The Acceptability of Abortion and Pro-Life Arguments
The acceptability of abortion is a contentious maternal and health problem that is hotly contested. The majority of the arguments revolve around life's societal problems, moral orientation, and the pursuit of justice, among other things. From a governmental and religious standpoint, there are major differences in the definition of a human being. Theologians, for example, assume that life begins at conception, quickening, or birth. The idea of the sanctity of life and the presence of an everlasting spirit contradicts scientific approaches as well as secular government policy that mostly concentrate on the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. Pro-life organizations argue that there is a need to preserve human life which is a government obligation. In their view, the fetus is a life. On the above points, we will examine the pro-life arguments on abortion in the current society. (Tatalovich 28)
Protection of Life and Justice
The central argument for pro-life organizations is based on the idealism to criminalize abortion by sacredness of life. Women being forced to abort still being practiced around the world, and most incidents are not reported. Abortion is an injustice to the unborn child as well as the mother although it depends on the circumstance that causes abortion to take place. In this case, pro-lifers' main goal is to protect life and ensure that justice prevails. Pro-abortion camps reportedly abuse the women's rights and in their quest to terminate a pregnancy. They tend to disregard the life of an unborn child. It implies that the abortionist has the right to terminate the life of the fetus depending on the situation. Moreover, illegal abortion is an act that should be punishable by law. It is illegal abortions that lead pro-lifers to support the government in banning abortion. (Nelson 64)
Violence against Pregnant Women and Their Rights
Additionally, several cases of attempted or actualized abortions that are reported to the Supreme Court are the cause of abuse of women. The Population Research Institute noted several incidents of physical assaults on pregnant women who are being forced by their husbands to terminate the pregnancy. Dr. Stephen forcibly stabled a woman he had impregnated with a hypodermic needle, an abortion-causing drug after physically assaulting her in the hospital parking lot. Similarly, Alabama security guards beat female juvenile detainees to abort after forcing them to have sex. Most of the cases pointed to other forms of abuse and life-threatening actions such as hiring gangs to beat up those who try to resist abortion as well as job termination among others. In all these cases, abortion subjects pregnant women to dehumanizing acts which are not acceptable. (Mason 33)
Health Complications and the Government's Role
Most of the incidences remain unreported due to further security issues as well as fear of laws protecting the perpetrators. The effects of the stated instances and other unreported cases among women involve both psychological and physical outcomes. Victims of abortion, especially in forced situations, face significant health complications and are vulnerable to diseases. The issue of Jane Roe II represents several cases when victims of abortion suffer as a result of the procedure. Moreover, physical assaults and rape that are also widely reported among pro-abortion is also a major cause of life-threatening diseases. Based on the above scenarios, abortion has not promoted justice for women in any sense. Instead, most of the occurrences of abuse and injustice to women occur due to the government failing to protect the life of an unborn child and pregnant women through its policies. (Mason 34)
The Sanctity of Life and Moral Commitment
Pro-lifers are also concerned with the sanctity of life as an important virtue that a person should uphold. In their view, life begins at conception which is both the first step of pregnancy. Religious views support this argument, notably the Roman Catholic Church, which claims that conception is an essential part of a human being. It implies that the process leading to the birth of a child is sacred. Therefore, no one, including the woman carrying the pregnancy, has the right to terminate the fetus. Catholicism points out that "unborn life is precious no matter the way it has been conceived." These arguments form part of the widely advocated issue of the sanctity of human life. The desire to criminalize abortion on such terms rise from the fact that every action that is immorally intended to destroy another life is a serious offense under the law. It calls for the government to protect the unborn children by formulating and implementing policies against abortion. Further reasoning on the immortality of the soul reveals that the act of terminating a pregnancy has no significant difference with killing a breathing person. It implies that the offenders should face murder or involuntary manslaughter charges. (Ganatra 13)
Contraception and Moral Obligations
Pro-lifers also consider various forms of contraception as having a similar intent as abortion. In this case, there is a need for moral commitment to life in its earliest stages. The scientific approaches to the concept of abortion lack emotional and social attachments that are advanced in these arguments. Scholars agree that the criminalization of terminating a pregnancy is advocated as the primary policy response among the pro-lifers. In as much as it may have achieved minimal outcomes in preventing abortion, it indicates the government's willingness to uphold the dignity of the unborn child and the integrity of life. Moreover, it promotes access to justice among women who face assault due to confidence that would stem from pro-abortion or pro-choice camps. As a result, those who are subjected to dehumanizing acts such as beating, threats, and health risks resulting from the pursuit of abortion stand a better chance to access justice and compensation. The prevalent perception among pro-lifers is that pregnancy termination is based on the choice to end the fetus' life without consideration of its right to life. Therefore, instituting policies and laws against such actions is consistent with other regulations that are intended to uphold the value of life. It is on these grounds that pro-lifers consider abortionists as murderers. As a result, they should be subjected to similar punishments according to the law. (Ojanen 275)
Consideration for Women's Health and Rights
The stated arguments overlook critical aspects about the subject regarding abortion. First, there is little consideration for the rights of women who result in abortion due to health complications. Pro-lifers noted that the Obama administration's promotion of reproductive health has promoted abortion. Hillary Clinton stated in a committee that we should think about family planning as an integral part of women's health and reproductive health, which includes access to abortion that she believes should be safe and legal. It reflects that the termination of pregnancy is a medical issue that is mainly intended to save a pregnant woman's life who is in danger because of pregnancy complications. Additionally, the pro-choice and anti-abortion limits view the concept of conception as mostly separate from pregnancy. It implies that methods employed to prevent fertilization cannot be considered as part of abortion. Moreover, the government should not have control over women's rights to control their bodies under the pretext of protecting the fetus. (Tatalovich 77)
Conclusion
From an intellectual point of view, pro-life advocates for the integrity of both pregnant women and the unborn child. The concerns are considerably impartial, as in the case of pro-choice and pro-abortion camps. Most of the contradictory aspects value human life, an approach that is advanced by the opponents. The obligation to protect the rights of women and children is expressly captured in the pro-life arguments concerning their sacredness and sanctity.
Works Cited
Ganatra, Bela, et al. "Global, regional, and subregional classification of abortions by safety, 2010–14: estimates from a Bayesian hierarchical model." The Lancet (2017).
Mason, Alpheus Thomas, and Grier Stephenson. American constitutional law: introductory essays and selected cases. Routledge, 2015.
Nelson, Thomas K. "Emergency Life Prevention." Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Vol. 91. No. 12. Elsevier, 2016.
Ojanen-Goldsmith, A. R., and M. Dutton-Kenny. "Beyond the clinic: characteristics and experiences of community-based abortion providers, facilitators, and counselors outside the formal health care system in North America." Contraception 96.4 (2017): 275.
Tatalovich, Warren. The politics of abortion in the United States and Canada: A comparative study. Routledge, 2015.
