Abortion Should be Illegal.

Hello Charles15, Firstly I hope I'm a decent opponent for you. I freely admit I don't have a huge background or education on the abortion issue, but as always I'll put my opinion forward to debate, and often to learn by hearing the other side. Let me also say that I think abortion is an extremely saddening and disappointing thing. I also believe that no one should ever use it for birth control purposes, with many other contraceptive methods available. I'd also say that while I believe these things, I also do not think that it should be illegal. Firstly I think we're both going to have to agree that unfortunately there is never going to be a clearly defined point between human and not human. This is a theological debate that can go on forever, simply because there is no answer. I personally believe the foetus has become a human being when it can survive outside the womb of the mother with whatever medical support we can reasonable give. This definition would change for everyone. I could never successfully argue that a microsecond before this point the foetus is not a human, and you could never argue it is. You rightfully give some distressing figures about the amount abortion is used, and I think we should also do everything we can to lower this figure as much as we can, while still retaining a mothers choice to choose (i.e. education of other options etc). Now, we commonly see in places where abortion is illegal, the practice does not stop. It either forces women to travel from state to state, or from country to country, to terminate the pregnancy. Furthermore an even bigger problem can arise by illegal abortion clinics. Suddenly instead of having a legal safe environment to abort the pregnancy a woman is forced into a situation where she does not have the backup of the health system. This can obviously lead to massive problems in regards to women's health and mental wellbeing. I would hate to see us go to a situation where a woman is lying in a hotel room dying from internal bleeding because someone masquerading as a doctor tried to make $500 off her guaranteeing her a ‘safe' abortion. Mother's, if they choose to have an abortion regardless, are obviously safer having it with the backup of the medical system rather than forced to go other routes. I'd also say simply put we cannot enforce our own moral standards across the board onto every person in a country. You mention yourself that you are for abortion in the cases of the mother's health being in danger. If the argument is that abortion is murder clear and simple, then how can you justify killing a "person" in response to another's life in danger? What makes the mother's life more important than that of the child? What about the cases of rape, do you think a woman should be forced to bring a child into the world that was the product of such a terrible and traumatic experience? As soon as you say yes to any of these situations, then you're simply applying your moral standards to the situation, and deeming what is acceptable and what isn't (i.e. health of the mother). Who are we to say that our moral standards are the ones that should be legally imposed onto others, while theirs are ignored? As a result I think that abortion should be legal, simply because we have no right to enforce our moral standards on someone else. I must also comment on your description of the abortion process. While I understand that you do not agree with it, please don't insult the medical professionals that while aren't doing something you agree with, have their own moral beliefs and in their opinion are doing what they believe in. No need to label them all with slanderous names such as "drop out medical student". Also to be fair I would hate to see the procedure you described, but then again I'd be pretty squeamish about seeing open heart surgery also. In summary my counter argument bases around two main points (at this stage). Firstly I believe that making abortion illegal will not stop the practice of abortion, simply moving it underground where women are placed at greater risks because they do not have the medical system in place to support them out of fear of prosecution. Secondly I don't think we have the right to legally impose our moral standards onto others in an area which is a largely unclear theological debate. I understand we enforce society's moral standards in laws all the time; however I think we can agree that murdering a 34 year old father of two is clearer cut than if we abort a foetus 1 day after sperm fertilises an egg. As a result, although I agree abortion is a disappointing and disheartening part of life and society, I don't think the practice should be made illegal.