The Morality Of Abortion

Abortion is the act of ending a fetus’s life before birth. Abortion happens every day in America and around the world. Many people think that abortion is immoral and is the murder of an innocent human being; however, there is a greater amount of people who think abortion is not a big deal and think women should have the choice to end their pregnancy. These differing views in America make the decision on whether abortion is morally correct or not one of the most controversial topics in the country. Abortion has been ruled constitutional and is legal in all fifty states through the first trimester, but the states have the say whether to allow abortion or not after the first trimester (Kaplan, Tischauser, and Chara 2). Even though nine supreme
Roe versus Wade has been one of the most controversial Supreme court decisions to ever be made. This court decision has caused millions of unborn children to be killed since 1973. Abortion happens every day in the United States. Kaplan, Tischauser, and Chara explain in their article “Abortion” the amount of abortions that happen daily in America. “For 2010, the CDC estimated there were 228 abortions for every one thousand live births” (2). This ratio is outrageously large and proves that abortion should be considered a genocide. Abortion is killing fetuses that never have a chance in life, but people do not want to punish individuals who commit acts of harm on others. People who support abortion have a different opinion and believe the fetus is not alive. Historian and philosopher Richard Carrier does not believe a fetus is considered living and explains that abortion does not harm in his article “Abortion Cannot be Regarded as Immoral.” Carrier states, “From a point of view outside of this affair, the killing of a neurologically inactive fetus is no greater a harm than the killing of a mouse, and in fact decidedly less—a mouse is neurologically active, and though it lacks a complex cerebral cortex, it has a brain of suitable complexity to perceive pain…” (5-6). He believes that killing a mouse is worse than killing a fetus because a fetus is not yet living. This
When this question is brought up there is no definite answer because different people have a variety of answers. Although, the definition of abortion makes the act seem like murder. Kaplan describes abortions as, “Induced abortion is the deliberate ending of a pregnancy before the fetus is viable or capable of surviving outside a female’s body” (1). Many people do not see abortion as murder because of the second half of the sentence. These people say that abortion is not wrong because during the first and second trimester the fetus cannot survive on its own. Carrier states, “…the fetus does not become truly neurologically active until the fifth month…” (4). This stage of development takes place during the second trimester. Abortions are usually conducted during the first trimester. Carrier explains that most abortions are not immoral because the fetus is not yet able to live on its own. (4) However, I firmly believe abortion is still murder no matter the gestation