According to Merriam Webster, abortion is "the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus." Sounds very technical, but what is interesting is that this definition used the word "death." I looked at a few other sources for definitions, like Dictionary.com, that didn't use the word "death." I have a Webster's pocket dictionary that defines it as the "deliberate expulsion of a fetus." I point this out because this is the big disagreement on abortion, is it taking a life or not?

I am not a doctor, so I will not pretend that I know or understand everything about biology or medicine. Personally, I would like to hear more doctors and biologists talk about abortion rather than just social figures. Instead, I will just share what I have heard from various sources, both online and from people. This is how my views evolved over time.

When I first heard about abortion, it was in 2004 when my parents told me about presidential candidate John Kerry promoting abortion. My brother told me it was "killing babies." That was the only time I heard about it as a child. As I got older, I started paying more attention to the news and learned about the abortion debate. I will admit, I used to think "pro-choice individuals are crazy because they want to kill babies." My parents never told me to think that, it was just something that my young mind had concluded. But when I finally got to hear pro-choice individuals explain their position, I realized that they weren't monsters. I realized they just embraced a position that they felt strongly about. I realized that people on both sides of the debate are human, even ones I disagree with.

First, I wondered if science settled the question of abortion. As much as science is supposed to be objective, it is still influenced by biases and personal beliefs. I have heard doctors from both sides make their case. Pro-choice says it is a blob of tissue and not a human being. While pro-life points out that it is a human being, you can see it. This made the debate more confusing for me, how do I know who is telling the truth? But then, I watched a video with a former obstetrician-gynecologist who performed 1200 abortions that became pro-life (a warning, the video does go into graphic detail). You can also look up stories from other pro-choice individuals that became pro-life. In fact, the woman who claimed abortion was her right in Roe v. Wade became pro-life. Why are these people becoming pro-life, rather than pro-choice? Also, I have seen photos of a fetus. Depending on how long it has been in the womb, it is odd that it has been described as a blob of tissue when one can see a head, arms, and legs.

The science itself didn't answer the question for me. This is not bashing science, but science alone cannot answer all questions. Therefore, I had to analyze the issue in a different way. I began to evaluate the ethos (or ethical) side of the individuals. I am mainly talking about public or well-known figures, not average people. I am just being honest, but I see extreme hostility and deceitfulness from pro-choice speakers towards those who are pro-life. Yes, I know there are hostile pro-life individuals, but they are typically not doctors, politicians, or corporate vice presidents. For instance, former president Cecile Richards and other Planned Parenthood spokespeople said that their company did not profit off of abortion and that they provided other medical services. I would take their word for it if it weren't for the undercover videos from the Center for Medical Progress that showed Planned Parenthood was selling fetal tissue. I also found that Planned Parenthood's claim that abortion only accounts for 3% of their services is strongly misleading.

I will go further and provide examples within my own state of Pennsylvania. Back in 2017, an assistant high school principal harassed two pro-life teens in Downington, PA. Compare the conduct of the teens to the principal when you watch it. I remember watching it and being shocked at how someone would be so hostile to another person's freedom of speech. Another very recent example was when Pennsylvania state representative Brian Sims confronted pro-life individuals outside of a Planned Parenthood clinic. Again, compare the conduct of the pro-choice person to the pro-life people. There are plenty of other examples in the country of this attitude, just look it up on Google or YouTube.

Witnessing these stories led me to another question, why is there more hostility from the pro-choice crowd rather than the pro-life crowd today? I am not saying all pro-choice people are hostile, but it is something that sticks out to me. Hostility does not strengthen or prove your position. Who are you more likely to believe and trust? A bully and an angry person or a respectful, well-spoken individual?

In my next article, I will dive into the moral area of abortion and its effects on society. Again, if you have stuck with me, thank you for being open-minded and hearing what I have to say.