Abortion Is A Choice Not A Right

Without further cordialities, allow me to begin. I will negate the resolution: Abortion is a choice, not a right. Contention 1: Why can't it be both? My opponents entire defense asserts that there is no right to abortion. In his values, this may be true. However, in the legal world in which our lives are goverened, this is false. If I can successfully prove in one instance that abortion is a choice AND a right, then I should win my debate. The follow is an excerpt from my source. Liberalization of Abortion Laws Between 1967 and 1973 one-third of the states liberalized or repealed their criminal abortion laws. However, the right to have an abortion in all states was only made available to American women in 1973 when the Supreme Court struck down the remaining restrictive state laws with its ruling in Roe v. Wade. In this, the US government (which is what I assume we will debate) makes it legal for us to have abortions. Rights are relative, implemented by civilization. If I was in the wild, I would abide by the laws of the wild, not by civilization. In this, we must look towards the governing entity to distinguish our rights and civil liberties (if any), which do state and exist that we reserve the right for abortions. Thus, affirming the resolution and asserting we DO have the right. Moving on, my opponent states: "Sometimes abortions are medically needed. There are many women who are not able to give birth to a child in a healthy or safe way and those certain kinds of situations may call for aborting the pregnancy. " Indeed if they are medically needed, it should be done. HOWEVER: In this matter, the person it reguards has no rights. The government is obligated to ensuring the lives and quality of life of it's citizens, which cannot be done successfully if that person's life is threatened by the baby, in which doctors MUST have an abortion. So it is no longer a choice. For example, if I was shot and told medical professionals I didn't want help, they would still be forced to help me. Moving on, my opponent says: "Laws against abortion also violate a woman's right to choice and right to privacy. Only the woman who is pregnant knows whether or not she is able enough to have and properly care for the child. Illegal abortion forces women who want to abide by the law to have a child even if they are not capable of doing so. No government can have a role in influencing a woman's decision in any way. " My opponent is PRO, which is he is for women (and "The Pregnant Man" lol! ) having the right to abort. Abortion is legal, except for "illegal abortions", which I will explain. Illegal abortions are illegal, because the person doing the abortion is not usually a professional, and even so, should not "operate" on oneself. Doing so can harm yourself, and the government is obligated to ensuring your life. So, they provide abortion clincs. It's not that abortion is legal, it's just that methods in which you can hurt yourself are. (Like suicide is illegal, but once you look at it, they can't really do anything! ) As for women knowing if they can sustain a child's existance, that's true, but the government CAN determine that as well, and they have. In child custody courts, they have for example, and sir, you are wrong. Government CAN and DOES have a role in influencing a woman's decision on abortion, whether they like it or not. Thank you. SOURCE: . http://www.prochoice.org...