Abortion, Right and Wrong Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Abortion, Right and Wrong - Essay Example The wealthy were able to travel abroad or pay high fees to a local doctor willing to perform the procedure, but a poor woman was required to resort to less safe options. Prohibiting abortions does not and has never stopped them from occurring; it just acts to harm women. Those opposed to Roe also argue that if the Constitution does not directly address an issue, then the Congress, not the courts should decide matters such as this which have weighty moral implications. The Roe decision essentially addressed this question by asserting the government’s concern for the life of the unborn does not outweigh the constitutional rights of the born and thus their decision to allow pregnancy terminations. The Court did draw a line distinguishing what is considered murder of a child. On this issue, those that oppose abortion rights do have legal justification for debate. Viability seems to be an appropriate benchmark because in the early weeks following conception, the fetus is not a conscious being although those of religious conviction argue that it does have a soul. Viability is somewhat scientifically determined while the presence of a soul is not. Therefore, the line can only be drawn at the viability of the unborn as any other method by which to de termine when abortions are considered murder is unclear (Dorf, 2003). Those opposed to abortion claim that the fetus, viable or not, is a living being much the same as a child or adult. Mothers who have had abortions certainly cannot believe she is killing a living child or the practice would be a rare procedure. â€Å"I don’t think, in most cases, that the woman who aborts her child, consciously believes she is killing a person. As philosopher Francis Beckwith points out, â€Å"why do women only kill their fetuses when confronted with practical difficulties, rather than their already born children, if they truly believe their fetuses are fully human?† (cited in Smith,