Abortion

The issue concerning the legality of abortions is a complex issue with no clear solution. Some people object to them due to their religious beliefs, that one's body is G-d's temple and should not be tamered with. The Catholic Church condemns abortions and refuses to even consider them, supporting this point of view termed the "right to life" side. Other people believe that it is the mother's choice. She and only she may decide whether to abort the birth or not. They are the "right to choose" side. A third side falls in the gray area between the previous two positions. Supporters of this region agree that at times, it is necessary to abort the birth, namely instances ivolving rape or ones in which the mother's health is at risk. However, they also believe that it is ultimately the mother's choice and hers alone. From a Constitutional point of view, no person may be deprived of "life, liberty, or property without due process of law" as per the Fourteenth Amendment. If a fetus is to be considered a person, then abortion is not legal because it infringes on the rights of the fetus. However, if the fetus is not considered a person, then abortions are legal. Roe v. Wade (1973) did a lot to set down these differences. Despite its clarity and usefulness, this issue is far from resolved.

Jon's Opinion I pretty much agree with the decision in Roe v. Wade. If abortion was totally illegal, what would you say to the victims of rape? Would you want a child born into a single-parent family that couldn't possibly take care of it? We have a population explosion as it is, and prohibiting abortion would stoke the flames of that explosion.

Alan's Opinion Abortion is horrible! Roughly equivalent to killing a defenseless child who is unable to protect itself from dying, abortion merely kills for no good reason. Unless someone's health, namely that of the mother, is threatened, there is no viable reason why abortions should be allowed. To take another human life is murder. Abortion is simply murder, hidden beneath huge piles of paperwork and hospital robes. Murder is a crime and abortion should be too. One's body is a gift from G-d and should not be tampered with. To affect it is to affect his design and plan. Abortions, besides not being legal, should be outlawed and banned within the United States. Simply put, Abortion. It's a killer.