Fetal Rights
Eryn Douglas
Mrs. Williams
English 1213
28 May 2013
Civil Disobedience
The government sees the rights of the human fetus as a complex topic, along with civil and human rights. In most states fetuses are not given entitlements because it can be seen as a violation of the privileges of the woman carrying the fetus. As of today the U.S. Supreme Court does not recognize the fetus as a person under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (Constitution). In the Declaration of Independence it is stated that the government is in place to give the U.S. people, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” as part of societies’ inalienable rights. In the entitlements of a fetus – a combination of a sperm and an egg – which many believe becomes a human being at the moment of conception. If this is the case then the fetus is entitled to these same privileges. Society should be able to go against the government in the case of fetal rights because they deserve to be treated as any other U.S. citizen.
The citizens of the U.S. should fight for the rights of the fetuses because that is where every human being’s life began. The treatment of these unborn infants throughout pregnancy affects the overall health, both physical and mental, throughout their lifetime. Society and government officials need to put themselves in the situation of the disabled or mentally ill children that are born into this world with a preventable defect had they been taken care of properly within the womb. When a woman is pregnant they harbor another life that is completely innocent and should be treated as so. The fetus deserves to be given the same inalienable rights that those already born into this world receive, despite the wishes of the carrier.
The acknowledgement of the human fetus and determining whether or not it has certain rights varies from state to state. In 1987 in the state of California, these rights were put to a test in the case of People vs. Stewart (Maternal).
Mrs. Williams
English 1213
28 May 2013
Civil Disobedience
The government sees the rights of the human fetus as a complex topic, along with civil and human rights. In most states fetuses are not given entitlements because it can be seen as a violation of the privileges of the woman carrying the fetus. As of today the U.S. Supreme Court does not recognize the fetus as a person under the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (Constitution). In the Declaration of Independence it is stated that the government is in place to give the U.S. people, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” as part of societies’ inalienable rights. In the entitlements of a fetus – a combination of a sperm and an egg – which many believe becomes a human being at the moment of conception. If this is the case then the fetus is entitled to these same privileges. Society should be able to go against the government in the case of fetal rights because they deserve to be treated as any other U.S. citizen.
The citizens of the U.S. should fight for the rights of the fetuses because that is where every human being’s life began. The treatment of these unborn infants throughout pregnancy affects the overall health, both physical and mental, throughout their lifetime. Society and government officials need to put themselves in the situation of the disabled or mentally ill children that are born into this world with a preventable defect had they been taken care of properly within the womb. When a woman is pregnant they harbor another life that is completely innocent and should be treated as so. The fetus deserves to be given the same inalienable rights that those already born into this world receive, despite the wishes of the carrier.
The acknowledgement of the human fetus and determining whether or not it has certain rights varies from state to state. In 1987 in the state of California, these rights were put to a test in the case of People vs. Stewart (Maternal).
Cited: Brant, Martha, Evan Thomas, and Stuart Taylor Jr. "Reality Check For 'Roe '." Newsweek 147.10 (2006): 44-45. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 June 2013. "Constitution of the United States - Official." Constitution of the United States - Official. The Characters of Freedom, 15 Sept. 2000. Web. 28 May 2013. Isaacs, D. "Moral Status Of The Fetus: Fetal Rights Or Maternal Autonomy?." Journal Of Pediatrics & Child Health 39.1 (2003): 58-59. Academic Search Premier. Web. 31 May 2013. "Maternal Rights And Fetal Wrongs: The Case Against The Criminalization Of 'Fetal Abuse '." Harvard Law Review 101.5 (1988): 944. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 May 2013. Rosenberg, Debra, Suzanne Smalley, and Rena Kirsch. "The War Over Fetal Rights. (Cover Story)." Newsweek 141.23 (2003): 40. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 May 2013. Thoreau, Henry David. “Civil Disobedience.” Exploring Literature: Writing and Arguing About Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay. Ed. Frank Madden. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. 1054-1056. Print.