It is
said that 1 out of 3 women (by the age of 45) are likely to have an abortion.
Earth's population is estimated around 7 billion; that is roughly 51,000 deaths brought to unborn fetuses
every year. The controversy over pro-life and pro-choice is something far too
heated to be brought to a single conclusion. Clearly, everyone has their own
opinion on the matter... some a lot stronger than others. On one hand,
abortions are seen as medical necessities for women that are in "substantial
situations". From the opposite point of view, abortions are seen as
murderous acts brought upon innocent lives.
To be completely
honest, I had a difficult time finding an external source that didn't make me absolutely
furious. I am so pro-life that I can
hardly agree with anything that deals with death- this is quite possibly why I
am vegetarian. I believe that our existences are evidences of miracles. I will
let it be known that I am not a religious applicant, therefore have no
"higher power" swaying my own personal
opinions on the matter. With that said, the video claims that 3 out of 4 women
who choose to have an abortion are religiously affiliated. What does this quite
possibly mean? Without hesitation, I would say that this means there is a connection
with religion and an obscurity in making critical decisions. Also, the video
explains that 6 out of 10 women who chose to have an abortion already have
children. I find it so disrupting that women feel the need to use abortion as
an excuse in this form. Children, at this rate, would likely be someone's pride
and joy. I could not even begin to fathom ending the life of my unborn child. Taking away someone's privilege of life is disgustingly
heinous. We all came to this planet because our mothers let it happen.
Simple as that. Denying that right because someone has "too many"
children just makes this the prime example of hypocrisy.
On the pro-life
side of this argument, women are being targeted as criminals, deviants, and
sinners for agreeing with the terms of abortion. This lack of reproductive
justice is causing chaos between right and wrong. As demonstrated in the
closure of this video, there is only one way to find steady ground within this
issue: contraception, healthcare, education, and employment. These social and
economic inequities all concentrate to a lack of access. If there were easier
methods of accessing contraception, more equality and affordable means within healthcare,
a stronger approach on sexual education, and more well paying jobs, abortion
rates will see a drastic decline. To anyone who is neutral on this subject: I
dare you to imagine your own life in
the hands of a mother contemplating abortion. Do you really want to take the
one-third odds?
Abortion is such a heavily debated issue that relies mostly on beliefs of when that fetus is a considered a human bring. There is some truth to the fact that education and contraception will help but this is not always the case. While some authors like the one who did "Beyond Pro-Life and Beyond Pro-Choice" seem to think that it is all about the women's body, it isn't necessarily true. There is something growing in there. Although in the case of rape and other such incidents (for instance 0 percent survival of the fetus in the womb which could be carried in the womb for months and cause trauma to the mother), it may be necessary for survival. This is so unfortunate to think about. While I could never abort a baby myself, I do believe there are instances in which the health of the mother depends. We should have the right to our own bodies.
ReplyDelete-Rachael Belcher
I'm afraid that I disagree with one of the conclusions you've drawn, specifically the conclusion drawn from how 75% of abortion-receiving women are religiously affiliated. That is fairly close to the regular religious demographic of the U.S. In other words, your conclusion that "this means there is a connection with religion and an obscurity in making critical decisions" isn't really supported by that statistic. If there was in fact some causal relationship, you would expect the number to deviate significantly from the normal religiosity rates.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, about 85% of people in the U.S. associate with some religion. If anything, that 75% religious affiliation for abortion would indicate a correlation between religion and *not* having abortions, since the prevalence of religion is lower than the regular population demographic.
All too often statistics are thrown around in social issue contexts, especially women's studies, and aren't properly explained or presented. It's important that we make sure that we fully understand the statistics being presented to us. After all, while 99.8% of statistics are lies (ha ha ha), 100% of them are misleading if not interpreted with proper context.
Aside from that, I completely agree with you on the importance of emphasizing and encouraging the use and application of preventative measures so as to avoid this social and moral conundrum altogether.
Actually, the religiosity number is closer to 80% rather than 85%.
DeleteAlong with what Levi said, just because someone is labeled as religious doesn't necessarily mean they are part of any religion or that that religion is against abortion. Honestly, even though you say you do not believe in a higher power that doesn't mean the people who gather the statistics wouldn't consider you religious. If 80-85% of our nation is religious, the nations religious institutions would be a lot fuller. I can't help but wish these statistics had more information.
ReplyDeleteThat aside, I do think that you are right, education need to focus on prevention of pregnancy.