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Abortion: Pro and Con Essay

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Abortion: Pro and Con

In a pluralistic culture of unwanted pregnancy, there exists a contradiction between a relative sense of morality and the democratic ideal of free choice. Aristotle provided the first written record of this irresolvable contradiction in his book Politics, saying, "When couples have children in excess, let abortion be procured before sense and life have begun; what may or may not be lawfully done in these cases depends on the question of life and sensation." (1) The controversy has always consisted of two sides: "Pro-Lifers", who believe that abortion is morally wrong and should not be allowed, and "Pro-Choicers", who support the woman's right to choose the outcome of her pregnancy in all cases. There is also …show more content…

If these aborted fetuses are capable of developing in the same way as babies who have been carried to term, it would seem that both groups are equally human. I think I'm safe in saying that most Americans, whether Pro-Choice or Pro-Life, object to infanticide, so, by this logic, they should be equally opposed to abortion.

* Breast Cancer Link - Several researchers believe they have found a link between abortion and breast cancer. They claim this is due to the buildup of estrogen that occurs during pregnancy and is normally released after birth or miscarriage. In the event of an abortion however, the high level of estrogen is maintained, thereby increasing the woman's risk of breast cancer.

Fetal Awareness - Certain studies have demonstrated that aborted fetuses have been heard to cry from as early as 21 weeks and some doctors believe that distress can be felt as early as 13 weeks. Many abortions may even cause pain for the fetus.

Pro-Choice Arguments

* Women's Right's - Some Pro-Choicers see the ability to choose whether or not to have an abortion as the single most important right a woman can have. They see legal restrictions on abortion as a serious blow to the role of women in society.

* Fetus as Lump of Tissue - Beause the fetus is entirely dependant on its mother for support, it is not really a living entity, but merely a lump of tissue that belongs to the mother. Therefore, the fetus has no human rights, and the

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