Abstract This paper examines the often violent and coercive tactics of anti-abortion movements, looks at some of the more famous anti-abortion leaders, explores the motivations of these leaders and the movements that follow them, and discusses the perception by many that the anti-abortion movement is just one part of a broader, more conservative, anti-feminist, political agenda.
From the Paper "Both the pro-life and anti-abortion movements are motivated by one concept: that human personhood begins at conception. To these groups an embryo and a fetus are all human persons who should be granted the same rights, privileges and protections as a child or adult (Violence & harassment at U.S. abortion clinics). Operation Rescue is an anti-abortion organization that states that it is dedicated to the protection of children in the womb and their mothers who are exploited by abortion. The group declares that "We work in every way we can to manifest the truth of God concerning abortion" (Operation Rescue Colorado). Unfortunately, "every way we can" includes violence, murder and the misuse of religion to inspire what any moral individual could only interpret as unholy acts."
Abstract The following paper discusses why anti-abortion campaigns must be halted by providing the reader with media references and statistics with regards to the anti-abortion population. This paper discusses what must be done in order to put the pro-choice laws, that have already been enforced, into practice by a well-briefed, well-trained state system.
From the Paper ?Only a small, militant section of the population is actively anti-abortion.
They believe that abortion kills a living human baby in a painful way. For example, a pro-life website, ironically called The Pro-choice Homepage, describes abortion this way: ?forceps must be used to grasp the baby's body because of the child's advanced development. The baby is dismembered as the abortionist twists and tears the parts of the body and slices the placenta away... the procedure is devastating...?
Abstract This paper explores whether policy endogeneity partially explains the negative relationship generally reported between parental involvement laws and abortion rates, since parental involvement laws are found to be negatively related to both teen and adult abortion rates. Since parental involvement laws may be more likely to be passed in jurisdictions with a higher level of anti-abortion sentiment, both the laws and anti-abortion sentiment may be responsible for lower abortion rates. To explore this possible interrelatedness, a religiosity-level variable was used as a proxy for anti-abortion sentiment, since anti-abortion sentiment might affect abortion rates directly and indirectly through the greater likelihood of the enactment of parental involvement laws.
From the Paper "The relationship of parental involvement laws and religiosity level to abortion rates was analyzed for teens and adults; regressions were estimated for four age groups: 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, and 30-34 years old. Residence county-level 1995 abortion rates were regressed against parental involvement laws and religiosity levels as well as several control county-level variables--restrictive public funding, unemployment rate, population density, percent of college graduates, extent of poverty, percent of married-couple families, and geographic region. The sample consisted of the 1,008 counties from the 17 states that reported abortion numbers by county and by age group."
Tags:abortion, involvement, laws, parental, rates, research, study
This paper discusses the Supreme Court case, "Planned Parenthood v. Casey" (1992), which upheld the rights of women to have an abortion as guaranteed by "Roe vs. Wade".
Abstract This paper explains the events leading to "Planned Parenthood vs. Casey": the State of Pennsylvania amended its Abortion Control Act to require women seeking abortion to 1) give "informed consent" and the doctors to provide information about the health risks of having the abortion prior to the abortion; 2) a "spousal notification"; 3) "parental notification" from parents of minors; and 4) a 24-hour waiting period before obtaining an abortion. The author points out that "Roe vs. Wade." one of the most controversial rulings in the history of U.S. Supreme Court, which generated heated criticism from anti-abortion groups and gave rise to a pro-life movement, predated "Planned Parenthood vs. Casey". The paper concludes that "Casey" is still relevant because the present U.S. administration is clearly in favor of making abortion illegal, the Congress is dominated by Republicans, and there is a possibility of replacement of more than one Justice on the Court during the second Bush term, who most likely will be anti-abortion.
Table of Contents
Background of the Casey Supreme Court
William Rehnquist
Harry Blackmun
Sandra O'Connor
Anthony Kennedy
John Stevens
Antonin Scalia
Byron White
David Souter
Clarence Thomas
Important Pre-Casey Cases
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Doe v. Bolton (1973)
Harris v. MCrae
Webster vs. Reproductive Health Services (1989)
Historical, Social and Legal Background of Casey
Arguments from both Sides
Essentials of the Plurality Decision
Contemporary Reaction to the Case
Legal Reaction to the Case
Historical Impact
Current Relevance
From the Paper "Several states enacted laws limiting the right of abortion, including laws requiring parental and spousal consent, restricting abortions in clinics, and laws barring state funding for abortions. The Hyde Amendment was passed by the US Congress banning state funds for abortions. In a long series of cases from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s, the Supreme Court consistently struck down several state restrictions on abortions, but upheld restrictions on funding."
Abstract This paper examines the individual arguments put forth by those opposed to abortion and counters each of these arguments by pointing out the lack of rationale in the moral arguments of the anti-abortionists, as well as the erroneous nature of their constitutional arguments.
From the Paper "The debate over abortion has continued since the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision of 30 years ago that made abortion legal in the U.S. Each side, pro-life and pro-choice, believes it has the definitive argument regarding the issue. Whether one side or the other has the moral high ground, however, one thing is certain; women had been having abortions for centuries before Roe v. Wade. Before Roe v. Wade, the human toll was immense: "It is estimated that before 1973, 1.2 million women resorted to illegal abortion yearly and that botched illegal abortions caused as many as 5,000 deaths a year" according to National Abortion Rights Action League statistics (Quoted by Feminist.org Web site)."
Abstract The paper begins by defining the anti-abortion position on abortion and then gives the statistics on the position of many countries regarding this issue. The pro-choice lobby is also cited and their views discussed. The body of the paper is based on the views on abortion in four countries: Brazil, China, France, and The United States. Each country has very different positions and laws regarding abortion and all are discussed in-depth. The paper concludes that each person must have a position on abortion. If abortion is wrong, then both mother and baby should be protected, unless it can be shown that one's life might be lost if the pregnancy were allowed to continue. If abortion is acceptable then the mother must be protected and society must understand that there is only one human in this equation.
From the Paper "There are many people today who believe that abortion is wrong and bad. They recognize that medical science has long since proven conclusively that human life begins at fertilization. Accordingly, they cannot and do not deny that abortion is killing. Further, most also believe abortion is against God's will. But there different peoples and theirs different points of view, even countries have own position on this problem: 39% of the world's women live under restrictive abortion laws: 25% in parts of the world where abortion is permitted only to save a woman's life or is prohibited altogether, 10% where abortion is allowed only when it is necessary to protect a woman's physical health or her life, and 4% in places where abortion is permitted only for these reasons or to protect a woman's mental health."
Tags:abortion, antopology, brazil, france, human, sexuality, usa, cultural, socioeconomic, differences, contraceptive, clandestine
Abstract This paper comments upon Judith Jarvis Thomson's views on abortion in her article "A Defense of Abortion". The paper analyzes Thomson's arguments and beliefs about a woman's right to have an abortion, including her belief that abortion should be safe, legal, albeit rare. The paper concludes that Thomson's cautious and meticulous position is not unreasonable.
From the Paper "To Thomson, this leads to a logical dilemma. If the pregnancy will kill the mother, why is it wrong to deny an abortion at the cost of the mother's life? She rejects the notion that killing the fetus (direct killing) is fundamentally different from allowing the mother to die. (190) Thomson reasons that if the woman managed to cause an abortion, she would not be charged with murder. She has a right to defend her life, even against the fetus in her womb. (189-91) From this, she reasons that if the woman unplugged the violinist, causing his death, she would not commit murder. If this is so, then to refuse to grant the rape victim the right to terminate a pregnancy is to refuse to grant her "that very status of person which is so firmly insisted on for the fetus.""
Abstract This paper provides a brief discussion of the history of abortion and then takes a look at the secular and religious arguments that both those who oppose abortion and those who favor the right to choose abortion. The paper also discusses the landmark case 'Roe v. Wade' and its moral and legal implications.
From the Paper "The termination of unwanted pregnancy through abortion practices likely predates recorded human history. Ancient societal records reveal myriad practical and ritualistic methods for inducing abortion through all manner of drug-like agents and physical manipulation (or external battery) of the gestating fetus. By the end of the Industrial Revolution, the technological capabilities of modern medicine and the development of anesthesia sparked a considerable increase in demand for medical intervention in response to unwanted pregnancy."
Abstract This paper argues that abortion is essentially legalized murder and it should be outlawed and prohibited under any circumstances. The essay discusses the practice of partial-birth abortion and argues that abortion violates the human rights of a fetus.
From the Paper "Many pro-choice supporters are moderates that feel abortion should be committed only under circumstances in which the mother was raped, or the mother is in danger. But, abortion under any circumstances still involves the termination of life, and humans should not play God in circumstances that are hard to classify and define from a moral or ethical standpoint (Skeffington). It is not up to humans to decide what circumstances constitute life and what circumstances constitute death. A child, once it has been conceived, has a right to be born and live out a life just like the rest of us."
Abstract The writer of this paper argues that the core of the moral question regarding abortion is "personhood," not biological human life as such. The writer discusses that the stages of fetal development can therefore be taken into account in formulating the ethics and law of abortion. The writer also looks at the anti-abortion position.
From the Paper "'Fetal Development' and 'Abortion Abortion' say anti-abortion activists or pro-life activists, as they prefer to be called, is murder. The anti-abortion position applies this not only to fetuses nearing full term and just about to be born into the world, but to embryos that have just been fertilized and that as of yet have no heart, lungs, nervous system or brain. The argument will be made below that the fundamental, legal and ethical question with respect to abortion is one of personhood. Personhood is ... "
Abstract This paper attempts to provide both a factual background of the history of abortion in America and the reason that the topic of abortion has had such a dramatic influence on American history and politics, while minimizing the effects of personal bias on the topic.
From the Paper "In early America, only white men could vote and women were considered the legal property of their husbands. While women's rights were largely unprotected during those times, the issue of abortion was not yet controversial. There seem to be a variety of reasons for that. The first reason is that women were in charge of taking care of pregnancy. Women sought out midwives, rather than doctors, for the diagnosis and treatment of pregnancy. There is little information about the historical numbers of early abortions, but there is anecdotal evidence that midwives did help some women terminate their pregnancies. "At common law, abortion performed before 'quickening' - the first recognizable movement of the fetus in utero, appearing usually from the 16th to the 18th week of pregnancy was not an indictable offense" (Roe v. Wade, 132). In fact, abortion remained legal throughout most of the United States until approximately the 1820s. Even when abortion was considered illegal, the fact that pregnancy could not be verified until a doctor could hear a fetal heartbeat allowed many women to get abortions under the guise of having a doctor bring on their period."
Abstract This paper focuses on the political aspects surrounding contraception and abortion in the 19th century. The author of this paper discusses the Comstock law which referred to the legislation introduced and passed by Anthony Comstock in 1870 that prohibited the mailing of birth control information and products. This paper also examines the foundation and impact of the anti-abortion movement in the United States.
From the Paper "Beginning in the 1830s, Brodie found reproductive control became a commercial enterprise in the expanding market economy of Jacksonian America. Information about the safety, morality, and effectiveness of various methods became a part of public "discourse." The archives contain a wealth of advice published in books and pamphlets, an extraordinary diversity of advertisements for products, drugs and literature, of business and credit-rating records dealing with reproductive control entrepreneurs, of druggists' records and catalogs."
Abstract This paper makes the case against abortion. It argues that abortion is wrong because it is wrong to kill a human being and regards a fetus as being alive from the moment of conception. This argument is backed up by essays by Don Marquis, Larry Bohannon, and the "Intellectual Viewpoint".
Abstract Almost three decades after the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade case legalizing abortion in America, the issue remains the greatest moral flashpoint facing America today. This paper examines the underlying ethical arguments of both sides of the abortion debate, using Ronald Dworkin's "sanctity of life" principles. By ?abortion,? this paper includes all forms of abortion, from early fetal abortion through the RU46 drug to late-term abortions, from abortions out of "convenience" to abortions in cases of rape and incest. It evaluates how the anti-abortion crusade has framed their campaign on the personhood and the rights of the fetus. The second part looks at the pro-abortion movement, which has framed their issue as a campaign for women's reproductive rights. Finally, the paper examines the approach of a minority of women, activists from both camps who are working to bridge the gap between pro- and anti-abortion factions.
By presenting both sides, this paper argues that because of current societal structures that make unwanted pregnancy more likely to happen and its consequences more difficult to assume, abortion must remain an option, a ?necessary evil.? Both pro- and anti-abortion factions, however, must work towards their common ground ? a society where abortions are no longer necessary.
From the Paper "Despite the legality of abortion and its importance to women's rights, anti-abortion activists have successfully curtailed several pro-choice gains. More important, the "pro-life" camp's appeals to a higher moral law have successfully placed pro-choice advocates on the defensive.
However, pro-choice advocates also frame their stand on morality. Forcing a woman to continue and unwelcome pregnancy is ultimately harmful to the mother and the child. The creation of unwanted and uncared-for children has a two-fold effect of limiting a woman's potential for both the present and future motherhood. As Roiphe states, becoming a mother is a crucial choice and its imposition makes women into "slaves of their biology" (142)."
Tags: fetus, bible, christian, feminists, morality, birth, control
Abstract This paper examines the underlying ethical arguments of both sides of the abortion debate, using Ronald Dworkin's "sanctity of life" principles. In this article, the writer includes all forms of abortion, from early fetal abortion through the RU46 drug to late-term abortions, from abortions out of "convenience" to abortions in cases of rape and incest. The essay evaluates how the anti-abortion crusade has framed its campaign on the personhood and the rights of the unborn fetus. The second part looks at the pro-abortion movement, which has framed its issue as a campaign for women's rights to privacy and reproductive freedom. The writer concludes that both pro- and anti-abortion factions have a common interest in seeing a society with no abortion, where the stigma and economic concerns attached to unwanted pregnancies no longer apply.
Outline:
Abortion and Ethics
Anti-Abortion Arguments
Pro-Abortion Arguments
Works Cited
From the Paper "All these scientific arguments about fetal heart rates and brainwaves serve to tie abortion to a greater and more clear-cut moral issue - murder. At issue is what Ronald Dworkin terms people's belief in "the sanctity of life," a multidimensional value measured in several factors. First, life itself has an instrumental value, because everyone's life can contribute to the interests and well being of society as a whole. Second, life has a personal value, a good or personal worth to the living individual. Finally, beyond the instrumental and personal, life also has an intrinsic value. This intrinsic value exists independently of other people's valuation, regardless of the beliefs of its possessor or other observers."
"By proving that a fetus has a heartbeat, distinct DNA and brainwaves, through graphic films showing how a fetus reacts to shock and pain, the anti-abortion camp is focusing on what Dworkin identifies as the intrinsic value of life."
