“Pro-life” and “pro-choice” are the dominant ideologies that define abortion. The pro-life movement believes that abortion should be banned, a term some argue is biased because it implies the opposition does not value human life. Pro-choice advocates, on the other hand, support the legalization and accessibility of abortion. Contrary to popular belief, reproductive rights controversies have become much more complex. Some individuals support abortion in certain circumstances, while others do not, as they believe it defies the rule to protect and respect life. Everyone has their opinion about the issue making the topic debatable. Most people will agree that the debate between pro-life and pro-choice beliefs has played a significant role in determining how we view the issue of abortion today. This argumentative essay will analyze the pro-life and pro-choice positions concerning modern society.
Abortion is the main point of conflict between the pro-life and pro-choice movements. The pro-life movement contends that even an undeveloped, nonviable life deserves protection. In the minds of pro-life supporters, human life begins at conception and ends at natural death. As a result, they consider that when one commits an abortion, they not only end an innocent life but also put a woman’s life at risk (Blackshaw & Rodger, 2019). Pro-life state that engaging in abortion puts a woman’s life at risk as they are exposed to the possibility of becoming fertile and even suffering from cancer. Pregnancy begins as soon as a male’s sperm fertilizes the female egg to form a baby. As a result, pro-life activists believe that by taking away a human species, one puts their life on the line, as anything can happen.
According to pro-life activists, any purposeful destruction of human life, if it takes place with the intent of killing an embryo or fetus, is viewed as unethical and morally wrong. Pro-life considers abortion immoral, as denying a baby the right to live is wrong. They argue that by taking away a child’s life, one changes the world’s fate as they believe that we live in some worldly order (Rasanen, 2018). Therefore, taking any child means that we interfere with what the universe has for the world. As a result, they emphasize that death should be avoided at all costs, as we cannot show respect for life if we allow ourselves to live in a world where people can kill babies.
Contrarily, pro-choice activists believe that individuals have unlimited autonomy over their reproductive systems, provided they do not compromise others’ independence (Medoff, 2016). To maintain a comprehensive pro-choice position, they state that one choice to abstain, use contraceptives, give birth, and abort must remain legal. Politics and ethics associated with pro-choice relate to the idea of women having control over their fertility and making their own decisions regarding their pregnancies. The pro-choice movement argues that embryos do not possess rights because they are only potential persons and cannot override the mother’s rights until they are born (Machado & Maciel, 2017). In their argument, the pro-choice activists state that a woman’s ability to have an abortion should be considered a way of expressing their rights. Without it, the Constitution will limit their freedom to make choices.
In addition, pro-choice activists state that it is only fair that women should have the same choice as men when they find out their spouse is pregnant. Currently, there are cases where men withdraw from relationships the moment they realize that a woman is pregnant. Abortion activists, in this case, argue that it is not fair for such a woman to be left alone and forced to keep the pregnancy, knowing that it does not match what she expected (Jarman, 2015). As a result, they argue that it is fair if men, too, are allowed to choose whether or not to keep the pregnancy and not be forced to do it because somebody else thinks it is the right thing to do.
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