Abortion is not only a moral issue, but also an incredibly intricate and subtle legal issue that affects both constitutional and criminal cases. From the moral standpoint I, like Mr. Pritchett, view abortion through the same lenses with which I view the death penalty. When I say that I am “pro-life”, I mean it in the truest sense of the phrase. I am categorically against any action that results in an unnecessary loss of life. Abortion falls under my pro-life umbrella because I believe life starts at conception, thus the taking away of that life is something I find reprehensible except for a few extreme cases, which will be discussed later.

The idea of the “unwanted” child is an argument that pro-choice proponents have used for years and on the surface, the claim seems sympathetic to the child, but when examined, the sympathy rings hollow. 

Just because parents did not plan to have a child does not mean that the child is going to have a bad childhood. Children can have bad childhoods with parents who planned to have children; the idea of the unfit parent who plans to have children completely complicates any pro-choice argument that hinges on using bad childhoods as justification for abortions. A bad childhood does not preclude a person from having a successful and happy life. The amount of factors that play into a child having a great childhood is so immense that using the “unwanted” argument as an excuse to justify the killing of a human life drags down the level of the debate. 

While Mr. Pritchett and other pro-choice proponents may contend they are saving the child from the possibility of a bad childhood, they ignore the possibility of a happy and productive adult life. One does not preclude the other and even though bad childhoods make adult life more difficult, there is a litany of examples of people who have overcome rough starts. To justify the killing of a human life, it is going to take much more than the simple idea of the “unwanted” child.

One of the tangential issues surrounding abortion is sex education. I agree with Mr. Pritchett that abstinence-only sex-education is ineffective; I would even go a step further and say that it is naive and dangerous. Effective sex-education based around contraceptives has in the past resulted in a reduced number of abortions. In fact, the CDC states that abortions declined during the period of 1995-2000 and many attribute this decline to the more realistic approach to sex-education pushed by the Clinton administration.

As a legal issue, the “right” to abortion muddles the water of many criminal cases. Take the Laci Peterson case for example; Scott Peterson was charged with two murders, the murder of Laci and of the unborn child. If the killing of an unborn is considered murder, then how is abortion covered under the right to privacy? This aspect of the abortion argument is overlooked and it should be addressed if America takes its constitution and criminal laws seriously, especially since 27 states have laws that mandate punishment for harm done to the unborn during a crime.

There are cases where I believe abortion is warranted, specifically cases where the mother’s health is at risk. Much like killing is permissible in situations of self-defense, a person cannot be held accountable for an abortion performed in the preservation of one’s own life. Cases of rape and incest are much more difficult, and while I do not think it is fair to the child to destroy its life, it is equally unfair to ask the woman to carry the emotional burden of rape and a pregnancy that fallows.

I do not believe making abortion illegal is a good option at this present time, simply because it would be highly ineffective and there are more effective alternatives (better sex-education). Ultimately, the goal of the pro-life movement should be to reduce abortions to the extreme cases. The universe is 14 billion years old, Earth is about 4.5 billion, and the human-genus has been around for roughly 2.5 million years. It has taken billions years for this species to rise out of the murk of the natural world and therefore, killing of a member of this species requires a stronger justification than the simple “unwanted” child contention.

Related posts:

1. Abortion is Acceptable and Must be Legal
2. Public System Has Flaws but Privatization Is Not the Solution