The Opposing Viewpoints on Pro Life (Abortion)

Abortion, the sound of the word conjures up many horrible images, and is, in fact, a controversial and emotional issue. Abortion has been going on all over the world for centuries. In the Encarta English World Dictionary, abortion is defined as an operation or other intervention to end a pregnancy by removing an embryo or fetus from the womb. Due to a number of deaths caused by abortion since 1973, abortion can be considered a holocaust.

Abortion has two different viewpoints. One view, known as the pro-life, sees abortion as the immoral slaughter of innocent life. The other view, pro-choice, considers abortion as an option that must be available to women if they are to control their own reproductive lives. These two groups deal with abortion everyday since it has been legal. Women who want to enter abortion clinics are met by sidewalk counselors who try to persuade them against having an abortion (Guersney 39). The battle for abortion reform began in the 1960s, about the same time as the womens movement began. Ten years after abortion became legal, efforts by the pro-life movement aroused little response. People werent interested in the debate, which the Supreme Court seemed to have settled. During the early 1980s, pro-life groups reshaped their imaege. They used more women than men to be their spokesperson. They changed their views on abortion in cases or rape or incest to the rights of the fe! tus. Pro-life advocated believed that a fetus is considered a human being. On the other hand, pro- choice believers say a human being is considered a human being when it is outside its mothers womb.

The one question that pro-life and pro-choice advocates try to prove is, When the human life begin? Pro-life believers believe that human life begins when the womans eggs has been fetilized by the mans sperm. Dr. Bemars Nathanson states- while showing a video, The Silent Scresm, to a 15- year-old pregnant girl- that

...if you watch this film you can see the babys mouth open in a silent scream. You cant ignore the agitation that follows- the increased heartbeat and breathing and the rapidly moving limbs of the fetus. So there is no question, Dr. Nathanson says in this film that this child feels pain and senses danger (Guersney 19).

Human beings feel pain and since the baby in the movie shows expressions of feeling pain, they are considered human beings.

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