Abortion. It's one of those touchy topics that can get people raving at very little provocation. But WHY is this one of those hot topics? Maybe it's due to the news. People see a story about a woman being followed around by camera men when she's decided to abort her unborn child. The news viewers then form their own opinions on the topic, and it goes from there. Truthfully, I can't tell anyone WHY this is such a big topic, but I can help point out both sides of the argument.
Argument Side 1: Aborting a fetus is NOT killing a baby, because it's not a baby yet.
Here's the side where we see Pro-Choice, the idea that women have the right to decide whether or not they should get an abortion. There really is no moral obligations because what is being aborted is simply a mass of cells that decided to start growing (Well, they had a little help in the "deciding" factor). This side of the argument states that women should only have to go through pregnancy if they want a child. To those Anti-Abortion Advocates they rebuttle "But what if the woman was raped?" and the verbal fight continues from there. What IF a woman was raped? Would she want to have a child, knowing full well that the father was some sex-deviant? How could she explain that to the child when it got old enough?
Arguement Side 2: Abortion is murder of babies.
Anti-Abortion supporters say that abortion is either ending the potential for life, or a life in itself. That fetus could have become a human being, capable of understanding or thought or creativity. It's not the baby's fault that the mother didn't want it. Afterall, if the mother got pregnant then it's her own problem for not using protection. People should be responsible for their actions, and let this baby grow, at least until it's born and is adoptable. There are other homes out there, and families that want children, why not save a life and help a family reach that goal of finally having a child? Even if the woman was raped, it wasn't the baby's fault, and therefore shouldn't be executed.
So what are your opinions on the matter? You may or may not have realized by this time that I lean towards Anti-Abortion. If a woman becomes pregnant, no matter if she's a naive teenager or older woman who just didn't use protection, I believe it is her responsibility to at least give that fetus a chance to live. We also do not yet have the understanding of WHEN exactly human life begins, or on a more spiritual level, when there is a soul present in a body. Recently there were two baby's born--one mentioned on the news and one belonging to a teacher in my school--that were born very premature and survived. I believe one of these babies was only 21 weeks in the womb and as thin as someone's finger. This has definitly fueled the debate, because it seems that life does begin earlier that previously thought.
This is a very serious issue and I'll welcome any and all comments on it, whether or not you side with me. We all have a say and maybe someday there will be a clear-cut answer, but for now all we can do is talk about it, and hope nobody made unwise mistakes regarding aborting--or not.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
"if the mother got pregnant then it's her own problem for not using protection."
What's your stance on if she did use protection and it failed? After all, there is only one fool-proof way to prevent pregnancy - say it with me now - abstinence.
But, let's be honest, sex is fun. So abstinence isn't really an acceptable long term birth control solution.
Sterilization is another option, but from personal experience, men are often put off by the thought of putting an end to their own fertility (at least the ones that I've spoken with about it), and as for women, it's pretty difficult to find a doctor who is willing to perform a sterilization if you (a) are under 30 or (b) don't have any children because of the risk that the woman might "change her mind." I myself find this rather insulting since women who have even a modicum of interest in being a mother in the future shouldn't be considering sterilization...
That leaves us with the remaining various birth control methods - not a single one of which is infallible.
Thankfully, it seems like politicians this season are coming to terms with the fact that unwanted pregnancies are the problem - prevent unwanted pregnancies, and abortion becomes a non-issue.
I think the first step in the right direction is to abandon the failed "abstinence only" education programs in this country. Then provide cheap birth control to anybody who wants it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
This is the 21st Century! The History Channel is currently airing a show about controlling the weather, and we can't even control our own fertility!