Abortion

The topic of abortion is a dark one that no one wants to think about, much less discuss. However, there are instances, such as this one, in which the abortion must be discussed. For the most part, I consider myself to be pro-life. In fact, during my time as a fundamentalist Christian, I could think of no good reason why a woman should subject herself to an abortion. However, in 2007, my ways of thinking began to change dramatically, and I began to question the central teachings of Christianity. Once I began to be challenged on views from eternal suffering and creationism, to abortion, I found myself in a brutal and difficult internal struggle and could no longer justify my willful ignorance for the sake of dogma. While I still consider myself to be pro-life, there are circumstances in which abortion is not only a logical choice, but the ethical choice as well. I shall now list a few of those circumstances. Birth disorders Due to the disturbing nature of the following disorders, I will not include their imagery [1]. However, if my audience chooses to read about these disorders on their own, reader discretion is advised upon reading and viewing source material. Below are just a few fatal birth disorders. Cephalic disorders: Severe birth disorders in which fetuses do not fully develop a head, brain, or neural tube. One of the most horrific of these disorders is anencephaly, in which the fetus is missing large portions of the brain or skull are missing [2]. Cyclopia: Another severe birth disorder in which the fetus does not develop separate orbits of the eye. Many fetuses with cyclopia are born without noses, and most are stillborn [3]. Harlequin ichthyosis: A disorder in which the infant is born with very thick. armor-like skin, and may not have the ability to regulate body temperature or breathe properly upon birth. While some infants born with this disorder may live long lives, harlequin ichthyosis is usually fatal. Until recent medical breakthroughs,most infants born with the disorder typically died within a few days of birth [4]. Those infants born with some of these disorders have absolutely no hope of living a normal, healthy life. Indeed, many, if not most will die within hours of birth. So, I ask my opponent, which is the more ethical decision to make; to force a mother to bring a child to birth with such fatal and nightmarish disorders, knowing that it will likely suffer a very brief, painful life, or make the deeply painful decision to terminate the pregnancy? Some parents make the decision to bring the pregnancy to term in the search for closure, which, to some degree, I can understand. But, with utmost respect and gravity, I ask if those parents are acting in their best interest or that of the infant. The Life of the Mother Perhaps the most recent, well-known example of a mother's death during pregnancy is Savita Halappanavar [5]. Savita became pregnant in 2012, but suffered a miscarriage during the 17th week of her pregnancy. She then began to experience severe pain in her back, and requested to have an abortion out of fear for her life. However, due to a strict zero-tolerance abortion ordinance in Ireland, Savita's request was denied. Forced to give birth to a miscarried fetus by Irish-Catholic law, Savita acquired sepsis which resulted in her death on October 28, 2012. Her death was 100% preventable [6]. Knowing that the fetus was miscarried for half of the pregnancy and that Savita was forced to carry out the birth by law, how can her death be justified by the strict pro-life advocates? In a similar story, a Texas judge ordered a hospital to remove a pregnant mother from life support. The parents of the mother, Marlise Munoz, had their daughter on life support, in spite of the fact that she was braindead from lack of oxygen for an undetermined amount of time as her husband found her unconscious on their kitchen floor at 2:00 a. m. on November 26th As a result from lack of oxygen, the fetus was also not receiving any oxygen or nutrients. Therefore, the fetus was no longer viable. Yet, the parents of Marlise, devout Catholics, held her on life support in spite of Marlise's demands. In effect, Marlise was being used as an incubator for a fetus that was no longer viable [7][8]. Rape The subject of rape and abortion is not so clear-cut as birth disorders and the life of the mother. However, there is still a case to be made for the victim of rape. Should a woman who is raped be forced to carry out her pregnancy? Closing I want to make it clear that I do not support abortion as a vehicle for convenience from an unwanted pregnancy. If a woman decides to engage in sexual activity and becomes pregnant, then she is without excuse. However, if she suffers any of the tragic results mentioned above, then her request to an abortion should be found acceptable. I also want to make it clear that I do not view any and all birth disorders as legitimate reasons to carry out abortions. Most defects are treatable, sometimes in-utero. But for those fetuses who are doomed to a short life and painful death, I believe it is far more ethical to end the pregnancy as opposed to bringing the fetus to birth. At the heart of this very sensitive issue is lack of education. This is clearly evidenced by the comments made during the 2012 election campaign of Todd Akin (R-Mo. ) In August 2012, Akin said, "From what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. .. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume maybe that didn't work or something. I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist [9]. " Such statements are moronic and horrifying, especially if those making such comments are made by candidates running for public office. Finally, since my opponent is strictly pro-life, I wonder if he supports the death penalty, war (especially collateral damage), and self-defense resulting in the death of a would-be assailant. Also, since one of his favorite books is the Bible, I wonder how he feels about atrocious verses like Hosea 9:13-16 and Deuteronomy 22:23-29. BIBLIOGRAPHY [1] National Institutes of Health (2014). "Genetics/Birth Defects. " Retrieved January 25, 2014. . http://www.nlm.nih.gov...; [2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). "Facts about Aanencephaly. " Retrieved January 25, 2014. . http://www.cdc.gov... [3] National Institutes of Health (2010). "Cyclopia with shoulder dystocia leading to an obstetric catastrophe: a case report. " Retrieved January 25th, 2014. . http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov... [4] National Institutes of Health (2010). "Harlequin ichthyosis: a review of clinical and molecular findings in 45 cases. " Retrieved January 25th, 2014. [5] Wikipedia (2014). Death of Savita Halapanavvar. Retrieved January 25, 2014. . http://en.wikipedia.org... [6] Bruno Waterfield (2013). "Irish abortion law key factor in death of Savita Halappanavar, official report finds" The Telegraph. Retrieved January 26th 2014. . http://www.telegraph.co.uk... [7] Ed Lavandera. Josh Rubin and Greg Botelho (2014). "Texas judge: Remove brain-dead woman from ventilator, other machines" Retrieved January 25, 2014. . http://www.cnn.com...[8] Wikipedia. Brain death (2014). Retrieved January 26th, 2014. . http://en.wikipedia.org... [9] Huffington Post (2012). "Todd Akin On Abortion: 'Legitimate Rape Victims' Have Ways 'To Try To Shut The Whole Thing Down'" Retrieved January 26, 2014. . http://www.huffingtonpost.com...