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Janet Tran Teacher: Anthony English 181-2 November 5, 2012 The Current Controversy of Abortion in the U.S. The topic of abortion sounds like, for the most part, a moral issue. If someone thinks about it more, though, the topic of abortion bursts with moral complexity and composes of many layers. Many find it surprising that abortion is also used not only by pregnant teenagers but normal mothers too. Whether it seems right to file for an abortion, the topic varies with each person. Abortion, to most minds, appears coldhearted and cruel. Many argue that the lives of these fetuses should not be destroyed simply because people do not want to deal with what they brought upon themselves through their own decisions. If or when someone is sexually active, they should learn to expect the unexpected and be responsible for any mistakes they may make and know to act more careful if they themselves know that they want to have a baby or the prospect of having a baby. Of course, abortion stems to more than the mistake of a pregnant teenager. Some mothers have a preference between which genders they want their babies. Some have such a strong desire for a boy that they will file for an abortion right after they discover that their child has feminine features. It could go either way, but some people think males seem superior to girls. Arizona Representative Trent Franks goes as far to say that if, after an ultrasound, a doctor tells the expecting mother its a girl then that answer could prove dangerous to any baby girl. The House of Representatives has recently voted on the Prenatal Non-Discrimination Act which forbids women from aborting a pregnancy based on gender. Even though the Republicans swear that this act protects women, the Democrats argue that this appears as just another attempt by the Republicans to restrict the womans

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choice in the matter. A normal person may not understand what the republicans mean by protecting the women, but one can guess that it means to protect them from their own choices. For example, some womens bodies cannot survive an abortion and in some cases, some women may not know of a condition they might have that will affect how they abort or if they can even abort. It would also protect the conscience of many women who might or will probably regret abortion. On the other hand, this could restrict their choice. Some people would secretly love to have the choice made for them but others will feel robbed of their choice. The whole deal turns into a clash of politics and morals, but many feel that the gender should not even inspire the idea of abortion. On a different matter, some couples even strive for the perfect baby. On occasion, if a couple found out that their baby expects to be mentally deficient or physically disabled, they would file for abortion. In some cases, the reason couples do this boils down to simply because they cannot deal with all the medical fees and bills. Some people find this an acceptable reason, while others do not. A couple of the expecting mothers feel that letting a child live out a disabled life would make the child suffer because that child would see all the other kids playing around and doing activities they cannot and therefore, giving them only giving them half of a life. This point of view proves difficult for one to pick a side on whether one should accept it as a reason for abortion or not. It holds enough moral depth to make someone question whether it truly gives the baby the best path in life or not. Ever since the Roe vs Wade court case in 1973, abortion had passed as legal in all states in the U.S. Before this case, abortion was legal and only slightly legal under certain conditions in the states. Roe vs Wade included abortion as a part of a persons privacy rights. This case deals with the abortion controversy well. In addition, the government should establish a mandatory video or class that would show potential mothers the effects of abortion and what exactly what they choose to do if they file for an abortion along with meeting with other mothers who have or have not contemplated abortion. This may or may not sway their decision but it stays in the boundaries of the womens privacy rights. When

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concerning oneself with abortion, between the moral values and the rights of the law, there lies a line that can be crossed and it depends on the person where their personal line lies and whether or not they wish to cross it.