Dear Editor,
Though I was tempted to write you regarding the Theism vs. Atheism debate, I refrained as I know that those who are convinced of their opinions would not be budged. However, after reading Adam Labonte’s “Abortion’s Effect on Social Welfare,” I feel the need to speak.
In our society, abortion has been advertised as a woman’s “freedom of choice.” Whose choice is being considered here? The mother’s. Before giving birth, a woman can do what she wants with her body. The pregnancy can be terminated, no questions asked. Everything changes once that child-or if you prefer, “glob of tissue”- travels down the mere eight inches of tubing from the mother’s womb to the outside world. 1 second after birth, it is criminal to kill that child. Even the mother’s “freedom of choice” is restricted. What was a once just a glob of tissue eight inches ago is now a human, and now his or her rights must be considered. Can such a dramatic change of being occur in a mere eight inches? If you move any distance, do you change into something completely different? The obvious answer is no. Why doesn’t that logic apply to the unborn?
Mr. Labonte made the point that “the social welfare system of the United States could not support a society existing without abortions.” I suppose if you agree that being dead is better than being poor, this argument would convince you to be in favor of abortion. Everyone knows that poor children cannot climb higher on the social ladder, so they should not even be given the chance to. And of course, I’m certain that the first thought in a woman’s mind when she finds out she’s pregnant is the state of the economy.
Another point made by Mr. Labonte is that the mother wouldn’t be ready for the responsibilities of parenthood. I do not know the feeling one may get when looking at the positive results of a pregnancy test. However, the only time those tests should be used is when one IS ready for parenthood. There is a correlation between abstinence and negative pregnancy results, though many choose to ignore that. Basically, every time one engages in reproductive activity is a consent and acknowledgement of the consequences; if you think you’re ready for sex, you may have to be ready for parenthood.
Finally, many people are against abortion, but in instances of rape and incest, they make exceptions. To them, the end justifies the means. However, if a man robs a bank, do you punish the son or daughter? Why would you punish the unborn child for what the man did?
Abortion will not end a woman’s problems. The guilt that accompanies the act has changed many abortion activists to Pro-Life leaders, including Miss “Roe” in the famous Roe vs. Wade decision. I am Pro-Life and proud of it, but I am also Pro-Choice. I believe in the choices of others, and where there is no life, there is no choice.
Kelli Carpenter