A Growing Controversial Issue

            A recent New York Times article, "Why Abortion Is Not Like Other Issues," by David Leonhardt (link) opened my eyes to a growing issue. I agree with the author when they state that the American population is almost equally divided on this issue, as well as the bill Texas is attempting to pass, although I am not Pro-Life. If women want to have an abortion, I believe that they should have it in the first trimester of pregnancy. Also, I think that the political parties will eventually have to choose a side on this matter. Abortion, in my opinion, is not as bad of a thing as people make it out to be under certain circumstances.

            The restrictive abortion bill, according to the article, bans abortion past the first trimester. The first trimester ends generally in the fifteenth week of pregnancy. By this point in time, the fetus is beginning to form limbs and growing hair. According to this article, eight in ten Americans think that abortion is taking a life. I believe that this bill is fair because, at that point, it begins to become more of a human being and less like a growing cell in your body. In some points in the article, it states that it does include exceptions to rape and incest, but sometimes it does not. If there are exceptions, I think that this bill actually has a chance of passing. Whether it passes or not, seventy percent of the American population surveyed believes that abortion should be banned in the second trimester.

        This subject cannot forever be ignored by the political parties. Eventually, they will have to choose a side on the matter of abortion. I think that the Republican party will choose Pro-Life, and the Democratic party will choose Pro-Choice. This is because the Republican party has always preferred the more "traditional" lifestyle, while the Democrats are more accepting to the minorities as well as change and civil rights. I do not think that they will immediately make these their preferred choice, but over time they will have to pick a side on the matter. This will start another political war between whether the issue should or should not be accepted. Usually, the right to do or be whatever it is the issue is about wins in the end. The political parties cannot avoid the subject of abortion forever.

            Under certain circumstances, I believe that abortion should and should not be accepted. Generally, when people think of an exception to make for abortion, they think about rape and incest pregnancies. My mind has a wider spectrum of exceptions for this. For example, if a teenager gets pregnant, she should have the choice to get an abortion. Just like any young adult, teenagers may not be able to take care of it, financially or physically. They may also want to focus on their schoolwork, and they cannot do that nursing a child. I do not think that people should use abortion as a form of birth control. If they do not want to get pregnant, they should take the steps to prevent it, such as taking birth control beforehand or wearing a condom. Abortion is not a bad choice if you are under tough circumstances.

            America will eventually have to make a decision on what they will do about abortion. Most people believe that abortion is taking a life. The political parties do not choose to take a side on this matter. Perhaps some people may not be able to properly care for that life just yet. Abortion is looked down upon by most, but some people may not have another option.