others. Every woman has a reason to have an abortion; they do not just get it done because they feel like it. Out of all of these women: * Twenty-five percent are not responsible enough for a baby * Twenty-one percent cannot afford a baby * Fourteen percent women have partners that do not want a baby * Twelve percent are too young to have a baby Eleven percent want to continue their education and career * Eight percent do not want any more children * Six percent get an abortion due to a risk to fatal health or maternal health All these reasons are used in order to get an abortion, when a reason should not be needed at all since a woman is a independent human being and should have the freedom to do anything she wants. Some women that want abortions are the victims of dreadful acts of rape and incest. Rape or incest can be traumatic for a woman. Forcing her to bear the added responsibility of the child she conceived through the unfortunate act would only add to her mental stress.
” 6 If the pro-life followers can spend thousands of dollars on this movement, they can spend the same amount of money for teaching teenagers and others on the risks of unwanted pregnancies. The world is already overpopulated and is one of the biggest issues of the twenty-first century. Making abortion illegal will add to this population, nonetheless, the addition would be of people that were never wanted. Society forces a woman to have an unwanted child.
The same society then refuses to take care for, feed, provide clothes and educate these children. Above all, they even refuse to accept the child as a normal productive member of the society. The children of unwed mothers are called bastards and other profane words, when it is not even their fault. Abortion is a tough choice and the decision should be a personal one, without interference of government or special interest groups.
Losing safe and legal abortion would mean reducing women to nothing but “ childbearing vessels”. It would mean turning our backs on the technology we have, and it will also devalue women as independent human beings. It would cause more meaningless deaths from the illegal and self-induced abortions, bringing more pain for women. “ We ask justice, we ask equality, we ask that all the civil and political rights that belong to citizens of the United States, be guaranteed to us and our daughters forever. 7 Women living in America, women all over the world need to get what they require the most.
Being pro-choice certainly does not mean being pro-abortion, it means that the mother of the unborn child should be able to make her own decision for her own future. Pro-life people just do not seem to understand the importance of a woman’s freedom and her rights because all they see is the unborn child; they fail to understand that the woman who is pregnant is already a grown human being. Are the rights of a woman less important than that of an unborn child?