"Controversial Question"

Are you Pro-Choice?

Every individual has the right and choice to decide how they want to live their life. Every action and decision made by an individual affects not only their life but others around them. One issue that has challenged the government’s authority for years is abortion. Webster’s dictionary defines the word abortion as a medical termination of a pregnancy before the fetus has developed enough to survive outside the uterus. The definition of the word abortion still today creates a conflict among many citizens whether they are Pro-Life or Pro-Choice.

For many years abortion was illegal in New York and several other states. Many people feel that abortion is taking a person’s life away. As a woman, I strongly support the decision of Pro-Choice. I believe that Pro-Choice does benefit many individuals when they are faced with difficult obstacles. One example that impacted my decision and is the main reason why I am Pro-choice is, when my mother’s friend Grace was pregnant with a baby who was deformed. Grace had two other healthy children who she was a wonderful, caring, and kind mother too. She loved her children just like many mothers and did and would do everything and anything for them. Unfortunately, when she found out she was pregnant for the third time the doctor told her that baby was deformed and would require several surgeries. Due to the baby’s health it would never be capable of living a normal life. Grace and her husband were faced with an enormous challenge if they decided to go along with the pregnancy. They decided as a family that they would not be able to afford the surgeries and the care the child would need. As a result, Grace had an abortion because she felt this was the best choice for everyone, including the most important person herself. She was given the opportunity to go through with the process of having an abortion because of the court case Roe v Wade.

The court case Roe v Wade had a significant impact in the history of abortion in America. In 1971 a Texas resident, Roe, tried to terminate her pregnancy by abortion but she was denied this opportunity due to Texas law which prohibited abortions except if the pregnant woman’s life was at risk. Roe’s attorney Sarah Weddington fought back against the Texas government by presenting the judge with the question; does the constitution embrace a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy by abortion? Once Weddington argued her point whether the constitution has the right to say whether or not a woman can have an abortion it made the jury question the right of privacy and Weddington turned the court case around in her favor. The conclusion of the court case was that a woman’s right to an abortion fell within the right to privacy which all citizens are protected by due to the Fourteen Amendments. This court case proved that abortion should be legal if there was a convincing reason and as a result of this court ruling the laws of forty six states were change.

I believe Pro-Choice allows people to be in control of their own lives. Many people often judge women who are Pro-Choice or had an abortion, but before a person passes judgment you must observe the situation that the woman is presented with. In addition, having an abortion is a decision that I feel you make once you are faced with certain circumstances.