This document discusses the debate around abortion from both pro-life and pro-choice perspectives. It provides arguments for when abortion should be considered acceptable, such as in cases of rape, incest, fetal abnormalities, or health risks to the mother. However, it also acknowledges pro-life positions that a fetus is a human life from conception. The document examines complex issues around bodily autonomy, quality of life, and legal precedents without taking a definitive stance. It concludes that abortion decisions are personal and should be left to parents based on their circumstances.

1. Abortion; Pro-life or pro-choice
The never-ending debate over abortion pros and cons is a recent
one when compared to contraception practices and abortion
itself. Although the theme is somewhat archaic, pro-choice and
pro-life supporters offer opinions that are not often based on
research but rather based on emotions and their feelings towards
the subject at hand (Raquel Lopez). This rather old discussion
has been ongoing for a long time and should not be taken
lightly. It is rather unfortunate that up to date women are
somewhat oppressed by society and their choices are always at
the mercy of people's discernment. In my opinion, abortion is a
sensitive topic not to mention a rather controversial one. Some
people argue that life is precious, and no human being has the
right to take the breath away while on the other hand others
argue that a woman should have full control over her body and
what she wants to do with it. With that said, being pro-life or
pro-choice is a stance that many are hesitant on picking.
Our world today is full of unsolved, complicated and
controversial issues and debates. Most of them relate to our
morals, culture, ethics, and religion; it creates friction among
different beliefs, ways of life and practices. Abortion is only
defined as the deliberate removal and expulsion of the human
embryo or fetus before birth leading to its subsequent death.
Like the Chinese yin and yang sign and the two sides of a coin,
abortion has a very distinct black and white team but can have
shades of grey depending on how you look at it. If abortion
were to be a fence, I would fall on the pro-choice side. I do
agree that it would be the termination of human life, but in
some circumstances, the decision warranted. I firmly believe
that in the presence of the mentioned circumstances, abortion

2. should be allowed, and no guilt or judgment should be pinned
onto the mother or parent's decision.
There are instances when abortion should be considered
acceptable. For example, if the mother faces any health
complications in the event of pregnancy that may affect her or
the child, she can terminate her pregnancy to avoid facing the
risks that could even be life-threatening. The National Women's
Organization and abortion activists such as Judy Jarvis
Thompson insist that abortion should remain legal in the event
of complications such as preeclampsia or any fetal physical
disabilities evidenced during the pregnancy. Preeclampsia is a
medical condition characterized by extremely elevated blood
pressure during pregnancy and is dangerous to the fetus in
utero. The only cure for this is the removal of the baby. There
are other times when ultrasounds or other forms of radiological
imaging may show signs of future deformities in the fetus such
as reduced bone density or maybe even conjoined in the case of
twins. In this case, abortion should be considered legal to save
the child from suffering in the future.
Judy Jarvis Thompson writes that several people in the world
think that a fetus is human and his life as soon as it conceived
which is not the case. A fetus is not considered human until
very late in the pregnancy. This is because in the first few
weeks after conception it is only a biological entity that is
during its developmental stage. It can be rather difficult to
pinpoint when exactly the embryo becomes a human being. It is
often argued by pro-life activists such as Roe v. Wade that a
fetus' right to life is more important and vital in comparison to a
woman's right to privacy and autonomy. With that said, the
Supreme Court ruled in error. In response to this, pro-choice
activists have responded saying that a fetus does not have a
right to life and the decision to carry out an abortion is every
woman's personal and private choice (Keck & McMahon, 2016).

3. Another instance where abortion procurement should be
considered acceptable is if the mother was a victim of rape or
sexual abuse. It is unfortunate that every day a woman
somewhere is sexually abused or raped. It could be sexual abuse
from a parent a spouse or an unknown person. Women are
oppressed and undergo a lot of trauma in the event of this
happening (Lee, 2018). Most of the men who carry out the vile
and heinous acts do not even care to use protection during rape
or the sexual abuse. After all, that many women wind up
pregnant with children they did not want and fathered by men
they did not choose. I feel that it would be unfair to tell the
woman she has to keep the baby despite the circumstances she
faces. The woman should be given liberty to decide if she would
want to carry the unwanted baby and nurture it.
Most women would find keeping this type of pregnancy
extremely traumatic, as it would be a constant reminder of the
events that took place. In the event of rape, the woman should
be allowed to terminate the pregnancy since it was not her
choice to conceive a baby at the time. Even if, the woman
decided to keep the pregnancy, what would the experience be
like for her? What kind of mother would she become? How
would she be able to overcome the trauma and disillusion
caused by the abuse? She wouldn't be capable of taking good
care of the child and offering the love and care that a child
should receive from a mother. This wouldn't be her fault since
the child would be a constant reminder of what transpired and
be a stumbling block in the process of her healing (Albuja &
Ferrer, 2017).
How can you deny an abortion to a ten-year-old girl who is the
victim of incest? How can you call yourself a loving and caring
Christian if you would force a victim of violent rape to give
birth to the child of a rapist? Every pro-life supporter has faced

4. challenges in answering these questions. The case of abortion
in the event of sexual assault pregnancies is highly
misunderstood. The reason most people reach the wrong
conclusion and have the wrong mentality about abortion in
cases of any form of sexual abuse such as rape and incest is that
the experiences of such sexual assault victims who became
pregnant are casually left out of the debate. Most people,
including sexual assault victims who were lucky not to have
fallen pregnant end up forming their opinions based on
prejudices, and beliefs which are a disconnect from reality.
As the days go by the number of women found dead due to
unsafe abortions is on the rise. This is because society has
pinned so much judgment on women who procure abortion as
opposed to understanding the reasoning that influenced their
actions. If abortion remains to be illegal, we shall continue to
lose more precious women in our society. This is because the
women may find themselves in predicaments that warrant an
abortion and will be afraid to approach a qualified doctor to
carry out this risky procedure for her. The result will be an
inflated number of backstreet abortions and an increased death
toll. If abortion could be made legal women would not hesitate
to contact a qualified health physician to terminate the
pregnancy safely.
The number of quacks who claim to be able to terminate
pregnancies is high, and they are also cheap. This puts the
women who may be frustrated and depressed on learning about
pregnancy as easy targets. Some women may not turn to the
back-street abortion options, but they may opt to carry out the
abortions themselves. Last week a student aged thirteen in
Pennsylvania was found dead after bleeding to death after trying
to carry out the abortion herself with a metal. She had no skill
at this and ended up taking her own life. Events like this can
stop if abortion was legalized and she could carry the procedure

5. out without any judgment front the society and the people
around her.
It is rather sad that some of the women who face unplanned
pregnancies may resort to taking their own lives to put
themselves out of the frustration they may be undergoing. The
number of women who have committed suicide due to
unplanned pregnancies is also on the rise, and this could reduce
if the woman were allowed to terminate the pregnancy. We end
up losing mothers, sisters and even daughters due to such
unfortunate circumstances. This should not be the case.
Another instance where abortion should be considered
acceptable is when a woman gets pregnant but has no means of
taking care of the child. Some of the women who fall pregnant
come from low-income families and are not able to take care of
their children. In some other scenarios, money may not be the
issue, but the mother may not be in a state where she can take
care of the child for example if she is mentally unstable or is
chronically ill. In such situations, the woman should be given
the liberty to decide whether to continue with the pregnancy or
not. It would be unfair to this mother to be forced to keep a
baby that will suffer once it comes into this world and in result
have the poor quality of life. In instances where the mother may
not be financially stable or be from a poor background how
would you expect her to take care of the child? How would she
be able to fund for prenatal care such as clinic visits and health
supplements? She would face a hard time not only during the
pregnancy but also after the birth of the child. If the mother has
other children, they would also suffer due to the money
constraints as a result of the pregnancy. This would reduce the
quality of life for the children and the mother herself who is
pregnant.

6. Child expenses do not stop once the child is born anything they
only increase. Once the child is born, the mother will have to
cater to clothing, food, and vaccinations which were not faced
when she was heavy with child. Soon the child will grow and
require money for school fees, and since the mother would not
be able to provide, the child would only suffer and be
frustrated. What is the point of the child undergoing all this
hassle just to born?
The effects of this dire situation will affect not only the child
but also the mother. This stressful situation will destabilize the
mother, and she will not be able to care for her children
properly. It is essential to get children that you can support not
only financially but also emotionally and mentally to nurture
and give them that love that is so important for their holistic
and overall growth and development.
In conclusion, abortion should be allowed in the stated
circumstances: When the child is a product of sexual abuse such
as rape, the pregnancy poses risks and complications to the
growing fetus or mother if the mother is unable to take care of
her child physically, financially or in any other way and to
reduce the rising toll of women dying as a result of backstreet
abortions or suicide. The decision to terminate a pregnancy lies
with the parents and they should be given the liberty and
freedom to do as would be best in their eyes in accordance with
their prevailing circumstances.
References
Albuja, L. D., & Ferrer, L. (2017). Women's and Healthcare
Workers' Beliefs and Experiences Surrounding Abortion: The
Case of Haiti. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 49(2), 170-176.
Keck, T. M., & McMahon, K. J. (2016). Why Roe Still Stands:
Abortion Law, the Supreme Court, and the Republican Regime.

7. In Studies in Law, Politics, and Society, 33-83.
Lee, E. (2018). Psychologizing Abortion: Women's ‘Mental
Health and the Regulation of Abortion in Britain. In Well
Women, 73-90.
Raquel Lopez, (2012). Perspectives on Abortion: Pro-Choice,
Pro-Life, and What Lies in between, pp. 511-517
REFUTATION BLOCK
· Most women think of women who are getting abortions as
careless teens or partyers.
· Around 6 in 10 women who are getting abortions are already
mothers.
· Making abortion illegal will not stop abortions from
happening.
· One illegal abortion survivor writes that, ““Abortions will
continue regardless of whether it’s legal or not legal ― as it
always has.”
· Donald Trump plans to defund Planned Parenthood under
suspicion that the government funding that the organization is
receiving is going towards abortions, which is not what it is
meant for.
· Abortions are in fact payed for out of pocket, and are not
payed for by Planned Parenthood.
· Planned Parenthood provides this service for under privileged
and under payed women who would otherwise have no other
option.
· With an application process put on abortions, it will eliminate

8. women who abuse the opportunity they have to get an abortion.
· Abortion should not be a common occurrence that happens
more than once to one woman.
· This application will go through medical history, criminal
history, proof of income and a justification as to why the
mother is unfit to have the child.
· Just because most women, over half, who get abortions are
already mothers does not mean they are any more responsible.
· It does not matter if the woman has multiple children or none
at all, the outcome and precautions are the exact same.
· Making abortion illegal will stop them from being performed
at hospitals and Planned Parenthood, where most abortions take
place.
· “Back-alley” illegal abortions are very dangerous and rare to
come by these days.
· Planned Parenthood is in disagreement with Trump’s opinions
on abortion, therefore has no problem to use their government
funding to perform abortions.
· Without Trump’s release on the government funding for
Planned Parenthood, the organization would still continue to
perform abortions.
· An application process for abortions will be very difficult to
enforce and cause a lot of legal dispute over who should and
should not be deemed fit to raise a child or not.
· It would be difficult to make the process completely fair and
understanding to all situations when it comes to abortion.
· This process would take a long time and have a long waiting
list, there simply is not enough time when there is a baby on the
way.

9. Sources
Vagianos, Alanna. "What It's Like To Get An Illegal Abortion,
From 4 Women Who Know Firsthand." The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 22 Feb. 2017. Web. 07 July 2017.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-its-like-to-get-an-
illegal-abortion-from-4-women-who-know-
firsthand_us_58ab00f9e4b037d17d29a993
Bazelon, Emily. "Trump’s Abortion Strategy." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 10 Mar. 2017. Web. 07 July 2017.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/10/opinion/trumps-abortion-
strategy.html
Bassett, Laura. "What It Really Means To 'Defund' Planned
Parenthood." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 08
Mar. 2017. Web. 07 July 2017.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-defunding-planned-
parenthood-means_us_58b71ab6e4b019d36d100ed0
Pollitt, Katha. "The Abortion Conversation We Need To Have."
The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 16 Oct. 2014.
Web. 07 July 2017.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katha-pollitt/abortion-
conversation-katha-pollitt-pro_b_5989136.html
"U.S. Abortion Statistics." Abort73.com / Abortion Unfiltered.
N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2017.
http://abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/

11. 1/11Refutation Block Assignment Description
100 Points
Refutation Block Description: Once you have completed your
argumentative essay, you must create a refutation block that
identifies and develops counterarguments that respond to each
of your major claims in that essay. Your block should develop
point-by-point responses to each of the arguments you made in
your original essay. Your refutation should be written as an
argument block, meaning it should be outlined into main points.
For each counter-argument, be sure: to identify the claim it is
making, to provide evidence that supports the claim, and to
elaborate a warrant that connects your evidence to your claim.
Your refutation block should be 1 single-spaced page.
Procedures:

12. · Review your original research to identify counterarguments
that challenge or refute your claims in you argument essay.
· Organize and analyze counterarguments that respond to each
of the claims that you make in your original essay.
· Next, compose your refutation block. It should be written in
two columns. The left-hand column should identify the major
claims in your argumentative essay, any supporting evidence
that was used, and warrants that describe the function of the
evidence in relation to the claim. The right-hand column should
identify the major counter claims that you have identified, and
evidence supporting your counter-argument with well developed
warrants.
· Proofread and revise and your refutation block.
· You should use at least five sources as support in your
refutation block (these may include some of the sources that
you used in your argumentative essay).
Refutation Block Assignment Description
General Characteristics
___/25
Does the refutation block meet basic assignment
NO
SOMEWHAT
YES
guidelines (length, format, etc.)?
Does the block develop reasonable counter-arguments
NO

13. SOMEWHAT
YES
that respond to arguments in the argumentative essay?
Does the assignment include necessary citations,
NO
SOMEWHAT
YES
e.g., argument source, etc.?
Quality of Refutation
___/75
Does the block identify problems with the argument
NO
SOMEWHAT
YES
developed in the essay?
Does the block develop strong claims in opposition
NO
SOMEWHAT
YES

14. to the arguments found in the argumentative essay?
Does the block cite evidence in support of the
NO
SOMEWHAT
YES
counterarguments it asserts?
Is the block written in the proper format as
NO
SOMEWHAT
YES
described in the text and in lecture?
Total:
___/100
Comments: