What Is Pro Choice?

Abortion has been a heated debate in the United States for decades. Since before the ruling on Roe v. Wade, it is clear that this is an issue that is far from ever being decided upon. Between those who are pro-life and those who are pro-choice, scholars from both sides work on disproving the morality of the other side. With the evolution of abortion laws and regulation through the decades, it is difficult to imagine the United States without conflict pertaining to abortion. Despite pro-life and pro-choice agendas, the country is in ever-changing opinion when it comes to abortion.

The issue of abortion has always been a controversial one for citizens of the United States. Abortion is the practice of terminating a pregnancy after the embryo has been planted in the uterus (Abortion). An individual’s stance on this controversial issue categorizes them into one of two very different groups. An individual who feels that a woman should not have an abortion- due to moral or religious views- is said to be “pro-life”. Coincidently, those who feel that a woman should have the right to choose abortion are said to be “pro-choice”. “Pro-life” supporters point to the practice of abortion as an immoral one. Supporters state abortion is immoral because it takes away the rights of the unborn fetus, since activists consider human

Before women had rights to decide whether they could keep their baby, some states didn’t allow abortion, therefore requiring women to give birth to their child. In today’s current issues, abortion is still a controversial subject with millions of people supporting it or not supporting it. Every woman has the right to make changes to her own physical body, and those rights should not be taken away, according to the constitution. In the very famous case in 1973, “Roe v. Wade”, the United States Supreme Court legalized abortion throughout the first trimester of pregnancy. In the article, “Roe’s Pro-Life Legacy”, it is explained how after this movement, the right to abortion, lives have changed and led to lower abortion rates (Sheilds 2013.)

One of the first moral issues addressed by both sides of the abortion debate concerns a pregnant woman’s so-called natural “right” to make “reproductive choices.” (“The Rights of Pregnant Women”) Anti-abortion advocacy groups claim that “the only way to actually protect the mother’s rights will be by enforcing laws that secure her child’s right to life,” (“Argument 2”) whereas pro-abortion groups contend that these laws “create a dangerous precedent for wide-ranging government intrusion into the lives of all women.” (“The Rights”) With two fundamentally contrasting viewpoints at odds with each other, it is apparent that one of the core issues concurrent with abortion is a woman’s rights versus the rights of her unborn fetus.

The controversy surrounding abortion has been long debated since the Roe v Wade case (1973) as pro-life advocates and pro-choice advocates go neck to neck on whether the process should be banned or remain legal. According to APA (American Psychological Association), abortion is the “medical or surgical termination of a pregnancy and is one of the oldest, most common and most controversial medical procedures”. To be Pro-Life means to be against the termination of a fetus; one who is not in favor of the practice. Pro-life advocates believe a woman should continue the pregnancy and deliver the baby no matter the circumstance. Pro-choice represents those who believe the woman deserves a choice to carry the baby or have an abortion. Although the 1973 Roe vs Wade case legalized abortion, abortion is still currently a much heated debate in America as the surgical procedure is possibly on the verge of becoming illegalized. However, abortion should definitely remain legal for various reasons such as individual freedom, victim protection, life opportunities, failed contraception, and it is not fair for the government to make such crucial decisions for a woman’s life.

For many years abortion has been the topic of controversy among the political, social and religious spectrum. Each holds individuals with dichotomous views on the legality of abortion. In recent times, the topic of abortion has returned to the courts to challenge political and religious opposing views. In this case, Texas has attempted to combine their religious perspective of abortion into the political sphere by demanding laws restricting abortion practices in clinics. On the other hand, liberal women and women’s rights groups are demanding the unconstitutionality of these restrictions. Therefore the restriction of women’s reproductive rights in laws that are being implemented in Texas should be rejected because of its potential threat

Roe vs. Wade case was a ground-breaking landmark case because it gave a woman the right to choose. Since then landmark cases and legislation restricted a woman from having an abortion. The rights of the unborn are the reason why a woman's rights to have an abortion are being eroded. In addition, violent events have occurred because a woman has a right to have an abortion. Clearly, this topic has affected the political, health, social, and religious, aspects of our society. Currently, women are choosing not to have an abortion. The sentiment is so strong that a Harris poll showed that 72% of Americans say abortion should be illegal after the first 3 months of pregnancy. To make this point, abortion rates are down in the states where the abortion

While the history component is important in understanding the future of abortion in the United States, an examination of the varying ideological arguments is paramount as well.

Pro-life versus pro-choice has always been a controversial issue due to religious reasons and our countries constitutional rights. The woman’s right to have a say on her pregnancy has slowly progressed throughout our countries history, while only allowing women the right to make their own choice on whether or not to keep their unborn child within the past 50 years. “The 1973 Roe v. Wade decision guaranteed a woman 's right to an abortion,” states Judith S. Baughman, editor of American Decades. However, this was not always the case and still causes controversy among many people living in America due to religious reasons.

The United States has been divided now over the issue of abortion for thirty-three years since the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade in 1973. As of today, over 45 million legal abortions have been performed in the United States. Pro-choice advocates hold these 45 million abortions as being 45 million times women have exercised their right to choose to get pregnant and to choose to control their own bodies. To pro-life, or anti-abortion, advocates these 45 million abortions constitute 45 million murders, a genocide of human life in the United States propagated by the court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade. The debate over abortion in the United States is thus a debate of two extremes. One side argues from the personal liberty of the mother. The

Someone once said,“Being pro choice doesn’t mean you would have an abortion. It just means you think the choice is yours, not the government's. In the New York Times editorial written on June 27, 2016, entitled, “ A Major Victory for Abortion Rights,” the writers are targeting young women can understand that the choice of abortion should be in the women's hands. This article is about keeping abortion legal in America, but primarily Texas. The writer's emotional appeals, word choices, and logic to successfully encourage the readers.

Abortion, one of the most controversial topics mentioned in this county, especially the state of Texas, continues to be scrutinized from both sides of the spectrum. In 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme court ruled that abortion would be legalized on a federal level, however, many states including Texas have placed restrictions on the procedure. The question here should not be based on a moral standard, but rather, what is the right of the women and her say in her body. This essay will review both views on abortion along with the laws on abortion here in Texas.

There is a third side to the abortion debate. A large and growing number of people, religious, and non-religious alike, recognize a woman’s right to an abortion to be a fundamental freedom in this country; a freedom protected by law. Their view on abortion is based on the simple truth that choice is the operative word. This Third Voice is opposed to the practice of abortion on moral grounds, but also assert that the separation of Church and State extents to the right of a woman to do with her body as she decides. Further, the Third Voice accepts the law of the land, and advocates the possibility of better, and objective pre- and post-abortion counseling and education to all regarding abortion.

Many of us are faced with the question of where we stand on the abortion debate,“So, are you pro-life or pro-choice?”. The vast majority of us might not have a straight-laced answer to this question. Responses such as “ Well, I’m pro-life but….” followed by an exception due to ethical reasons are far too common.

Abortion is dividing America. Without a common understanding of abortion, this issue will always be divisive in America. Throughout the history of America, abortion has been an issue that has generally separated people into two camps, those in favor of abortion and those against abortion. However, these two groups, more often than not, have not approached their understanding of this issue from the same perspective. Generally speaking, those in favor of abortion see the issue of the personal rights of women. However, those against abortion, view the issue of the rights of the child. As a result, these two perspectives will never gain unity or a common understanding of abortion. The purpose of this paper is to not only give a clear understanding of both sides of the issue, but to argue that this issue will never be a unifying issue in American culture.