Donald Trump is pro-life concerning abortions when the fetus is not affecting the mother's health and it is not the result of incest and rape. And as much as I hate to admit it and say, I agree with him on this polarizing topic. Now, before you go and exit this article, my goal is to look at this issue through a moral lens rather than the usual politicized back-and-forth conversations. What it comes down to in the end, is the future life of a fetus and how much value we place on it.
Abortions should be available for women whose lives are threatened by a pregnancy or who would otherwise give birth to a child of rape or incest, an unhealthy environment for any human being. But, if abortions are readily available for all, where is the responsibility that is expected of adults anymore? With the rise of this new technology and medical advancements, people nowadays feel liberated to have as much sex as they want and not suffer any of the consequences. Of course, the decision to have an abortion is not an easy one to make, but it just would be so much easier to not have to make it at all.
The sexual liberty present throughout the nation and the world may be great for people who love to indulge in the pleasures of intimacy, but what about the lives that could have been that were quite literally torn apart? The most common abortion procedures involve a suction-aspiration or vacuum aspiration. Up to the 15th week of gestation, they also use a method called dilation and curettage (D&C). This includes examining the the uterine lining and cleaning the walls of the uterus with a curette, a surgical instrument resembling a stylus with a small hook.
And while many scientists and doctors may argue about when abortions should be performed and under what circumstances, there is little to no doubt about whether a fetus or infant is a human being in the stages of development. Christie Grazie Pozo, MD, emphasizes that these fetuses will grow to be full human beings that will likely bring joy to others. The fact that they are unwanted does not make them any less valuable. If anything, it may open the door for that little human being to be loved and adored by another family across the world.
Dr. Pozo herself had four biological children before she adopted her fifth child from China, named Lourdes. She was abandoned in the streets of China at only 10 days old before being rescued and taken into an orphanage. Most likely, because China has a strict policy on the number of children a family can have, Lourdes was probably an unexpected second pregnancy. If it weren't for Pozo and her family, she would have probably spent her youth in an orphanage amongst other unwanted and unloved children.
However, in a country like the U.S., where families can have as many children as they please (see 19 Kids and Counting), they are quicker to end the pregnancy and rid themselves of the 'problem' than to take responsibility for their actions. However, they fail to see the amazing bond that mother and child share from birth and forward. Dr. Diana Greene Foster from UCSF, studied womens’ decisions to get an abortion or carry the pregnancy to full-term. 184 of the 231 women studied carried the pregnancy to full-term and only 17 of them gave the baby up for adoption. It is inferred from this study that women, most of the times, share a connection with their child even if they were originally unplanned or unwanted. A similar study was conducted in 1957 by psychologist David Henry, where they studied Czechoslovakian families where the women were denied abortions. By comparing his studies to that of women who did go through with an abortion, the APA (American Psychological Association) concluded that women who have abortions and those who carry an unwanted child to full-term suffer from similar mental health risks. So, if women suffer the same mental health problems from an abortion or a full-term pregnancy, then why not carry the child and at least you'll share a blood connection and a strong bond with your new child.
If we can't change the culture of sexual liberty and 'freedom' in this country and around the world, then I hope we can at least educate young people and adults alike to engage in safe sex and use contraceptives. Now, this does mean the rise of nonprofit reproductive health organizations like Planned Parenthood (PP). Politicians usually antagonize PP for providing safe abortions to the public, but they only make up 3% of their services. They also provide medications, illness screenings, mammograms, and most importantly sex education and contraceptives. Because of Planned Parenthood, teens and adults alike have had less unwanted pregnancies because they have more resources that educate them on safe sex and also teach them how to prevent a pregnancy is they are sexually active. The CDC even reports that the average abortion rate is the lowest it has ever been in the past 40 years.
Donald Trump may hold the lives of African-Americans, Muslims, and Mexicans in low value; but, I think he hit the nail on the head concerning abortions and the lives of unborn children. We are sacrificing lives in order to maintain our sexual liberty and so-called 'freedom'. If we are doing this right now, then I fear for what will be considered permissible in the years to come.
