LHIA: Human Life I (Abortion)

Along with the concept of God, I’ve always struggled with this issue, but both of those issues walk down the same road (mind you, once you acknowledge God, everything walks down the same road with religion–this feels rather limiting). So this would be the first time I’ve ever bothered to write down and extract some sort of position about this particular subject. I must admit that it’s been a very tough process–mostly because of how delicate a subject it is and how easily people can be offended while discussing it. Despite my long, drawn-out reflections about abortion, there have been several things I’ve long been adamant about:

• We can never define a point of consciousness because I’m sure there are many layers to the development of such a complex feature.

• You are officially insane to not acknowledge that an embryo is a human.

• It is appropriate to quiver to the terms “pro-life” “pro-choice” “pro-abortion” “pro-death.” So misleading.

• I’m disturbed when someone calls the embryo “just a mass of cells.” Right, as though it is equivalent to the skin on your arm. Oi.

Now for story time. A necessary story to tell? Not really, although it does put this whole issue into perspective for me.

Before my birth, my mother had experiences several miscarriages (spontaneous abortions) and she always felt great emotional distress through each one. Recently, on a trip to the hospital to visit a family friend, I asked her about her experiences during those miscarriages. She described to me a story about her having to check into the hospital so that doctors could monitor her in the case that another problem arises with the pregnancy. During a moment of illness, my mom headed to the hospital bathroom and in an unfortunate event, the fetus that was once living within her had slipped out and into the toilet. Nurses rushed in, pulled it out and allowed her to hold the lifeless body. Although not fully developed (and really, who is, even post-birth?), it’s fingers were distinguishable. I think it is the witness of human features that promotes our connection to a preborn; even if it is only a few weeks old, there is this strong desire that we are doing something terrible by tampering with it’s development. Needless to say, this was a traumatic experience by description alone.

I don’t believe that those who induce an abortion aren’t also psychologically traumatized by such an incident. It should not be associated with an everyday outing.

Jack: Hey, Jill! Just wondering if you want to do anything tomorrow.

Jill: Yeah, I’d love to!

Jack: When do you want to meet up?

Jill: Well, I have a dentist appointment at 10am, then I’ve got to go shopping for my mom’s birthday, then at about 1:30 I’ve got to abort the parasite that’s living inside of me, then after that whole jazz I’m going to pick up some booze for the party tomorrow—but after that we should go to the movies!

I’m pretty sure only a fraction of a percent of people (lunatics, really) have that mentality. Now, I don’t have the statistics on that, but…

I don’t believe everyone among us is heartless and willing to use abortion as a contraceptive. I do believe that in the time that this underdeveloped, unviable child is within a woman, she should have the right to dictate what is best for her. Later stages of development remove this right because of the very real possibility that the fetus is highly perceptive, viable, and as a result more entitled to the status of ‘person.’ This is what many ‘pro-lifers’ are missing. Many are unable to detach themselves from a mere idea that this being is entitled to rights simply because it is labelled a human. This is tough for some to understand. Most of the conceptions of what an embryo/fetus is stems from labels. It’s a human so it must attain equivalent rights to an adult human. But this is perhaps a whole other issue.

For now, I will say that I do believe providing women the opportunity to rectify mistakes or choose their fate is far safer for themselves, as well as the unborn, than restricting it. Nobody really vehemently supports abortions (well some do, but again..the crazies), but the point is providing options. Those who are against the option would find themselves in a far more advancing situation if they actually educated young women on why they don’t need to abort, why there are other opportunities, and in the least educate them about the mental/physical reprucussions they will probably endure by carrying out the act. I almost see opposition against this choice as a lost cause, though I can surely respect why people will stand that position.
(Continued tomorrow with Human Life II)