Abortion.

My Position First, I would like to clarify that I am not "pro abortion. " I am "pro choice. " What that means is that I am not someone who supports abortion itself as a standard tool for birth control. I believe people should always take necessary precautions if it is possible, If they don't want a pregnancy. That being said, I have no issue with abortion. It certainly is not murder. Argumentation Before one can call something murder, One must define it. What is murder? How does one know when one has committed murder? Murder: n. The killing of a human being by a sane person, With intent, Malice aforethought (prior intention to kill the particular victim or anyone who gets in the way) and with no legal excuse or authority. (cite - https://dictionary. Law. Com/Default. Aspx? Selected=1303) So, Ignoring the fact that abortion not being illegal actually gives the mother the "authority" to kill the fetus, And therefore abortion is not murder(I could actually rest my case right there, But I won't), One can see from this definition that murder can only be committed on a human being. We must then define "human being. " How do we classify a human being? 1 U. S. Code " 8 - "Person", "human being", "child", And "individual" as including born-alive infant " As used in this section, The term "born alive", With respect to a member of the species homo sapiens, Means the complete expulsion or extraction from his or her mother of that member, At any stage of development, Who after such expulsion or extraction breathes or has a beating heart, Pulsation of the umbilical cord, Or definite movement of voluntary muscles, Regardless of whether the umbilical cord has been cut, And regardless of whether the expulsion or extraction occurs as a result of natural or induced labor, Cesarean section, Or induced abortion. (cite - https://www. Law. Cornell. Edu/uscode/text/1/8) As can be seen by this U. S. Code, A fetus cannot be classified as a human being. Conclusion My conclusion is really quite simple: My opponent's argument is simply factually incorrect. As one can see from the facts I presented in my above argumentation, Murder can only be committed on a human being, And a fetus cannot be classified as a human being. I have therefore proven that abortion is not murder. My opponent's other point My opponent also claims that life begins at conception. This is also factually incorrect. Life: Life is a characteristic that distinguishes physical entities that have biological processes, Such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, From those that do not, Either because such functions have ceased (they have died), Or because they never had such functions and are classified as inanimate. (cite - https://en. Wikipedia. Org/wiki/Life (there are multiple references listed on that page)) Obviously, In order for life to begin at conception, A fertilized embryo would have to fit the above definition. I don't think I need to explain how it doesn't. Neither a fertilized embryo, Nor a fetus, Is classified as a life, Therefore life does not begin at conception. As for my opponent's final claim: A fetus indeed is not a "part of the female body, " thus I agree on that point, Even though it is irrelevant to this debate.