My Body, My Choice
September 1, 2021 is a day of remembrance, but not necessarily for only good reasons. As of today in the state of Texas, women are now given just six weeks to have an abortion due to a bill signed by Texas Governor, Gregg Abbott. According to the American Pregnancy Association, women typically find out they’re pregnant between the fourth and seventh week of pregnancy. However, women who aren’t planning to get pregnant often don’t find out that they are until the 8th or even 10th week of their first trimester.
Abortion can be a very controversial topic for some people. However, I feel that it shouldn’t be.
Many people who are pro-life will make every argument possible to try and change the opinion of others, which is completely valid because it is often a part of their core beliefs or morals. However, I feel as though nobody has the right to tell others what they can do with their life or their body and I feel like it's none of their business.
Although I would not get an abortion myself, I would never want to prevent others from having that right. Although many will argue that abortion is “murder,” I believe that abortion is a part of healthcare.
However, an anonymous source that speaks for the pro-life side of the argument disagrees, “Am I pro-life? Yes, definitely. Save the babies!”
Alternatively, sophomore Maddie Ring argues, “A woman should have the right to do what they please with their body. There are thousands of reasons for getting an abortion. Would you really want your sister to have a child that was created by your grandpappy in one of those extreme cases?”
Both arguments are very controversial opinions in today’s society.
American politician and activist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, says, “Abortion laws are not about being pro-life, they are about controlling women’s bodies,” to which I 100% agree. What about the lives of these women that are being turned upside down when they are forced to carry a baby to term?
Additionally, many women who are seeking abortions are not ready for a child. Many people who are pro-life will say “well, they should’ve used protection” or “everything has consequences.” The issue with this argument is that no form of birth control is always 100% effective or available for all women. Some women seeking abortions are also victims of rape or incest.
When the Governor of Texas was asked about cases of rape or incest, he responded that he wants to “end rape” which is quite the lofty claim. Rapists can be people we know—family members, friends, coaches, teachers, neighbors, etc. The governor says he wants to “take rapists off the streets” as if they’re just walking around with signs on them labeling their crimes. While the goal of stronger punishments for rape is good, the idea that one person could remove all rapists from our country/world is very lofty and is also very unrealistic. Therefore abortions for this case should be allowed.
Many women fear that with the passing of this bill, abortion will eventually be banned throughout the US. However, just because abortions would no longer be legal, abortions would still take place in unsafe and harmful ways. Many women would resort to other, more dangerous, forms of abortion that could be life-threatening.
One big issue I have with the passing of this bill is that Governor Abbott, who decided on the passing bill, is a man with influential power who will never know what it is like to be in this position. He will never know the struggles that these women will be forced to go through after carrying pregnancies to term.
No one should ever have the right to force a woman to carry a baby that she does not want, even if it’s what they believe in. The choice of getting an abortion should be a woman’s, and a woman’s only.
