Kayla Murray
Professor Ellis
Creative Expression
5 November 19
Exploring The Realm Of Abortions
Abortion is one of those topics where every single person has a view, but no one wants to
work together to create a reasonable solution for it, and they’d rather profusely argue about it.
As a woman, it’s difficult to write an unbiased paper, but as that is what’s required I will try my
best. Conventionally the abortion debate is split into two sides; “pro-life” and “pro-choice” but
common sense shows that in order to resolve this problem there will need to be a mixture from
both groups arguments. Ever since Roe v. Wade created a storm between each political party,
and even prior to this ruling, abortion has been a topic of discussion that hasn’t left the news. For
those unfamiliar to the term, an abortion is the termination of an unborn fetus. Today, different
states have different regulations on up to what point in your pregnancy you can have an abortion.
Some have banned them all together, and some still let you have abortions up until 36 weeks.
In 1973, the supreme court ruled that there would be criminal penalties or major
restrictions when it came to accessing methods of abortions. In an article following up on the
Roe v. Wade ruling 40 years later it stated that “legal abortion has unquestionably benefited
women and their families. Thousands of American women who sought abortions used to die
before Roe, and now such women don’t” (Carole Joffe). While this assertion may be valid for
some women, others still believe that, “If we protect women the way we are supposed to,
abortion would never be necessary… it not only kills an unborn baby, it scars women
physically, emotionally, and mentally forever” (Penny Nance). In summary by having an
abortion, we are “not taking care of women” because after having such extreme procedures, such
as abortion, they can have severe physical and mental health problems, which can be proven true
of both sides of this debate, but this argument is typically found on the pro-life side. On the other
hand, pro-choice members believe that, “Raising a child is an all-encompassing phenomenon,
something you can never understand until you’re in the thick of it—and definitely something you
should bypass until you’re ready… Women who obtain abortions should be not skewered or
shamed. They acknowledge that they’re unwilling or unable to parent” (Maureen Shaw). To
summarize this viewpoint, pro choice member Maureen Shaw, basically states the struggles of
being a mother, and that if you’re not truly ready for that position, then having an abortion can
hold you back until you’re ready. The real argument lies in the question, “What would you do if
you were in a position that you needed to receive an abortion?” Many women would argue that
raising the child that may have been unplanned, or unexpected, is the only option, but what
happens when you aren’t financially stable enough to raise the child, or even afford the hospital
care needed to have a sanitary birth? At this point, many women turn to illegal and unsafe
abortion options, when there is a lack of opportunity for having a legal abortion, these methods
can include using knitting needles, digesting gunpowder or alkaline solution, and even
instructing someone to beat her until they are certain that the unborn child is deceased. All of
these options could ultimately result in her own death. Many people on the pro-life side claim
that people who wish to have abortions are doing this for themselves, but if you’ve ever
witnessed an abortion clinic you would immediately tell that is not the case, A person’s facial
expressions can say a million words, and arguing that abortion is wrong is the same thing as
being blind towards those who need help.
The main detail that can be found in every single abortion article or debate is the fact that
everyone assumes that they’re right, and they often tend to pick apart the opposite side’s views.
The members of the pro-life side of this debate often refer to the pro-choice members as
“murderers” and use violent words towards their arguments, and members of the pro-choice side
often retaliate with calling pro-life members “close-minded” and they tend to drag them down.
This can make the articles lose their credibility, and even make them look selfish, but it can also
make the arguments stronger. By using strong language against the opposite arguer can create a
pathos encompassment, and can persuade the reader to listen to you. I also found that personal
stories were applied heavily in both of these arguments. In one pro-choice article the author
mentions her own personal experience with abortion and she recites, “I am on my knees, my face
in the seat of a rocking recliner. The clock passes midnight and it’s just the four of us—me, my
husband, our baby and a nurse—inside an abortion clinic 90 miles from our home and friends.
There is no bed or doctor to ease my way toward delivery of my son, whose life I am ending as
my first true act of motherhood” (Megan Padilla). This puts a dark twist on what women have to
go through when having an abortion, by making it seem as though the earth had turned into their
own personal hell. Which makes for a strong pro-choice argument. Although they went through
this pain many women believe that having an abortion was the best decision of their life, and in
one article the author lashes out against women who don’t have that same mindset by stating,
“To say abortion should be banned because you regretted yours is like saying marriage should be
banned because you hate your husband” (Hadley Freeman). This point can be made very
controversial, because it is possible that a woman who undergoes an abortion can both regret it,
and appreciate the fact that she gets to wait till she’s ready to become a mom, but each side
creates their own argument with this viewpoint.
From all of these articles, the main consensus that can be found is this; both parties feel
very strongly about their views, and once you’ve picked a side you’re more than likely to remain
on that side until the day that you can convince yourself that maybe you should see things from
the other perspective, but I believe that is a personal battle, and not one that you can persuade
yourself by listening or reading about opposing views.
Work Cited
Joffe, Carole. “Roe v. Wade and Beyond: Forty Years of Legal Abortion in the United States.”
Dissent Magazine, 2013
DeSanctis, Alexandra. “Roe v. Wade at 45: Most Americans Support Abortion Restrictions.”
National Review, 24 Jan. 2018
Hance, Penny. “Abortion Is Not Prowoman, Prolife Is Prowoman.” U.S. News & World Report,
22 Jan. 2013
Shaw, Maureen. “Becoming a Mother Made Me Even More Pro-Choice.” Rewire.News, 2 May
2016
Padilla, Megan. “Pro-Choice as an Act of Love.” Parenting, 7 July 2014
Freeman, Hadley. “Whether You’re pro-Choice or Not, the Abortion Debate Is Not about You.”
The Guardian News and Media, 4 June 2016
Cohen, Ronnie. “Denial of Abortion Leads to Economic Hardship for Low-Income Women.”
Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 18 Jan. 2018
Kayla Murray
Professor Ellis
Creative Expression
9 November 2019
Reflection
Writing this essay made me realize the importance of having and citing sources when trying
to produce an argument. The more sources you have, the more credible you seem. As this was
not a paper that required a personal stance, it still was interesting to read up on papers and
articles that did. My overall topic is something that’s very important to me, which is why writing
about it was fairly simple. The hard part however, was remaining neutral when I just wanted to
blast my opinion. This class in general is teaching me how to become a better writer. By having
me cite and look for accurate sources, it helps me recognize what makes a good source versus a
bad one. From a young age we were taught that wikipedia is bad, but we never really learned
about other sources that could potentially hold false information. This is why it’s important to be
taught right from wrong when it comes to sources, especially when you’re using them for school
and work. It’s also important to have this knowledge for life in general, so you know the
information you’re reading is correct. I genuinely liked writing this paper, as i mentioned
previously i’m passionate about the topic, and it was interesting to read up on it more. The
personal stories that people shared about my topic is extremely powerful, and I think it is
something that more people should be aware of, and should take the time to read. Overall I
appreciate this assignment, as it helped me gain knowledge, through a topic that i enjoyed
reading about.

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