Abortion is a huge topic of debate in the United States and in the world. In the United States, the majority of the members of the Democratic Party are pro choice, meaning they are for abortion, while the majority of the members of the Republican Party are pro life, meaning they are against abortions. In the United States, abortions are legal, but everyday there are people working to stop them. Abortions are still illegal in many developing countries and women die from unsafe abortions every day. There are many valid arguments on both sides of the debate, such as the fetus being a human vs. women-having control over their own bodies. Scientific research has been conducted for both sides of the argument, and both sides will say that the research …show more content…
This theory can be proven wrong multiple ways. One important fact against the idea that abortion is murder is that embryos and fetuses are not independent self-determining beings. Fetuses are not counted in the U.S. census, and cannot survive on their own. ( James Davis Hunter) This points to the idea that fetuses and embryos are not human beings. Therefore, an abortion is the termination of a pregnancy not a baby, since the embryo is not developed yet. Many pro-life advocates say that unborn babies deserve the same rights as people, but in Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court states that the word “person” used in the fourteenth amendment does not include the unborn. (Roe vs. Wade) Another extremely popular pro-life argument is that life begins at conception. This is wrong for several reasons. One is that the bible says life begins at conception, but no one can prove that it is true. No scientific research can ever prove that god is real, meaning that no one can prove life begins at conception just because the bible says so. Adding on to the life begins at conception argument, many pro life advocates say personhood begins when the sperm and egg join to form a zygote, but a zygote has a long way to go before it can become a human. It has no organs, limbs, or a nervous system. In addition, many other objects such as fossils, nail clippings, and blood samples …show more content…
They say there has been research done showing the fetuses’ mouth opening in a silent scream during the abortion process. This is simply not true. During the time period that abortion is legal a baby’s brain is not fully developed. The cortex of the brain is necessary to feel pain, and it does not become functional until the 26th week of pregnancy.( Pan Belluck) By the 26th week of pregnancy abortion is considered illegal in many states. The opening of the fetus's mouth during the abortion is a reflex felt by the nerves that have developed it is not a sign of pain. ("Personhood Begins at Conception") Two pro-life scientists, K.J. Anand and P.R. Hickey, conducted research trying to prove that fetuses feel pain during an abortion. Their results ended up revealing that fetuses cannot feel any pain until the 7th month of pregnancy when lobes of their brains have drawn together and established synaptic contact. The scientists did extensive research, and in the end proved themselves wrong. An embryo or fetus cannot feel pain because it is not a fully developed human, making abortion a safe, humane, option for women. Another significant reason abortion should be legal, is to empower women. Women often feel like they are less than men, and have poor self esteem. The ability to have the choice to have children or not is essential to a women's independence. (“Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania”)