Personal Narrative-Abortion Is Murder

In Judith Jarvis Thomson’s philosophy paper, A Defense of Abortion, she argues that abortion is permissible because an individual’s right over their own body outweighs a fetus’s right to life. In this paper I will focus on whether or not abortion is always permissible. First, I will present Thomson’s argument which says that abortion is sometimes permissible. I will do so by describing her “famous violinist” thought experiment. Next, I will object to Thomson’s claim and expand the scope of her argument by arguing that abortion is in fact, always permissible. I will do so by presenting a new thought experiment. Finally, I will conclude in saying that Thomson is correct and abortion is in fact only sometimes permissible.

The question of whether or not abortion is morally permissible is widely disputed amongst those who are pro-life or pro-choice. While in some societies abortion has been outlawed, others either entirely allow for it or consider abortion permissible on a case-by-case basis. Many pro-lifers classify abortion as immoral, some even considering it murder. Abortion is typically defined as terminating a pregnancy before the fetus is able to survive outside of the womb. A crucial factor in determining whether or not an instance of abortion can be considered morally permissible is the demarcation of the age of the fetus. Various hard cases in certain societies that have been considered permissible cases for abortion such as: threat of health to the mother, pregnancy in result of a crime (i.e. rape), reduced quality of life of the child (i.e. genetic problems and physical or mental defects), disadvantaged social factors (i.e. poverty), etc.

What is Abortion? Abortion is a pregnancy being ended so that it doesn't result in the birth of a child, sometimes called a “termination of pregnancy”. It is the only legal procedure, and is completely safe to the mother. Procedures are done in a clinic, like Planned Parenthood (Federation of America), which is a non-profit that helps provide sexual healthcare globally. One procedure is the in-clinic abortion, a surgical method using suction to empty the uterus is the (most common. But there is also a pill available for use at home, which blocks the body’s progesterone (hormone needed to further a pregnancy). Many mothers don't like the option of abortion, but if they aren't in a place for a child, many end up proceeding with it. Therefore, being such a major task, there are abysmal amounts of pro-life activists.

For recent years, people start to deny abortion and stated it as cruel and murder. While it does involve remove fetus or embryo from the mother and kill the baby before it was born, it might not be the worst thing that can happen to the baby. Most people who chose abortion is either can’t afford to have a kid or unable to take care of them. It was one of the case, while other concern about their right as a person. Some might say the baby have right to live, while others believe the mother have right for herself to do what she want to her body. The debate on abortion is not about who right, but it about the consequences of their action.

Abortion is the complicated act of removing a fetus from the womb of its mother before the full pregnancy has been completed. In the 13th century, women would be hung if they followed through with the act of abortion after six weeks of being pregnant, as it was considered homicide (Rich). Abortion between the fifteenth and eighteenth week was perceived as a capital offense well into the nineteenth century (Rich). Afterwards, abortion was denied to any woman, in England or the United States, unless the mother’s life was at risk (Rich). In the late twentieth century, a court case called “Roe v. Wade” created great controversy among the nation and served as a basis

In first grade, a boy named John— a notorious troublemaker—systematically chased every girl in our class during recess trying to kiss her on the lips. Most gave in eventually. It was easier to give in than keep running. When it was my turn, I turned and faced him, grabbed his glasses off his weasel face, and stomped on them on the hard blacktop. He ran to the principal’s office and cried.

In America, abortions are legal. Sacrificing an unborn life in this world should be illegal. They cannot speak for themselves and don’t have a choice to live or die. Abortion should be illegal.

Once everyone was seated, Dean Hollis came to the front of the room again. “I see you all made it back from your tours in one piece,” he laughed, even though what he said wasn’t particularly funny. He noticed that no one else was laughed so he cleared his throat and continued, “Next, we’re going to hear from Jennifer Wentworth, our resident librarian. Come on up Jen.”

“Two weeks after the abortion, I went into labor. I staggered into the bathroom. And there, with my husband beside me, I delivered a part of my baby the doctor had missed. It was the head of my baby. . . I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, thinking I hear a baby crying” (Neard). Abortion should not be legal in most cases. Many people who have had an abortion regret it and even if they don’t it is murder.

Abortion is inhumane, slavery was legal 150 years ago however, just because something is legal does not necessarily make it appropriate especially with various other alternatives available

Holly: “Hello everyone, thanks for tuning in to my special tonight. As you may all know, these past months in New York have been very interesting. A fourteen year old boy is caught climbing one of New York’s famed skyscrapers, and is arrested. It turns out that he had committed these perplexing feats of wonder several time before. Instead of doing his time in jail, he traveled to Thailand with his father, the famous mountain climber Joshua Wood. It turns out that the two haven’t been in contact for a while, and Joshua Wood planned to bring his son with him to climb Mount Everest, from Nepal to Tibet. Instead of finishing the climb, Peak chose to let Sun-jo finish and make a world record.

“There are nearly 1.2 million abortions performed in the United States each year” (Operation Rescue, 2014). That was 1.2 million innocent lives that were ended before they even had a chance to begin. Abortion has been legal for decades now, and it is time to put a stop to all the murdering of unborn children. This senseless killing of an unborn child needs to be recognized for what it truly is, and that is legalized murder. Abortions should be made illegal in the United States because it is taking the life of an innocent person, there are other options out there and lastly abortions are not only harming the unborn child but also cause harm to the mother.

Panicked, I told my mom right when I got into the car and she was just broken and sad because she had no idea that I would ever do something like that. When both families got together, it was decided for that she would get an abortion and so that following weekend we did just that. Upon arrival, there was a church protesting people not to go inside and proceed with their abortion, we walked in and signed her in and she went to the back. I sat in the lounge and continued to hear the chants of the crowd outside saying “God loves your child don’t do it” as the minutes passed I started thinking about the decision that was made for me and I felt immediate guilt about what was happening, but by then it was already too late, the abortion had happened.

Abortion is defined as “The removal of an embryo or fetus from the uterus in order to end the pregnancy” (dictionary.com). However, if only the debate over the abortion issue was as easy as the definition listed above. However, similar to most things in life, a statement or opinion is never right nor wrong, but simply left open for clarification. Those who are against abortion believe that abortion is the murder of innocent human beings who aren’t given a chance at life and the ability to function as a normal individual. However, those who are for abortion believe that it is a women’s right to choose what she does to not only her baby but

All around the world, unborn babies are being killed everyday. Abortion has become one of the most common operations in the US today. People that are “pro-choice” believe that it is acceptable for a woman to have the choice to abort her baby or not. They say that it is the legal right of a woman. They believe that a baby is not yet alive until it has been born. It is argued that a woman should be able to do what is best for her future, health, and body. On the other side of the spectrum lies people that are “pro-life”. They believe that human life begins at the time of conception and that killing what is unborn is murder. They defend this with arguments from science, as well as scripture. Pro-choice believes in abortion because it will benefit the majority of women and possibly families. They are looking out for themselves and their best interests. It is Utilitarianism as well as egoism. They believe it is morally acceptable to end the life of the unborn. It will provide the majority with an unwanted pregnancy and a way out of a tough situation. Pro-life is against abortion because of a religious authority and because it will benefit a majority (unborn babies). They believe it is morally unacceptable to end the life of the unborn.