Abortion

Debate #2: Should Abortion Be Illegal? Abortion has been a long standing ethical hot topic that continues to be disputed today. The debate held at Cal State University San Marcos was proof of exactly that. Mr. Alan Shlemon, a proclaimed pro-lifer, made clear his stance or conclusion from the very start; abortion should be illegal! His conclusion was grounded on the definition of life regarding the unborn. He argues that it is scientifically proven that an unborn fetus is his/her own person, distinct from the mother with his/her own genetic make-up. Based on scientific fact he argues that if abortion kills an innocent human being, then it should be illegal for the same reasons it’s illegal to kill a 1 year old or a 5 year old or a 20 year old. Mr. Shlemon further supports his conclusion with a philosophical stance about the value of the unborn. He uses the acronym SLED, explaining that the difference in size, level of development, environment, and degree of dependency does not determine or make the unborn any less valuable than that of a born child. His premises of science and philosophy were clearly stated and undoubtedly supported his conclusion in a logical manner that abortion is murder, and therefore should be illegal. Professor Chadwick, on the other hand, a proclaimed pro-choicer, argued that abortion should remain legal because we cannot deny the woman a right to choose. She makes a point in the beginning of her argument that arguments have to consistent to be considered valid. With that said, I found her argument to be extremely inconsistent, providing room to say that her argument was in fact, invalid. She went on to explain that a prochoice believes that the fetus and the woman are one person. Because of that abortion is not considered murder rather, the termination of a pregnancy where a woman is carrying a potential child with potential rights. Within minutes of this statement she also agreed with Mr. Shlemon that a fetus is a human being. How can