The abortion issue being and remaining to be a controversial issue has been the center of discussion for decades and maybe will still be for more decades to come. The main question being should abortion be legalized? The idea seems rogue as it does not make sense to terminate the life of an unborn fetus who could have so much potential. In this paper, we try to focus much on the positive outcome of keeping the baby and giving them a chance in the society to become a vital member of the community (Cristi, 2012).
Abortion entails the termination of the unborn child or the fetus while the child is still in his mother’s womb. The abortion process can be undertaken by anyone from the mother herself and specific clinics purposefully set up for abortions. Just like a coin, there are two sides to these matters of abortion, which is pro-life and pro-choice. The pro-life does not support abortion; it advocates for the child survival and life while the pro-choice provides the choice which gives the mother a choice of abortion on either reason they feel is appropriate.
Though the issue of abortion is morally and ethically wrong, what choice do we leave for victims of rape and incest? Should it be legal for this particular lot to abort? That is probably the most controversial question that would not be quickly settled. The pro-life advocates would be cornered to accept abortion in such cases and term it as rare instances due to not knowing of how to assist people in such situations who are going through so much pain. The abortion decision does not usually fix anything. Instead, it heightens the situation as the victim needs are not being met through the abortion. The truth is that, only the minority of the rape and incest victims go through with the idea of abortion.
According to pro-life, life has to be preserved no matter the channel it was brought to life. The prevailing general population belief is that the victims of rape and incest should get rid of the pregnancy through abortion as the child is considered unwanted. Research reveals that there is a high risk for the victim of rape and incest to opt for an abortion. Though people will advise hat one would be able to continue with their lives after the abortion, victims of the abortion aftermath have echoed their state of emptiness and pain felt down deep within which emanates to deep depression and nightmares. The community being the driving force behind the abortion, pregnancy after rape or incest is viewed as a permanent symbol of the rape or incest at least until it is aborted.
Social facts prevail the manner of thinking, acting and feeling that is engaged or influenced by the condition that other members of a social group are mirrored in this way of acting, thinking and feeling. According to research carried out in Los Angeles in 1996, only 47% of women compared to the 51% of men favoured the general availability of abortion. These statistics point out that the number of men in support of abortion is higher than female and most women do not agree with abortion (Cotterrell, 2010). The reason that women give for their response in keeping or terminating their pregnancies include; the idea that having a baby will change their lives completely which is 92%,the excuse that they can’t afford a child at the moment which is 73%,hiding the fact that they don’t want others to know they had sex or are pregnant which is 42% or the fact that they are too young to have a child-portioned by 81%.
References
Cotterrell, R. (2010). Durkheim on justice, morals and politics. ÉMILE DURKHEIM: JUSTICE, MORALITY AND POLITICS, R. Cotterrell, ed., Ashgate Publishing.
Cristi, M. (2012). Durkheim on Moral Individualism, Social Justice, and Rights: Agendered Construction Of Rights. Canadian Journal of Sociology, 37(4), 409-438.
