THE ABORTION ISSUE   Term Paper ID:40496 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Considers the current and future direction of pro-life and pro-choice positions.... More...

10 Pages / 2250 Words 10 sources, 14 Citations, MLA Format $40.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Introduction: The Abortion Issue Introduction Few issues are as contentious in today\'s American political scene asabortion This single issue can divide members of the same politicalparty and even members of the same family There are religious overtonesto the abortion issue-the Catholic Church is firmly against legal abortion-and questions of how much say the government should have in medicaldecisions The issue even is controversial in the way that it is framed with some who are against legal abortion sometimes referring to themselvesas pro-life versus Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. So long as there is debate about exactly whenlife begins, these advocates say, it is not possible to legislate one pointof view over another. From a legal standpoint, opposition to legal abortion often comes fromthe issue of "privacy" that was a cornerstone of Roe v. From a legal standpoint, those who favor legal abortion and whosupport the Roe decision maintain that there is an inherent right toprivacy in the constitution even if it is not explicitly stated.Supporters of legal abortion also maintain that abortion is a medicalprocedure that should not be regulated on the theory that legislation tendsto make bad medicine and that medical decisions should be left to medicalprofessionals and their clients, not to politicians (Bonilla 181). Developing countries face challenges fromoverpopulation; in these countries contraception, and, to a lesser degree,access to legal abortion are issues that carry over from developed nationsthat fund various NGOs or programs directly. Conclusion The upcoming presidential election is likely to bring the abortionissue even more to the surface. "The New Conservatives in Bioethics", The Hastings Center Report, 36:1, Jan-Feb 2 6: 34-43.Shapiro, Ester R. Advocates forsuch health clinics at the time cited similar access disparity for women ofmeans and those who did not have means. English law outlawed abortion untilthe mid-twentieth century; at that time, it was made legal in the UnitedKingdom with the exception of predominately-Catholic Northern Ireland. As with opponents of legal abortion, supporters are also knowledgeablewith regard to how to use the media to advance their cause and how to usethe political system. Stillothers who maintain that it is simply a health issue hold that if abortionis illegal, women who have sufficient funds will be able to obtainabortions while poor women will not. Advocates of legal abortion also maintain that because women havesought abortions regardless of whether these procedures are legal, havingthem illegal places women's lives at risk. Opponents of legal abortion are keen to cite historical precedent thatthey believe supports their position. In theintervening years, they have become more active politically and in themedia. There are also those who enter the debate not because they areconcerned with legal abortion in the United States, but because of thepolicy issues regarding access to abortion in developing countries. Works Cited"Abortion History Myths", National Right to Life News, 33:3, March 2 6: 18-21.Baughman, Jan. Plan B is also a pill, but one that does not terminate a pregnancy.Instead, Plan B works to prevent pregnancy. In this way, theissue can become clouded with race and other factors that do notnecessarily enter the debate in the United States (Shapiro 153). For some,denying access to legal (safe) abortion is another way that wealthydeveloped nations are imposing their views of the world on less developedand poor nations, often where people of color reside. Wade is Overruled," Issues in Law & Medicine, 23:1, 2 7: 3-43.Macklin, Ruth. If abortion is illegal,according to this line of thinking, those who perform abortions will likelybe less qualified than other medical practitioners because they are riskingtheir licenses. Because the issueinvolves families, and children, as well as women and the rights offathers, it is complicated and messy, and brings together sometimesunlikely allies and adversaries. Wade decision. This single issue can divide members of the same politicalparty, and even members of the same family. TheUnited States based its legal system on English common law, and so, notsurprisingly, abortion was also illegal in the United States until the Roev. It is effective in the earliest days of pregnancybut does require multiple visits to a physician. Or, they will not be medical practitioners at all. However, Plan B has indeed encountered resistancesufficient so that the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), which approvesdrugs for use in the United States), blocked its use without aprescription, a position that some charged is a direct result of politicalpressure ("The Debate" n.p.). Background Those who oppose legal abortion tend to do so on the basis thatabortion is tantamount to murder. For those who support legalabortion, the issue can be more complex, but usually involves the rights ofwomen or the role of government; supporters sometimes lament that they lackthe clarity of their opponents with regard to this issue (Macklin 38). Wade decision of theearly 197 s. Retrieved 16 Nov 2 7 from: .Bonilla, Zobeida E. However, unlike birth controlsthat must be taken every day, Plan B can be taken hours after intercourseand still prevent pregnancy from occurring. Aswith the domestic question of legal abortion, the international policyissue, particularly funding family planning programs, also generates heatedsupport and heated opposition. Some who oppose legal abortion make exceptions for instances when themother's health is in danger, or when the pregnancy is the result of rapeor incest. Again,according to these advocates, the issue comes down to whether a personbelieves that abortion is murder and without definitive proof of that, theymaintain that there should be ready access to medically safe abortions forthose individuals whose consciences permit either obtaining or performingthese procedures (Garrow 835). Opponents of legal abortion use tactics common to other politicalissues in order to get their message across to the wider public and topolicy makers. From an international policy perspective, funding forprograms that promote contraception but that might also provide abortions,generally in third-world nations where population and famine are oftendifficult to control and where government and non-government organization(NGO) aid is given, can be increasingly difficult to obtain. Indeed, the lack of ageneralized right to privacy is noted in the 1967 Supreme Court decision ofKatz v. Thereare Web sites and journals dedicated to maintaining reproductive rights, asthis issue is sometimes framed by supporters of legal abortion, and theissue itself is often put in terms of women's rights (Bonilla 176). As with opponents of legal abortion, supporters also see a wider scopein the international arena. Many supporters believe that they are losing ground,often crediting the "religious right" with having more political know-howin terms of electing officials who are also against legal abortion. As medical technology moves forward and pregnancies can be terminatedor prevented without having to resort to surgeries, the controversysurrounding legal abortion is likely to increase. Those who favor legal abortion tend to avoid the discussion of whetheror not abortion constitutes murder instead opining that such decisions arebest left to the individual. If Roe v. Web sites have been created listing the names of doctorswho perform abortions, sometimes calling for their deaths in order toprevent the "murder" of others by preventing future abortions. The UnitedStates has, for example, withheld funding of some programs based on thisperspective, as well as when abstinence is not included as part of theeducation on contraception (Baughman n.p.). "Because Words Are Not Enough", NWSA Journal, 17:1, Spring 2 5: 141-172.Stein, Rob. In terms of international politics, however, theissues can be tightly linked, due again in part to the religious aspects(Catholicism and some other religions are opposed to contraception evenwithin marriage). This two-tiered system regardingaccess to women's health is what is credited with helping to establishwomen's health clinics in the early part of the twentieth century when thecentral issue was not abortion, but rather contraception. It can divide families, and thereare some who maintain that this is solely a women's issue and one in whichmen should have no voice. Few other issues in the political arena carry as much emotional weightas the issue regarding legal abortion. Wade (Baughman n.p.). Wade. Similarly, with thepresidential election looming in 2 8 and the opportunity to appoint aSupreme Court justice who could swing the court into overturning Roe v.Wade, supporters and opponents of legal abortion are likely to increasetheir political and media efforts in order to keep their voices heardthroughout the campaign. Just as the central argumentfor legal abortion is that the beliefs of one group of people should not beimposed on others who do not hold those same beliefs (those who believethat abortion is murder holding sway over those who do not), the sameargument extends to developing countries, but at a policy level. The issue even is controversial in the way that it is framed,with some who are against legal abortion sometimes referring to themselvesas "pro-life" versus "pro-abortion," while who favor legal abortion framethemselves as "pro-choice" fighting against an "anti-choice" movement.Currently, abortion is legal in the United States under certain conditions,most notably having to do with when the procedure takes place in thegestational period and with early term terminations representing no issue.This has only been the case since the landmark Roe v. Suchcritics, although they may garner headlines, are generally outside themainstream of opposition to legal abortions ("Hit Lists" 18). Others maintain that any pregnancy contains life and thereforecannot be terminated. "The Legal Status of Abortion in the States if Roe v. Those who favor legal abortion maintain that women have undergoneprocedures-surgical or by taking substances-to terminate pregnanciesthroughout human history. Opponents oflegal abortion point out that there is no right to privacy enshrined in theconstitution of the United States, although many people assume that such aright is indeed contained within that document. It is within this framework that the religious aspects ofthe abortion debate come into play since murder is against the precepts ofmany religions (Garrow 836). Because this is such an emotionally charged issuewith political, religious and international overtones, it is likely thatthe rhetoric will become more divisive and the stances of both sides moreentrenched as the presidential campaign heats up. Today, opponents of legal abortion use Web sites and periodicalssuch as the National Right to Life News to get their message across.Alliances have been formed with like-minded religious and political groups,and increasingly, politicians at all levels of government are being judged-and endorsed-based on their views regarding legal abortion. Discussion The conflict surrounding abortion is heated because the issue toucheson many sensitive areas-religion, sex, women's rights and the role of thegovernment in daily life. Eventually, many of these clinicsexpanded their practice to include not only contraception, but alsoabortion after Roe v. Abortion is sometimes tied to contraception, although there arecertainly those individuals who are opposed to legal abortion who favorlegal contraception. These critics believe that life beginsat conception and that any procedure that terminates the fetus in factterminates life. This is an issue that not only has consequences for womenand families in the United States, but there are internationalimplications, as well. Just as "when does life begin?" is atthe heart of the issue for some who debate it, there is now the question of"what constitutes an abortion?" The French pill RU-486 terminates apregnancy by interfering with the hormone production necessary for asuccessful pregnancy. Because this is a non-surgical approach to abortion, it is more palatable to some who see it asmore "natural" than surgical abortions (Macklin 37). Retrieved 16 Nov 2 7 from: .Garrow, David J. Retrieved 16 Nov 2 7 from: . This research considers the current state of the abortiondebate, including the issues that are used on both sides of the argumentand where the debate is likely to go in the future. "Abortion Before and After Roe v. In the beginning of 2 7, the FDA allowedPlan B to be sold over-the-counter to women older than 18 when the sale ismade by a pharmacist. In addition to the issues already identified by supporters andopponents of legal abortion are the advances in medical technology thatmake the question even more complex. Wade", Albany Law Review, 62:3, Spring 1999: 833-84 ."'Hit' Lists as Free Speech", New Jersey Law Journal, 166:13, 24 December 2 1: 18.Linton, Paul Benjamin. This was seen as a victory by some in the debate,though others still maintain that it prohibits women from obtaining thecontraceptive at traditional locations-such as convenience stores or notbehind a pharmacist's counter-and as such continues to limit women'sreproductive choices (Stein A 4). This is an issue that elicits strongemotions on both sides, and both sides use emotional appeals to persuadeothers. There are religious overtonesto the abortion issue-the Catholic Church is firmly against legal abortion-and questions of how much say the government should have in medicaldecisions. Because it is also a pill, itis sometimes confused with RU-486 as an abortion pill when it is actually aform of contraception. The Abortion Issue Introduction Few issues are as contentious in today's American political scene asabortion. Thus these opponents hold that there is noconstitutional right to privacy and that Roe was in error ("AbortionHistory Myths" 19). "FDA Approves Plan B's Over-the-Counter Sale", Washington Post: 25 Aug 2 6. Supporters of legal abortion are alsoincreasingly maintaining that this debate is not religious in that theBible and other major religions do not speak to the issue directly. There are others who maintain that a womanshould not be permitted to have an abortion if the father-whether thecouple is married or not-wants to raise the child. Those on both sides of the issue recognize that the next presidentwill have the opportunity to appoint new Supreme Court justices, and it isultimately the Supreme Court that has the power to decide whether the USAwill maintain the status quo with regard to abortion or whether changeswill be made. United States. During the period immediately before and after Roe, theyrelied on traditional protests and grass-roots approaches. For those who oppose legal abortion, the issueis usually nothing less than outlawing murder. "Reproductive Blackmail and the Funding of Morality", Swans Commentary, 5 March 2 1: n.p. Wadeis overturned, those on both sides of the issue do not expect a wholesaleprohibition of abortion overnight, but rather expect a state-by-statebattle (Linton 4). Still others carry their views to the extreme, and,with the belief that abortion is murder, advocate the killing of abortionpractitioners. "Including Every Woman", NWSA Journal, 17:1, Spring 2 5: 175-183."The Debate Over Plan B", 6 Minutes: 27 November 2 5: n.p. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.