Opposing Issue (Essay Sample)

Name
Professor
Subject
Date
Should Abortion be legalized?
Abortion is one of the most controversial issues in both the United States and elsewhere in the world. The issue of whether to illegalize abortion or not remains a major issue in the United States where abortion is legal. Those who support legalization of abortion argue that it is the woman’s choice to have control over their bodies and hence since they are the ones who carry the unborn, it is at their discretion to carry or terminate the pregnancy (Gordon, 15). On the other side of the divide is the pro-life group who push for illegalization of abortion. Above other reasons, they cite the right of life for the unborn, morality and religion as key reasons why abortion should not be acceptable (Rose, 27).
While there are increasing campaigns to have abortions banned, the fact remains that the benefits of legal abortion outweigh the repercussions of illegalizing it. According to Gordon, there are different reasons to support his stand on banning of abortion. Firstly, his main argument is that abortion is murder and consequently demeans or eliminates the right to life of the unborn (Gordon, 16). However, this assertion is biased as it ignores basic facts about abortion. Illegal abortion is one of the main causes of maternal deaths as pregnant women are exposed to illegal and unskilled abortionists who cause more damage than good (Williams, 22). In this case, illegalizing abortion takes away the right to life of the women as their risk to death is highly heightened in the event of procuring abortion from unprofessional people.
Secondly, the author argues that abortion exposes the woman to various health risks and infertility (Gordon, 16). The most notable aspect of the authors work is that he tries to avoid facts surrounding abortion issues. It is true that abortion like any other medical procedures carries its own risks (Green, 185). However, when a professional doctor performs abortion in a certified medical facility, abortion becomes one of the safest medical procedures. Indeed, giving birth has higher risk to death or other complications as compared to abortion when done professionally (Rose, 17).
Thirdly, the pro-lifers argue that abortion affects women psychologically and causes long-term effects on ones emotional wellbeing (Gordon, 17). The author points out that rather than have an abortion, the child can be offered for adoption. However as much as this is true, offering a child for adoption also affects the woman emotionally and psychologically. It is therefore in the best interest of the woman to decide whether to terminate the pregnancy or go for adoption option (Williams, 26).
The fourth argument is that banning abortion will lead to a reduction in the number of abortions carried out each year (Gordon, 18). The author points out that since 1973, over 50 million abortions have been carried out in the USA. This fact may be compelling but ignores the statistics from other nations where abortion is illegal. Even with strict legislation against abortion, the procedure continues unhindered by going underground...