Should Abortion be Legalized?

By Humza Jami

Abortion is the medical act of terminating pregnancy by removing an embryo or a fetus from the uterus of a woman’s body. The status quo for abortion being legal varies from country to country. The general trend lies with extremely religious states, including but not limited to the Holy See and Saudi Arabia, resorting to actions such as the cancellation of doctor’s licenses if they perform abortion on grounds other than being the absolute last resort. The absolute last resort implies that the mother’s life is at risk in this scenario.

The side of the argument which in particular fights the case of abortion not being legalized bases their cases on two distinct but intertwining lines. Firstly, they talk about the social and cultural backlash associated with abortion. The social backlash is more or less associated with the labeling of mothers who have undergone abortion as a metaphorical “black sheep” of society. Why and how does this* happen you may ask? They get alienated. They are branded similar to the unfortunate souls who have had miscarriages. They are labeled impure or dirty; having compromised their chastity for the sake of pleasure and getting away with it by simply prancing off to a clinic. The mother starts getting disowned by her own medieval mindset relatives. She becomes the butt of all gossip mongers’ fresh stories. This is absolutely preposterous they argue, and it’s not fair for abortion to be legalized at all as it opens the door for any woman to undergo the treatment and be subject to discrimination from society as a result.

Secondly, they argue that abortion takes away the life of an unborn child, albeit in the form of a fetus. The fetus being an unborn child has rights according to this belief, and it deserves to live its own life, regardless of the precarious circumstances surrounding its conception and hypothetical birth. The call it murder and call those who oppose executions but support abortion hypocrites. According to this belief, human life has begun for the fetus, which is illustrated by “it” being referred to as a person, rather than the “fetus” in speech. When a pregnant woman feels a kick within her belly, she doesn’t say that the “fetus” kicked, but she says that the baby kicked. The baby is a human being, life has begun for it, and it deserves to be given a shot at life is a brief summation of their argument. They believe that even if the parents can’t afford to raise the child, there are a fair amount of adoption schemes and foster homes present to take care of the baby.

Now coming towards what the supporters of the legalization of abortion have to say for themselves, they base their arguments on two primary heads. First comes with the right of the mother having a choice of whatever she wants to do with her own body. The rights of the mother must be prioritized in this case as she is already alive and there are a number of possible complications that could occur with the fetus. The mother might have tried and used every form of sexual protection available to mankind if it was a recreational activity which impregnated her, but that does not mean that she is forced to give birth. After all, if any man can choose leave any of their sexual excursions without any scars that might haunt them for the rest of their lives, why does a woman have carry around a child in her womb for nine months as a one? Why does a woman have to suffer changes to her body which she might not welcome? Is she any less of a human being that she isn’t giving a chance to opt out of it? And it is pleasing to see in this light that legislation does exist, even the strictest of countries, it is permissible to abort if the mother’s life is at stake. If it can be used a last resort in EXTREME situations, does it actually quantify being completely legalized? A large majority out rightly say yes. And yes, legalizing it applies the broader principal of the freedom of choice to the case too, which I believe is an inalienable human right.

Now the second line of argument which people present in favor of legalizing abortion, which concerns permitting abortion in the case of rape. Rape is one of the most terrifying and horrendous things a woman can go through, and a child born of rape would haunt her for the rest of her life. Consider it this way, scars heal, but a child carried around by a woman inside her womb for nine months will be an everlasting symbol of the torture she underwent. And it automatically falls in line of social backlash, a bastard born out of rape would again be labeled as a black sheep, be alienated from society, be the butt of gossip. And again, legalizing abortion for these cases can prevent a bastard from being born, and all of this can and will be prevented.

To conclude, I consider that the arguments against legalizing abortion are flawed in respect as the mother’s rights have to be compromised to ensure that the rights of the fetus are safeguarded. Also, there is social backlash associated with both sides of the argument, with some relief being provided in abortion is in the end legalized. And it is for this reason I would be proud be the chief proposer for the legalization of abortion ANY day.