Monday, August 24, 2009
Abortion - Just Plain Wrong
Social Commentary (2)
The human being we know today is no longer as simple as the man on the street, or the lady in the shopping mall. Our understanding of the sanctity of human life has brought us to a point of accepting that a foetus, or even an embryo, should be given its due rights as a human being.
If this is the case, then when does a foetus acquire the status of a human being? Is it at conception, at birth or somewhere in between? Can we, as fully-grown humans, if you will, truly perceive weak, tiny, unborn organisms as our rightful, respectable equals?
Pro-life activists who oppose Obama’s support of abortion rights and embryonic stem cell research have recently protested against Obama’s visit to Notre Dame University, a catholic institution. Cardinal Francis George of the Catholic Church himself expressed that the invitation was an ‘embarrassment’ to ‘many, many Catholics’.
A recent poll conducted by Pew Research Centre shows that it is not just the Catholics who are unhappy with this. 46% of the respondents were not in favour of legalizing abortion, a large drop from 54% respondents the previous year.
Abortion is an intentional destruction of human life by another human. Murder is the intentional killing of a human, committed by another human. The age of that human does not matter; murder is still a crime. Then why is it the case that abortion is legal in America?
The basis of America’s principles lies on liberty, or the freedom of choice. If abortion were to be made illegal, then it would limit the choice of the woman bearing the child, and thus go against America’s social and political beliefs. At the same time, however, this is negating the unborn child’s rights to choose and to life.
Social justice and the protection of human rights begin in the womb, not at birth. A human at the age of 1 month is not any ‘less’ human than a human at 90 years of age. Genetic similarity across 90 years of age is more than 99%. Based on the principle of equality, both persons should be granted the same rights as a human being.
However, if a person’s rights infringes on another’s right to life, then the latter’s rights should override the former’s rights. One cannot compromise the right to life with any other rights except when both persons’ lives are on the line.
This brings us to consider exceptions where in which abortion may be allowed. Cases where the bearing of the child potentially endangers the life of the mother can be taken into consideration.
However, we must always have in mind the sanctity of life and respect all human life, regardless of age, ability or appearance. Every human being from conception deserves this right to life. The rights of a parent do not extend so far as to decide whether or not he/she can take this right away from the child, born or unborn.
A life is a life, period.
500 words
kaizersabre performed alchemy @ 11:31 PM
