Abortion is a very controversial matter in our society. Abortion is defined as: “the termination of pregnancy and expulsion of an embryo or of a fetus that is incapable of survival." However, if only the issue of abortion was as simple as the definition provided above, the debate would be much simpler. As with most issues, they are not as simple as black or white, but rather gray. Abortion is a prime example of this. In the United States, it is legal to abort a baby but those who despise abortion claim that it is the murder of a helpless baby who has not yet had the chance to live as a human being. However, the opposite is just as justifiable. They believe it is a woman's right to choose what happens to her body, and if she decides that she …show more content…
It was also ruled that babies are not legal “people” in the sense that they have had no rights or protection under our Constitution and are property of the mother because it is dependent on her for survival in the womb. Although an unborn fetus may have a heart and a brain, and it may be biologically human, it is not technically a legal person. A baby only becomes a legal person when it is born. (Planned Parenthood). However, aside from the obvious issue of whether or not it is a woman's right to choose, pro-choice advocates also bring into play the idea of a mother's physical safety. In cases where the mother may be put in danger if she were forced to give birth to a child, some people feel abortion should be acceptable. There are other instances where people feel that abortion is justified, such as in cases of rape or incest. It seems unfair to most pro-choice advocates, and many women in general, that a woman be forced to have a baby that was conceived out of rape or incest. It seems that every time the mother were to look at her child, it would be a constant reminder of the horrible act that brought about that child into this world. Also, incest can raise issues of mental retardation and physical handicaps. However, among all these issues, Pro-choice supporters see a woman's right to choose as central to the debate and believe women's rights are being jeopardized when the right to an abortion is taken