He said…

By Dylan Snow, Staff Writer 

The idea of “pro-life” vs. “pro-choice” is not an issue about who supports the “sanctity of life;” it is an issue about who should make decisions about other people’s bodies.

The government should not interfere in its citizens’ actions, unless it is a direct threat to the safety of the public. The government should not be forcing women to have babies. It is a woman’s choice whether or not they choose to have a baby, and the government does not have the right to make that decision for them.

Not only is the right to choose a “fundamental human right” according to the Supreme Court, but banning abortion would lead to over $225 million more in government expenses, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, because of the necessity to provide financial assistance to women who need it to raise a child. Furthermore, a women’s risk of death during childbirth is higher than having an abortion. A 2012 study in Obstetrics & Gynecology found that the average mortality rate for women having an abortion is less than 1 (.6 to be precise) woman in 100,000. On the other hand, the average mortality rate of giving birth is 8.8 out of 100,000 women dying from childbirth, meaning that women are 14 times more likely to die giving birth than having an abortion.

In conclusion, I believe that the rights and safety of a woman are fundamental and cannot be taken by the government. The government cannot force a woman to make health choices that could lead to her death or poverty. No one has the right to force their morality on others, after all, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” It is up to the individual to decide what they do with their bodies and their lives; that is why I am pro-choice.

She said…

By Ava Walker, Staff Writer

Abortion is defined by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as “the termination of a pregnancy after, accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of the embryo or fetus.” Bottom line, abortion is murder. Taking a life away is never the moral or ethical thing to do, no matter what the circumstance may be. When a woman is pregnant, that child is classified as a living organism. Abortion is simply the extermination of this being for no reason other than the inconvenience or unexpectancy of the child. As a woman, abortion takes away one of the most precious aspects of life, motherhood. It delays the ability to have children, and in some cases, the aborted baby is a woman’s last opportunity to get pregnant. The child will also never get the chance to experience the world. Its life is ended before it even had the opportunity to begin. A baby that was aborted might have been the next president or grown up to cure cancer.

Life is created for a purpose, and each and every person deserves the chance to experience life to the fullest. Regardless of the situation with the mother and father, the conceived child should never be denied the opportunity to enter the world. The parents are responsible for bringing the child into the world. Depending on circumstances, some people think abortion is justified, but abortion is murder. They argue that since the baby has not been born, it is not a problem. However, they are extremely wrong because 18 days from conception, the baby’s heart begins to beat ( Pro-Life Across America). Even if motherhood is not what a pregnant woman wants to take on, there are about 1.5 million American families wanting to adopt a child.

In conclusion, Norma McCorvey, whose case made abortions legal in the U.S., said that being a part of the legalizing decision “was the biggest mistake of my life.” She began attending pro-life marches and speaking out against having abortions. I believe that every person deserves respect, from the womb to the tomb. Every human life has dignity and value. Life is life no matter how small.