Abortion is a Necessary Choice in Our Society

This subject is fraught with emotion and a complete disregard for rhetorical practices, and it is always full of logical fallacies. There's no way to win the argument of “I’m right.”

Abortion is bad. The whole process is hurtful in a multitude of ways.

When people defend it and fight for the right to have it as a choice, it seems like they are blood thirsty and on the side of the “devil,” whatever anyone’s devil may be. Some of these supporters of abortion as a choice are pretty religious and accept the idea of abortion as something necessary, as a choice. These people are called pro-choice, but that term doesn’t really belong to them; here in the US, we all make choices and have the right to make choices about our health and bodies.

Those who oppose it can claim to be on the side of God or what they call morality. They base their opposition of abortion on their personal, societal moral systems (which often do not match up), and religious foundations. They take the title of pro-life, but that term does not belong to them exclusively, just as not all pro-lifers are Christian or Republican.

Here is the quagmire. The fact is that both sides are right and both sides are wrong, depending on each individual. Both sides can make valid arguments, and both sides can use emotions to distort and hurt the other side. Some rhetoricians claim that we cannot argue faith, that it belongs to each person, and I wonder if that is true. But, then we have this issue of the legality of abortion in our country, and we HAVE to argue it.

In the US, we have freedom to think, feel, speak, worship, and abort. How can we have all of these rights without stepping on toes or disregarding someone else’s beliefs? If people believe that abortion is murder, then we can't tell them not to believe it. It is their right to believe this. And, if others think that abortion is the best choice for them and it is legal, then how can we tell them THEY are wrong?

We have been given the freedom, by our government, and many would say by God, to make choices. Are they "right" choices? Not all of them. People choose to rob banks. They shoot people in fits of passion. People choose to go to college and learn how to be doctors. People choose to have sex. Are there consequences to these choices? Yes, good AND bad. Do we hurt people or even end their lives with these choices? Yes. Can we not make these choices? Sure, but we HAVE to make choices in this world, and we have to base these choices on what we feel is right. It's up to us.

The idea of abortion does not make me feel good, and I don’t know many women (or men, and I must say that there are plenty of men who support abortion) who feel good about the idea of abortions. Moreover, I cannot accept the idea of not having the choice if I am raped (by stranger or relative). And, no matter how much I take care of myself, by not walking down dark alleys or by going out in groups, I could be a victim. The are HUNDREDS and THOUSANDS of these victims. Rape happens.

When someone can promise me (and a lot of other concerned men and women) that there will be no more rape, no more incest, no more sex trafficking, no more drugs that make people so addicted that they sell sex for drugs, no more guilt about having sex or being a sexual being, no more sexual objectification of women, men, or children (porn or car commercials that show a woman’s body), and no more abstinence only sex education that keeps people stupid and in the dark about how to prevent pregnancies (and more), then I need the choice. There needs to be a choice so people can protect themselves. Such a promise of protection would be a lie. No one can make this promise, and changes in sentencing, rehabilitation, or even better education will that kind of hate go away.