Just to limit the discussion, I am writing here from an Ivory Tower. I am dealing with ideals here--the world of our visions and dreams. I do have my head in the clouds.
Let me start by saying that abortion is murder. It's the premeditated termination of another life. The real question about abortion is whether this is one murder we'll allow: just like capital punishment or euthanasia.
If you don't think that abortion is murder, I suggest that we call it as we see it. There is this argument that says before 14 weeks a fetus is not yet human. It does have a point, if we don't believe in causality and medical science. If you believe your gynecologist in matters of pre-natal care, then that blob of cells from the union of a sperm and ovum will become a human. If not, why do people even care about pregnancy? One can argue that this blob of cell is not human--well not yet anyway. The hilarious discrepancy here is that one can create a lot of fuss for an expected pregnancy but be cold-hearted towards an unwanted one.
If you want to be indirect yet factual, what you're killing is potential. You're not killing an infant, just the possibility of those cells becoming one. I like this argument since it is apologetic. It's just like leaving someone atop of Mt. Everest with limited oxygen. You're not killing the person outright; you're just limiting that person's potential for survival. Like telling someone to face a firing squad and evade all the bullets. It may not be murder, but it practically is. Do we really need to point a gun at the fetal skull and pull the trigger to call it murder?
Well, should we allow abortion? There are medical and economic reasons saying why we should. As what the news said, unregulated abortion has been killing women left and right. In terms of economics, if parents can't give a decent quality of life, it might be better for all parties to chuck the kid out. In a larger sense, abortion can reduce overpopulation. These are strong practical reasons for supporting the legalization of abortion.
But are these enough to end a life? This might be an unfair question, but it's a question that needs to be answered. It would be hard to give life a specified value since it would be demeaning-life is supposed to be invaluable. But for abortion to be allowed, you have to play god and decide who should live and who should die.
I mentioned to someone before, the only way that abortion can be banned is if we all have a strong sense of social justice and responsibility. Abortion being an option implies that we all have become meaner and apathetic as a people. I'd say we've lost the Bayanihan spirit or the communal feeling. I believe that we were a kinder people before, but somehow we have lost that charity and feeling of community as the changes (or hardships) of time went on. I may be speaking in nostalgia, but I do think that people were more genteel, generous, and noble back then. This may be just a delusion of mine, but I would like to believe that this is true. This makes me think that the problem of abortion is one of cultural values rather than that of practical and health matters.
How does this relate to abortion? Abortion exists as an option because we like to give people stigma, because we don't take responsibility for our actions, because we've become less forgiving, because we are uncharitable, because we don't think before we act, because we are weak and petty, because we forgot how to be nice in general, because we don't stick to what is right, and because we've forgotten how we were when we were children. It's a cultural thing, I tell you.
Now, here's also this question: Is it really fair to let the child/fetus/blob of cells pay for it all? Is it alright to get away with murder so that we could just get on with our lives? Is it alright for us to just wash the blood off our hands in exchange of practicality? It is a sentimental argument, but how should we answer it? Killing a potential may be just an abstract action, but aren't we just kidding ourselves? If we didn't believe in the almost sure reality of that potential, then we shouldn't be as expectant with any pregnancy at all.
What I would like to say is do you remember when as a kid you hated it when the adults did things which we thought was weird and was just plain wrong? I'm not referring to not letting you stay up late or not having more allowance. I'm pointing to the disgust and bewilderment that we felt whenever we saw our parents doing something they shouldn't be doing or saw the world acting contrary to what was taught to us. Haven't we somehow, at one point or another, vowed not to be like that when we grew up? Didn't we all make some form of resolution that we'll be better when we grew up? Weren't we all like the Little Prince before--innocent and good-hearted?
In this here abortion, have we done that? Have we become adults ourselves? Have we forgotten our ideals? Have we forgotten how to be kind? One can say that kindness cannot feed the world or stop overpopulation. This might be true, but kindness hasn't killed anyone either (I'm not referring to euthanasia, mind you).
When does life exactly begin is indeed a highly debatable question. But I agree: who are we kidding if we ask that question and kill that which we consider a "mere" potential of an organism to live? I therefore go for discipline and--should one lose it--assumption of responsibility.
ReplyDeleteHowever, some women's rights advocates say abortion should be allowed for women who conceive as a result of sexual abuse within and outside of marriage. They say such women didn't choose to get pregnant and should have right to end a pregnancy, especially if they're not in a very agreeable situation.
What do you think of this?
That is certainly a difficult position to reconcile. That is a case where the ideal and the real would clash. Honestly, I can't say that they would have no right to end the pregnancy, but I can't say that it would be ideally right either.
ReplyDeleteThe main drive in this post is that if we want to be consistent with our ideals, then abortion is something that should be disallowed as a conclusion. Do we live in an ideal world? Of course not. But that's why we have ideals in the first place. I guess we also have to ask ourselves whether abortion is the only solution. Is that the best solution?
I said to someone else that for this situation (sexual abuse) it requires quite a big heart to avoid the abortion option. Not just for the woman, but for everyone as well. That is some tall ideal to realize--but is it impossible?
Yeah, it does take strength and a huge heart to continue such a pregnancy and keep the kid (or put it up for adoption if the woman still can't accept it). But then, there's also the financial aspect to consider to back up such decision. That's a gray area for me.
ReplyDeleteI heard that in some state(s) in the US, it's legal to "flush out" ("abort" can't be the operative term yet, I think) the sperm and egg cells that would otherwise be fertilized after about 48 hours(?) after a rape incident. Haven't checked if there's any truth to that, but it's quite some law if it does exist. Would probably make a good option for sexually abused women, too.
I wouldn't consider that possible case in the US as abortion. I would say that would still count as contraception just beating the deadline : )
ReplyDeleteBut speaking about here in this country that we love (to hate, or otherwise), abortion would make things a lot easier (or better) for everyone in a practical sense. Women's health, overpopulation, the economy, all these would benefit positively in the short run. But I do honestly feel that abortion is sweeping things under the rug. We're not looking at the roots. And this is not just about sex education. I think it's more of a cultural problem and what we value as a nation and as a people. I still think that if we value a life then we should value all--otherwise, the idea that life is invaluable would be just rhetoric.
But I do admit without any practical effects, even ideals are just rhetoric. But who is it that should act on ideals? I would think it's the people. I believe it would all start with the strong belief that there's something we can't compromise. If there's a will, there's a way.