In unit 3 of A Nation’s Argument we learned how to find a compromise between two opposing arguments. We studied the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which helped to resolve the contradictions of discrimination in our nation, mainly racism. This lead us to our final action project: to choose a position on a topic, find a contradiction within it, and come to an agreement between the two opposing sides. The topic I chose is abortion--the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. While working on this project, I found it had been extremely difficult finding synthesis between the two perspectives, a child’s life cannot be split in half or divided in a way that will fully satisfy either position. Despite this challenge, it was interesting understanding the viewpoint of pro-lifers, and yet still have my pro-choice beliefs. Please enjoy my post below.
Thesis:
Abortion has been a hot topic among politicians for decades, with members of all parties taking sides in the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. As a nation of free people, I believe we should respect women’s decisions when it comes to their bodies, even if they are pregnant. We already have great organizations in place, such as Planned Parenthood, that help these women who may chose not to have their child. Although many people and politicians are petitioning to get rid of these resources and make abortion illegal, I argue it should remain legal. We need to have better support, services, and education. We may not be saving a fetus, but we could possibly be saving a child from a horrendous life.
Evidence:
The government believes they have the power to decide what is right for the individual, born and unborn. People themselves have the right to decide what they want to do with their lives. Women should also have that right when it comes to their child because it is their responsibility, which should mean that it’s their choice. Teen mom's make up a significant percentage of women who abort. “Eighteen percent of all U.S. abortions are from teenagers”, because not all teens are in a safe environment, or are not ready to give birth mentally or physically. There is also the possibility that parents won’t allow their daughter to have a kid and she could get kick out of her home. I know a person who lived in a small town, where there is not a Planned Parenthood clinic, who was pregnant at seventeen but was unable to support a child and was not in good health. The clinic we went to reminded me more of a factory's assembly line where when they call your number you go in pregnant and come out not pregnant. This is only one example--most healthy women who have the ability to take care of their child would want to keep their child. Some who do abort either don’t meet these criteria or don’t want the child because they wouldn’t enjoy raising a kid. Women who didn’t want a child at all who don’t abort and don’t give the child up for adoption, usually end up with the child having hate-filled lives. They could be blamed for mistakes because the parent(s) don’t want them, leading them to have high depression and anxiety, possible suicidal tendencies, gang activity, or drugs. Additionally, if a pregnant woman ends up being sick or the child is ill for whatever reason, it could cause an unsafe birth where both the mother and child could die, even if the child survives, the mother may not. If it ends up being that the mother survives, the devastation of losing her child would last a lifetime. (Jones, Finer,& Singh, “Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients”).
Support for my thesis below:
Antithesis:
The main argument that pro-lifers use is that abortion unjustly takes a life of a defenseless human being, and that, similar to one of my arguments, no one besides the child has the right to decide what happens to the child’s body. One big pro-life supporter was former Surgeon General of the U.S., Dr. C. Everett Koop. He claimed that not only had he never encountered a moment where a child had to be aborted to save a mother’s life, but also that “Abortion [killing infants before birth], infanticide [killing infants after birth], and euthanasia [killing adults] stand before us like dominoes; the first to fall has been abortion on demand.” This is him comparing murder to abortion showing that hey are at the same level of severity.
Synthesis:
Since a life is unable to be split into two, the only comprise these two greatly opposing sides can agree on is devising better ways to inform women before they make the decision to get an abortion. Both sides can agree that more awareness and education about other options should be made available, without pressure or coercion, inside and outside abortion clinics. Clinics should provide informational classes about what abortion entails to women before they decide to go through with it. People who support pro-life and pro-choice should be on the Board together in order to make official decisions on what the women would learn in the class.
This synthesis would satisfy both sides to some degree and focuses on women, who in the end are the carriers of the baby. I’d present my idea to Congress and major pro-life leaders to collaborate on improving abortion facilities, education, and to create a federal law that would help the process of making life easier and safer for everyone. Nonetheless, it is the woman’s choice to decide whether to get an abortion or not because it is up to them what happens to their own body.
Question(s) for opposition(s):
What makes the criminalization of abortion worth so much to the harm of women who would get it performed illegally?
Question(s) for opposition(s) to me:
If a child is considered a part of the woman's body, why is it that the fetus has its own genetic code and heartbeat?
"Abortion Information | What Are Your Options?" Abortion Information | What Are Your Options? Planned Parenthood, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
C. Everett Koop, M. D., as told to Dick Bohrer, in "Moody Monthly," May, 1980.
Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Female Senators Introduce Pro-Choice Bill To ‘Fight Back Against Those Who Miss The Mad Men Era’." ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., 05 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Jones RK, Finer LB and Singh S, Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients, 2008, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2010.
"Pro Life vs Pro-Choice Facts and Arguments." Pro Life vs Pro-Choice Arguments. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Tenebra. ""I Was An Unwanted Child"" I Was An Unwanted Child : I Was An Unwanted Child Story & Experience. N.p., 1 Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
Thesis:
Abortion has been a hot topic among politicians for decades, with members of all parties taking sides in the pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. As a nation of free people, I believe we should respect women’s decisions when it comes to their bodies, even if they are pregnant. We already have great organizations in place, such as Planned Parenthood, that help these women who may chose not to have their child. Although many people and politicians are petitioning to get rid of these resources and make abortion illegal, I argue it should remain legal. We need to have better support, services, and education. We may not be saving a fetus, but we could possibly be saving a child from a horrendous life.
Evidence:
The government believes they have the power to decide what is right for the individual, born and unborn. People themselves have the right to decide what they want to do with their lives. Women should also have that right when it comes to their child because it is their responsibility, which should mean that it’s their choice. Teen mom's make up a significant percentage of women who abort. “Eighteen percent of all U.S. abortions are from teenagers”, because not all teens are in a safe environment, or are not ready to give birth mentally or physically. There is also the possibility that parents won’t allow their daughter to have a kid and she could get kick out of her home. I know a person who lived in a small town, where there is not a Planned Parenthood clinic, who was pregnant at seventeen but was unable to support a child and was not in good health. The clinic we went to reminded me more of a factory's assembly line where when they call your number you go in pregnant and come out not pregnant. This is only one example--most healthy women who have the ability to take care of their child would want to keep their child. Some who do abort either don’t meet these criteria or don’t want the child because they wouldn’t enjoy raising a kid. Women who didn’t want a child at all who don’t abort and don’t give the child up for adoption, usually end up with the child having hate-filled lives. They could be blamed for mistakes because the parent(s) don’t want them, leading them to have high depression and anxiety, possible suicidal tendencies, gang activity, or drugs. Additionally, if a pregnant woman ends up being sick or the child is ill for whatever reason, it could cause an unsafe birth where both the mother and child could die, even if the child survives, the mother may not. If it ends up being that the mother survives, the devastation of losing her child would last a lifetime. (Jones, Finer,& Singh, “Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients”).
Support for my thesis below:
“Only you can decide what is best for you. But we are here to help. A staff member at your local Planned Parenthood health center can discuss abortion and all of your options with you and help you find the services you need.”
-Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc.;
“Abortion”;
plannedparenthood.org
“The new “21st Century Women’s Health Act” — sponsored by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) — seeks to build on the recent progress under the Affordable Care Act by ensuring that all women have the maternity coverage, family planning services, and rape crisis tools they need. The legislation is endorsed by Planned Parenthood”
-Tara Culp-Ressler;
“Female Senators Introduce Pro-Choice Bill To ‘Fight Back Against Those Who Miss The Mad Men Era’”;
Thinkprogress.org; Mar. 5, 2015
“Growing up, I was surrounded by people who adored me and were there to fulfill my every wish, although I don't quite remember my mother in the whole picture. She was never there for me, not when I was going through hell in my life, fighting addiction, suicidal tendencies and mental breakdowns - she simply didn't know what to do with me.”
-Tenebra;
“I Was An Unwanted Child”;
experienceproject.com; Sep. 1, 2009
Antithesis:
The main argument that pro-lifers use is that abortion unjustly takes a life of a defenseless human being, and that, similar to one of my arguments, no one besides the child has the right to decide what happens to the child’s body. One big pro-life supporter was former Surgeon General of the U.S., Dr. C. Everett Koop. He claimed that not only had he never encountered a moment where a child had to be aborted to save a mother’s life, but also that “Abortion [killing infants before birth], infanticide [killing infants after birth], and euthanasia [killing adults] stand before us like dominoes; the first to fall has been abortion on demand.” This is him comparing murder to abortion showing that hey are at the same level of severity.
Synthesis:
Since a life is unable to be split into two, the only comprise these two greatly opposing sides can agree on is devising better ways to inform women before they make the decision to get an abortion. Both sides can agree that more awareness and education about other options should be made available, without pressure or coercion, inside and outside abortion clinics. Clinics should provide informational classes about what abortion entails to women before they decide to go through with it. People who support pro-life and pro-choice should be on the Board together in order to make official decisions on what the women would learn in the class.
This synthesis would satisfy both sides to some degree and focuses on women, who in the end are the carriers of the baby. I’d present my idea to Congress and major pro-life leaders to collaborate on improving abortion facilities, education, and to create a federal law that would help the process of making life easier and safer for everyone. Nonetheless, it is the woman’s choice to decide whether to get an abortion or not because it is up to them what happens to their own body.
Question(s) for opposition(s):
What makes the criminalization of abortion worth so much to the harm of women who would get it performed illegally?
If a child is considered a part of the woman's body, why is it that the fetus has its own genetic code and heartbeat?
Works Cited:
C. Everett Koop, M. D., as told to Dick Bohrer, in "Moody Monthly," May, 1980.
Culp-Ressler, Tara. "Female Senators Introduce Pro-Choice Bill To ‘Fight Back Against Those Who Miss The Mad Men Era’." ThinkProgress RSS. N.p., 05 Mar. 2015. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Jones RK, Finer LB and Singh S, Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients, 2008, New York: Guttmacher Institute, 2010.
"Pro Life vs Pro-Choice Facts and Arguments." Pro Life vs Pro-Choice Arguments. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2016.
Tenebra. ""I Was An Unwanted Child"" I Was An Unwanted Child : I Was An Unwanted Child Story & Experience. N.p., 1 Sept. 2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2016.
You cover a lot of different points and consider both sides quite well. The Prezi was also very informative, nice work.
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