The debate over abortion has always been challenging, and it remains such in the light of the recent presidential election in the United States. Abortion is a critical issue in the support of women’s rights because usually women are more affected by the debate than men (both as a gender and individuals). Moreover, pregnancy to a woman is one of the most important and determinative aspects of life because it causes disruptions in her body, education, career, and even family life (BBC, 2014). Thus, because the impact on women’s lives is intense, it is fundamental to allow women to choose whether to terminate or continue her pregnancy (Roe v. Wade, n.d.).
If to point out the weaknesses in the argument against the right to terminate a pregnancy, the major concern is presented by the opposition to women’s rights to control their bodies (Wittes, n.d.). As one should be in full control of his or her own body, a woman should be allowed to abort a fetus since it exists inside her body (Hallquist, 2012). Another weakness in the argument against abortion is the opposition to the freedom of personal choice in family matters protected by the Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution, which leads to the claim that it is unethical to prohibit abortion since it will subsequently force women who were unwilling to bear unwanted children to give birth.
Questions for the cross-examination of the argument against abortion are the following:
- Do you agree that the same as everyone has a right to life, everyone has a right to property?
- Do you agree that property is something that does not have any independent decision-making capabilities (e.g. an arm, a leg)?
- Is a person’s body his or her own property?
- If the body is one’s own property, does a person have a right to do whatever he or she wants?
- Does a fetus have any independent abilities of decision-making (Cook, 2012)?
- Because you have already agreed that property is anything that does not have any independent decision-making abilities, does not that make a fetus property?
- Since you have already agreed that every person has a right to do with their property whatever they wanted, should not women be granted the right to decide what to do with a fetus that has no independent decision-making abilities?
The cross-examination questions above lead to making the conclusion that since a fetus does not have independent decision-making skills, it belongs to women as property because they are located in women’s bodies, which are considered their property (Widdows, Cirion, & Cirion, 2005). It is also important to mention that besides the mentioned factors, there are other circumstances that should allow women to be in full control of the decision. For example, when a woman was victimized by rape and got pregnant as a result of the abuse, it is highly unlikely that she will want to bear the fetus that resulted from a traumatic event. Therefore, abortion is the only available option for women that do not want to carry the child of the offender who victimized them (Hallquist, 2012).
To conclude, women’s right to abortion is a fundamental principle that allows them to be in full control of their bodies. Women may go through some traumatic events or be morally unprepared to bear a child at a certain time since pregnancy affects every aspect of their lives. Abortion should be regarded as a procedure to help women control their own bodies and make a decision according to their personal circumstances, which is a fundamental right of every citizen.
References
BBC. (2014). Women’s rights arguments in favor of abortion. Web.
Cook, K. (2012). The impact of choice and control on women’s childbirth experiences. Journal of Perinatal Education, 21(3), 158-168.
Hallquist, C. (2012). Abortion is about the right of women to control their bodies. Web.
Roe v. Wade, 70-18 U.S. (1973).
Widdows, H., Cirion, E., & Cirion, A. (2005). Women’s reproductive rights. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.
Wittes, B. (n.d.). Letting go of Roe. Web.