if the fetus is considered a person, then the rights of the fetus are being denied by allowing abortion to be legal.
Abortion has been an element of human life for centuries. It dates back to BC times. Ancient abortions usually
consisted of mildly poisoning a pregnant mother. The poison was hoped to be just strong enough to kill the fetus,
yet mild enough to keep the woman alive. Also, sometimes women would receive physical blows to their
abdomen an effort to kill the fetus. Since both of these methods were very dangerous for women, infanticide was
a much more popular form of abortion. Infanticide is grossly just the killing of the baby directly after birth (3
Gilbert). J. Gilbert, the author of an informative Texas state web-page, states that some time after 1750, a new
procedure was introduced to abortion. The new procedure consisted of probing objects through the cervix and
into the uterus of the women to accomplish the abortion (4 Gilbert). Laurence Tribe, author of Abortion: The
Clash of Absolutes, states that the court case Roe v. Wade revolutionized the legality of abortion. The case set
boundaries and regulations illustrating how much power the mother and state possess in deciding whether to
abort a pregnancy (12 Tribe). During the past twenty-five years abortion has become one of the most debated
controversies in the Unite States’ history. The issues surrounding abortion strike questions based on ethics,
morals, emotions, and law. There are many alternative perspectives from which people can approach the legality
and morality of abortion. But basically there are pro-life people and pro-choice people. People who are
pro-choice believe that women hold the right to abort a pregnancy, but people who are pro-life believe that
abortion is wrong and unjust to the fetus. When pondering issues surrounding abortion, many questions come to
mind. Is a fetus a human being? Is abortion physically and mentally safe for women? And finally, should abortion
be legal? It is only after exploring these questions can a person justify their position on abortion. A major
question which strikes at the heart of abortion legality and morality is: When is an embryo considered a life or
human being? Many people argue that life begins at the point of conception. Bonnie Steinbock, an author who
considers herself an expert on fetuses and their legal rights, says, “Conception is the joining of the male and
female sex cells which have twenty-three chromosomes each.” The process of conception takes twelve hours, at
which time the egg is completely fertilized and becomes known as a zygote. Distinct and unique characteristics of
a person are determined at the time of conception. After the time of conception, until death, nothing will be
added or removed from the genetic make-up of an individual (200 Steinbock). In other words, everything
physically and chemically is determined shortly after the point of conception. Being alive means that an object
grows, develops, and matures. A zygote, from the time of conception grows, develops parts of its body, and
replaces its own dying cells. The heart of the zygote begins beating just eighteen days after conception (198
Steinbock). This is often well before the mother even realizes that she is pregnant. After three months, all of the
fetus’s organs are formed and all of the bodily systems are working. The fetus can swim, grasp a pointer, move
freely in the womb, and excrete urine. If a doctor injects a sweet solution into the fluid surrounding the fetus, the
fetus will swallow it because it likes the taste. If a bitter solution is injected, the fetus will realize the taste and quit
swallowing (196 Steinbock). The previous examples are evidence enough that life begins at conception, or at the
time the fetus’s heart begins to beat. Others believe that the life of the fetus is just merely the life of the woman
until the fetus is born. Those people who believe that life does not start until birth believe that, without the
life-style and habits of the mother, the fetus would not survive. In 1973, the US Supreme Court ruled over a case
called Roe v. Wade. This case described the legality of a fetus and the conditions which apply to the mothers
rights as well. The ruling stated that the fetus is merely a living appendage of the mother until the completion of
the second trimester. But once the third trimester begins, the fetus gains civil rights which guarantee life, liberty,
and property. A woman can only abort a fetus in the third trimester if it poses a direct threat to the health and
well being of the woman (189 Tribe). In conclusion, the Roe v. Wade case developed the needed boundaries to
determine the legal rights of the mother and fetus. Is abortion physically and mentally safe for the mother? Do the
advantages of abortion outweigh the disadvantages? Ft. John L. Grady, medical examiner for the Florida State
Attorney’s office, says, “I believe it can be stated with certainty that abortion causes more deep-seated guilt,
depression, and mental illness then it ever cures” (38 Novak). Grady is drawing upon his years of experience as
a medical examiner and concludes that when a woman aborts a fetus, she is causing more pain and problems
mentally and socially than if she bears the child. This mental anguish and guilt may be only half of the problem
women face though. Women who receive abortions also may have physical problems as well. Women who have
an abortion in the third trimester are at a greater risk of becoming sterile than women who bear their child (157
Steinbock). Women realize these consequences, but they still believe that an abortion’s advantages outweigh its
disadvantages. These women may face years of depression, guilt, and physical damage, but they still freely
choose to abort their pregnancy. Should abortion be legal? According to the Supreme Court’s ruling in 1973 on
the Roe v. Wade case, abortion must be legal (82 Tribe). If the fetus is considered an appendage to the woman
who bears it, the fourteenth amendment must hold true for women. Thus, women are given the right to receive an
abortion (82 Tribe). The amendment states that, “No person or state may deprive a person of life, liberty, or
property, without due process of the law” (475 US Constitution). This states that the woman cannot be denied
an abortion because it would violate her life and property. The state cannot interfere with the private lives of US
citizens (475 US Constitution). Denying women the right to choose an abortion, is denying rights and is
discriminating against women. There are many reasons for which women desire to have an abortion.
Contraceptives sometimes fail. Women are periodically raped and impregnated by corrupt and deranged men.
Demented fathers may also rape their daughters which is called incest. For these reasons alone abortion must be
legal. These unfair and undesirable pregnancies can prevent women from keeping jobs, feeding their families, and
from creating a favorable life-style for themselves. Pregnancy and child birth may determine and greatly influence
whether or not a woman can begin or finish her education leading to a successful and gratifying career. In
conclusion, abortion must be legal because women should not have to sacrifice their lives at the hand of a failed
contraceptive or a terrible rape. Women should not be forced to submit themselves to a life of hardships because
of an unwanted pregnancy. To do so would be discrimination. But, there are still other people who believe that
abortion should be illegal. Some people say that abortion should not be legal because it is murder. Some people
interpret the fourteenth amendment differently. They believe that the life and liberty is being denied from the fetus.
Although the law has set boundaries on when a fetus should be considered a citizen, there are people who
believe that life starts before birth no matter what the law states. I am sure these people wonder why the fetus
doesn’t have rights as well as the mother. Abortion author Faye Ginsberg states that, never in the history of the
United States has the state granted one citizen the right to have another killed to solve one’s problems (156
Ginsberg). But, people who consider a fetus to be a life must also believe that Constitutional rights are being
denied from the fetus. Abortion, to people who that believe a fetus is a citizen, seems as though a human life is
being terminated because someone else justifies the cause with reasons of their own. How can the legality of
abortion ever be determined if one cannot determine whether or not a fetus is considered a human being? Since
every person has individual beliefs and thoughts on the livelihood of the fetus, the legality of abortion must be
determined on the circumstances of the pregnancy as well one’s belief to what a fetus really is. In order to
intelligently formulate a stance on abortion, one must come to conclusions and formulate answers on some
aspects of abortion. Is a fetus a human being? Yes, a fetus is indeed a human being livening in the womb of its
mother. Upon conception, the fetus is uniquely distinct and different than any other human being (200
Steinbock). The fetus is like a snowflake; there are no two alike. Very shortly after conception the fetus takes on
very human characteristics. The fetus thinks, moves, dreams, and feels pain just like you and I. Yes, the fetus can
feel pain; it can feel itself being murdered by the abortion (200 Steinbock). Another important question one must
answer is: Who’s life is the fetus’s? Is the fetus merely a living appendage of the woman, or is the woman an
incubator for a life of an independent human being? This question can in no way be answered by practical means.
It can only be determined on a personal and moral level. The court case of Roe v. Wade in 1973 set up legal
regulations and standards for which abortion cases can be approached. Although case does not determine when
the fetus is considered a human, but it outlines a basis for when a fetus can be legally considered a citizen. The
case determined that for the first two trimesters of a pregnancy the woman has a right to abort the fetus for her
won personal reasons, but she must go to a certified clinic. Fetuses in the third trimester, according to law, are
considered to have undeniable Constitutional rights as well as the mother. But, a woman may abort a fetus in the
third trimester if she is in personal danger due to the fetus (188 Tribe). In conclusion, there are two angles to
approach determining whether a fetus is a citizen or not. The law’s method of declaring the citizenship of the fetus
is controversial to many people. These people are pro-life and most believe that the fetus is a life upon
conception. Is abortion physically safe for women? Abortion is often times physically safe for women. According
to Laurence H. Tribe’s, Abortion, The Clash of Absolutes, abortions in the first trimester are actually physically
safer for a woman than going through with the pregnancy and having a child. Tribe’s book also says, “Within only
a few year of the Roe v. Wade case, the death rate for women undergoing legal abortions was ten times lower
than that for women who had illegal abortions and five items lower than that for women who went throu
Bibliography
Legality of Abortion
Abortion must be a legal and attainable procedure for women throughout the United States. Abortion is a subject
which easily fits into the themes of CORE 1. Abortion pertains to many issues which are involved in CORE 1.
CORE 1 analyzes civil rights as well as equal treatment for women in America. Abortion challenges the civil
rights of the mother and the fetus which she bears. To deny abortion is denying the mother certain civil rights, but
if the fetus is considered a person, then the rights of the fetus are being denied by allowing abortion to be legal.
Abortion has been an element of human life for centuries. It dates back to BC times. Ancient abortions usually
consisted of mildly poisoning a pregnant mother. The poison was hoped to be just strong enough to kill the fetus,
yet mild enough to keep the woman alive. Also, sometimes women would receive physical blows to their
abdomen an effort to kill the fetus. Since both of these methods were very dangerous for women, infanticide was
a much more popular form of abortion. Infanticide is grossly just the killing of the baby directly after birth (3
Gilbert). J. Gilbert, the author of an informative Texas state web-page, states that some time after 1750, a new
procedure was introduced to abortion. The new procedure consisted of probing objects through the cervix and
into the uterus of the women to accomplish the abortion (4 Gilbert). Laurence Tribe, author of Abortion: The
Clash of Absolutes, states that the court case Roe v. Wade revolutionized the legality of abortion. The case set
boundaries and regulations illustrating how much power the mother and state possess in deciding whether to
abort a pregnancy (12 Tribe). During the past twenty-five years abortion has become one of the most debated
controversies in the Unite States’ history. The issues surrounding abortion strike questions based on ethics,
morals, emotions, and law. There are many alternative perspectives from which people can approach the legality
and morality of abortion. But basically there are pro-life people and pro-choice people. People who are
pro-choice believe that women hold the right to abort a pregnancy, but people who are pro-life believe that
abortion is wrong and unjust to the fetus. When pondering issues surrounding abortion, many questions come to
mind. Is a fetus a human being? Is abortion physically and mentally safe for women? And finally, should abortion
be legal? It is only after exploring these questions can a person justify their position on abortion. A major
question which strikes at the heart of abortion legality and morality is: When is an embryo considered a life or
human being? Many people argue that life begins at the point of conception. Bonnie Steinbock, an author who
considers herself an expert on fetuses and their legal rights, says, “Conception is the joining of the male and
female sex cells which have twenty-three chromosomes each.” The process of conception takes twelve hours, at
which time the egg is completely fertilized and becomes known as a zygote. Distinct and unique characteristics of
a person are determined at the time of conception. After the time of conception, until death, nothing will be
added or removed from the genetic make-up of an individual (200 Steinbock). In other words, everything
physically and chemically is determined shortly after the point of conception. Being alive means that an object
grows, develops, and matures. A zygote, from the time of conception grows, develops parts of its body, and
replaces its own dying cells. The heart of the zygote begins beating just eighteen days after conception (198
Steinbock). This is often well before the mother even realizes that she is pregnant. After three months, all of the
fetus’s organs are formed and all of the bodily systems are working. The fetus can swim, grasp a pointer, move
freely in the womb, and excrete urine. If a doctor injects a sweet solution into the fluid surrounding the fetus, the
fetus will swallow it because it likes the taste. If a bitter solution is injected, the fetus will realize the taste and quit
swallowing (196 Steinbock). The previous examples are evidence enough that life begins at conception, or at the
time the fetus’s heart begins to beat. Others believe that the life of the fetus is just merely the life of the woman
until the fetus is born. Those people who believe that life does not start until birth believe that, without the
life-style and habits of the mother, the fetus would not survive. In 1973, the US Supreme Court ruled over a case
called Roe v. Wade. This case described the legality of a fetus and the conditions which apply to the mothers
rights as well. The ruling stated that the fetus is merely a living appendage of the mother until the completion of
the second trimester. But once the third trimester begins, the fetus gains civil rights which guarantee life, liberty,
and property. A woman can only abort a fetus in the third trimester if it poses a direct threat to the health and
well being of the woman (189 Tribe). In conclusion, the Roe v. Wade case developed the needed boundaries to
determine the legal rights of the mother and fetus. Is abortion physically and mentally safe for the mother? Do the
advantages of abortion outweigh the disadvantages? Ft. John L. Grady, medical examiner for the Florida State
Attorney’s office, says, “I believe it can be stated with certainty that abortion causes more deep-seated guilt,