Okay, so my mom noticed me sitting with nothing to do this morning and was like, "You look bored. Quick! I have a fifteen minute assignment for you! Write a three page paper on a controversial topic!"
Okay mom.
And the truth is I'm not even sure if this is an essay. I asked her what form she wanted me to write it in, and she basically said, "Just tell me your stance on the subject."
Okay, thanks for the help. 2 of my 15 minutes are gone.
So yeah. It's not really an essay. And I think that I took my personal issues out on this piece, and I got something really weird in return, so I apologize in advance if it offends anyone.
Also note that this was written in fifteen minutes, so go easy on me. It is definitely not perfect. And this was not written to start any kind of debate so leave that stuff out of the comments please? If you disagree with something I said, then explain it calmly and tell me why you disagree so that I can understand. Any rude comment/review will be ignored.
Abortion is the spontaneous ending of a pregnancy. When is occurs naturally it is commonly known as a miscarriage, but only when it is purposefully induced is it called an abortion. Over 200 million pregnancies occur annually worldwide. A third of these are unintended. And one fifth of those unintended conceptions end in termination of the child. Once all the numbers are run, it can be concluded that an average of about 13,666,666 children die every year before they even take their first breath.
Abortion is wrong by any standard. Or at the very least, it should be considered so. The sad thing is that it isn't. Woman have used various reasons to justify their actions, but the truth is that nothing they can say will excuse what they have done. And the majority of their reasons are so petty that it's enough to drive a person mad.
“I'm in college and I need to focus on my studies.”
“The father offered no support.”
“I have to make time for my existing children.”
“It's just not a part of my life-plan right now.”
“We're having relationship problems right now, it wouldn't be a good time.”
“I'm to young/not ready to have a baby!”
If it is going to disrupt their lives that much, then why can they not give the child up for adoption to people who deserve, want, and yet, can't have a baby. It's sickening to think about all the people in the world who can't conceive but want children, and then comparing them to the women who go out and kill the baby once they get an appointment.
Because that is what abortion is. It's murder. It's death. People use uncaring medical terms like procedure, fetus, and termination to make themselves feel better. They say that the child isn't fully formed, that it isn't yet a person, when that statement couldn't be farther from the truth. But enough people believe in this that the Supreme Court ruled in the Roe vs Wade case that a woman's decision on whether or not to terminate her pregnancy fell under her Ninth Amendment rights.
This decision would forever change the United States. Before the ruling, the abortion decision was left to the discretion of the state legislators to develop laws as they saw fit (ex: Texas allowed for abortions in the case of rape). It was legal in only 20 states, all with strict laws as to how it could be preformed. It was not like it is now where you can get an abortion at almost any medical facility.
The government was wrong when it made that decision in 1973. It is wrong every time that it allows an abortion to take place. Thanks to that choice, the blood of innocents covers the hands of mothers and medical personal everywhere.
And those people are something to be pitied. Maybe the mother made a mistake, maybe getting pregnant wasn't her fault or on her agenda or life plan, but having to resort to murder to “fix” the problem is rather pathetic. As long as you turn it over to God and let him have control of the situation, everything will be okay. Unfortunately, not enough people have a strong enough belief in God to do this. But one can know what goes through their heads, what they are thinking when they make that choice that kills someone. And then comes the after. The living with themselves and the choice that they have made. It is still unclear how they do it.
Christians need to pray for those who chose to have abortions, and more importantly, for those how preform them. Yes, while the woman makes that choice that ends the life, they are not the ones doing the actual killing. Those people need a whole lot of prayer.
People argue that it's the right of the mother to decide what to do with her body during pregnancy. But they never consider the right of the child who just so happens to be a part of that body. Just because the child can't speak for itself and isn't yet fully formed, doesn’t mean that it isn't a person. It has been argued that unless the baby is viable (able to live outside the womb on it's own) then it is not technically a person.
If cutting off your left arm became legal, do you think that people would rush to sign the papers? They wouldn't, because it's a stupid choice. The only difference between voluntary amputation and abortion is that in abortion, you are killing someone.
Abortion is both morally and biblically wrong. Sadly, not everyone has such standards to hold themselves to. If more people were Christians or exposed to Christianity, there would be more understanding of exactly what is happening, and by extension, less of it happening.
Roe vs Wade was a choice that rocked the nation, and we still haven't recovered. If the government doesn't reverse it's decision soon there can only be more bloodshed on the horizon.
So what can the government do to fix the mistakes that they have made? They can start by reversing the choice made in Roe vs Wade. Congress and all the state legislators need to cancel all outgoing government funds that in some way shape or form supports abortion and funnel the money to programs who can use it for far more good than it could ever have been used before. Just because it hasn't been outlawed doesn't mean that the tax dollars of those who oppose it have to fund it.
An amendment to the Constitution needs to be made that guarantees the rights of all people from the moment that they are conceived, regardless of what certain individuals may or may not believe. And once abortion is finally made illegal, there must be programs set in place that will take care of the many expectant mothers, their children, and the hoards of adoptive parents. And these really shouldn't be government programs either. Private organizations and local communities need to take care of their citizens.
Thankfully, the nation is very slowly moving in the right direction. The Bush Administration signed a law that banned partial-birth abortions (abortions where part of the baby is delivered and then put to death by the abortionist). The law was ruled unconstitutional, and was never enforced, but this is one of the first steps made towards the end goal: making abortions illegal once and for all. South Dakota took a big step in this direction when they enacted a ban on nearly all abortions in their state. This ban was said to be meant to be a direct challenge to Roe vs Wade, and several states followed in their footsteps. It hasn't succeeded yet, however.
If only Americans understood exactly what baby goes through during an abortion. But this can't be possible, because there are so few survivors and those that do survive were babies when they went through that hell. We need to realize that while it is true that woman abuse their rights through having abortions, the abortion industry has abused the women in making them think that what they are doing is okay and has no repercussions. Hopefully there is enough compassion left within the hearts of the American people that we can gain a new appreciation of the lives God give to us.
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139,486 Literary Works • 672,577 Reviews
Abortion Pros:
-Sometimes life can be really harsh on us. There are times when abortion may appear as the only option for the betterment. Although a mother may have a hard time opting for this option, she may eventually consider this soul-killing decision, keeping in mind all the pros and cons of this decision.
-At the end of the day, a mother has to go through the actual labor pain and other issues involved with parenting and juggling responsibilities. Others can’t precisely gauge or understand the level of trauma that a woman may be experiencing in her personal life. She is the only person who knows best, if she would be able to take care of the unplanned child or not. We all know that it’s merely impossible to raise a child without family support and finance in hand. To a great extent, the life of the baby depends upon the mother’s health.
-In some cases, medical emergencies compel a woman to resort to this action. There is a possibility that her own life might be at risk, if she delivers the child.
-Some of the rape victims can be minors. They wouldn’t be mentally or physically prepared to take care of the newborn baby. Why should such victims go through the ordeal of bearing a child, which is a product of some unfortunate incident of their life?
-Technologies have enabled disease detection amongst unborn babies. Giving life to an unhealthy baby and watching it suffer all day and night can be highly jeopardizing for the family as well as the newborn child.
-Can a woman be forced to produce a life? Giving life to an unwanted child might invite world of troubles for both mother and the child. So, are we being fair to the child?
Whether you agree or not, abortion will always play an active role in our society. In the US itself, more than 4000 cases of abortion are reported on daily basis. While for one, abortion can be a highly miserable experience, to the other, having a forced child can be a highly miserable experience. It’s impossible to go by a rule book, when it comes to dealing with an issue, where human lives are at stake. At the end of the day, a mother has every right to decide the next move of her life!
Since this asks my opinion, here goes nothing.
Everyone deserves the right to have the choice of a safe and legal abortion of their own decision.
Absolutely every woman should have the choice.
Banning abortion does nothing but increase the number of shady abortions done in unhygienic and unsafe environments.
An abortion is a difficult choice for every woman - there is a potential human inside of her and they recognize this. However, there are just conditions where it would be better for everyone involved for the abortion to happen.
Cases where abortion is often preferable:
1. A teen girl who is unprepared to take care of a child.
2. Any woman who does not have the financial abilities to take care of a child.
3. A pregnancy resulting from rape.
4. A woman who is physically unable to carry a child to term without causing physical hurting herself (beyond what normally happens from pregnancy).
5. A fetus that is discovered to have a severe defect that will impede the quality of life.
Every woman is different. Every pregnancy is different. Every woman has her reasons for an abortion.
No woman makes the decision lightly. No woman will end a potential life without good reason.
Having an abortion isn’t shameful. Every woman’s choice should be respected, no matter what choice she makes.
I do believe that a woman should go through a therapy session at least 24 hours before the abortion takes place, just to make certain that this is HER choice and what SHE believes is best.
This is probably one of the BEST persuasive essays I've seen. This targeted a subject that some people don't want to talk about, and that's one of the reasons I absolutely love this essay. I don't believe abortions are right. If you don't want to have a baby, then don't do certain things and end up getting pregnant (unless of course, it's rape, then you really can't be blamed). I am a Christian and I honestly believe abortion is the equivalent to murder. While some people might not see it that way, think of it like this: You wouldn't kill a two week old, would you? Abortion is just like that, killing a two week old, except the age is different. I love how you included some statistics and it was REALLY well written. I'd love to see you do more persuasive essays and put your opinions out there.
Thanks for a beautiful essay,
~Prez. T
Alright, this seems to me like a touchy subject for some people but I do believe in God and know that abortion is murder. Also, I think that adoption is the way to go if you don't want the kid you are having. But, then again the person that is having the child should've been prepared because they knew what they were getting in too. Then, again people that are raped and they think the only way out is abortion when it's not.
So, this was a good paper but would have hurt people who did have an abortion. And to me it sounds like your trying to judge them when it's not your place(no offence intended). God will judge them when it's their time and will know what they went through.
Sincerely,
FullmetalDragon
P.S. I did not want to offend you so if I did I'm very sorry.
Wow! This was truly amazing to have been written in 15 minutes! I agree with you whole-heartedly on every point you made. I'm sorry you have to put up w/ "complete garbage" (to use Monster's own words) reviews that are just attacking you in every way. You were courageous to post something for such a controversial topic. I do believe your points could have been made in a slightly more clear manner, but since you had no time to plan, I understand why they aren't. I don't think it was offensive to "pro-choicers" at all! You were simply stating your opinion the same way many of them do. If they don't like it, they don't need to read it, and certainly not post such awful "reviews"! I understand they want to express their views. But I wish it could have been expressed in a much politer way. One more thing and I'm done. Please don't feel you need to apologize for this piece. You had 15 minutes!! Give yourself a break
You did your best, and you expressed your view clearly. Great job! Praying for you as you try to receive different viewpoints with grace.
~PeanutPhoebe
P.S. Life will ALWAYS be SPECIAL
(The title of an essay I wrote a couple years ago on the same topic)
I was looking through the reviews, so I read the story, and I am glad you posted the obvious and said that this is an amazing article/essay. Great job PeanutPhoebe and KnightTeen!
I don't really see how saying that someone is a psychopath and that 'I don't know how they live with themselves' is polite. So why do you hold me and him/her to different standards?
I would like to see where she called anyone a psychopath. As for the latter, that's simply stating a fact!! She doesn't understand how they live with themselves. What's wrong with expressing her thought?
What's wrong with me expressing mine?
I never said there was something wrong with it, however there is something wrong with being so rude and insulting and attacking about it!
Hey KnightTeen! Clickdun here :3 Let's talk about your essay...
Abortion is a serious subject. It has racked our entire world with anger and resentment, and it is also a subject one should be careful with.
What's my side? I'll tell it when I feel like it, but I don't want to put anything out there that isn't well thought through.
I'll start with nitpicks.
Woman is singular, try women dear
Ah, the classic to vs. too. You want to go with the latter.
This'n get's a question mark to end it lass.
Misspelled perform. Try P-e-r-f-o-r-m on for size.
Okay, now that we've gotten that garbage out of the way, it's time to talk about your actual essay.
It's interesting.
Now I'm saying that because I don't quite want to scream your praises from a rooftop, but also don't want to burn you at the stake.
Your essay seems to be flooded with bias, and in some cases lack of forethought:
Keep in mind, while a large portion of the population are religious, only 2.2 Billion people agree to the Christian belief. Half of them are Catholic, that means you've already got a circle of conflicted views and opinions, but you're also trying to do double duty and teach people about God, which is an honorable goal, but not one that quite fits in this essay.
Remember, a good essay looks from different viewpoints, agrees, disagrees and does it's best to understand all sides of the argument, then arrive at a logical conclusion.
Write on!
~Lord Clickdun~
Complete garbage.
This has nothing to do with Christianity and you are only letting your subjectivity not your rationality lead the essay. You don't have enough critical thinking evolved to make any point what so ever and so the essay only feeds on the people who agree with you in the first place. There is absolutely nothing in this essay that offers any incite to yours or the other view point, and that is why it is a terrible essay. It's as if you had one job and failed miserably at it. For example;
You have no idea why people get abortions; nor do you consider the economical implications or the other side at all; instead you make them sound stupid and belittle them to a point that they are now psychopathic; incapable of emotions and not a difference of opinion. All essays that do this are offensive and are there for one side to just feel good about how righteous they think they are. Instead ask yourself what are you changing? Nothing.
This is something I call shooting yourself in the foot; and it is just about as logical as what you actually do in your essay. Right now, I seriously question why you received any likes at all when you leave something so huge hanging without even a comment to refute it. What the heck are you doing except typing random words which cater to a certain side of a hot issue? If you question the legitimacy of facts, learn why they are said, say them correctly and for god sakes refute them in your essay. What is a human to you, why? Are people who use condoms psychopathic too? What is the point of this rambling mess of words used together?
This is a perfect example of someone incapable of accepting anyone other then yourselves viewpoints. This whole essay is one of the most ignorant and intolerant things I have ever heard.
In slightly other words,
we should have a law that stops abortion regardless of popular opinion. No one should vote on it, it should just be passed.
Yah, lets stop this whole democracy thing and blindly follow your lead. Lets take all the votes out of the hands of every citizen and follow you just because. What the heck where you thinking when you wrote this? Even if this were morally right (Mrs or MR I am perfect), how the heck is this a solution at all? For it to happen you would have to start a revolution and make a democracy into a dictatorship. I'm pretty sure influencing public opinion is a bit easier. But what the heck do i know?
_
By the way I read this rubbish and then when I wanted to grab something to talk about I went to a random sentence above. This should show you a little bit about how idiotic this essay is.
Sincerely monsters
Don't insult garbage. lol.
Okay. Well, not sure where to start. First thing though, you made your arguments in a very rude and offensive way, justifying them with God. Not saying this is wrong, but no matter WHAT your religion's views are, your thoughts on a subject are opinions. I'm pro-choice, so yeah, I think women have the right to choose whether or not they abort the baby. But you have to understand something: just because someone has an abortion doesn't mean they're heartless disbelievers of Christianity. I myself am an Atheist, so I don't share the same views as most Christians. But I hope you don't really think that people who have abortions don't think about the fact that they're taking the life of a (somewhat) human being. They probably feel like crap when they do it.But that's all I have to say. Hope you don't ignore my comment for being an Atheist.
I need to say this before I go bad to the emotionless reviewer.
First off, Don't just don't call it pathetic for the reasons, for some of these women there reasons are good, while I don't understand them I respect it. You looked at the basic ideas of the excuses not going deeper which was a good for you, choosing the words that best supported your side.
Now, I suggest going back through to give off this essay both sides, try doing a rebuttal meaning to state the other side but you crush the notion using stats and thoughts.
Other than that I respect you sticking you neck out on a topic you believe even with the backlash of those weho disagree.
-fallen
Interesting... You see, I must first commend you for putting one of these up. You must have known that it would receive hate in some way shape or form (even if people are trying to be polite). Anyways, I did not hate this piece. Did I agree with it? I'm actually on the fence. You see, I've actually been thinking about abortion a lot recently, as well as the rights to a child who has no option as to whether or not the mother decides to kill him/her. And when you think about it like that, it IS wrong. Killing something out of fear? Your own child? It certainly doesn't sound like something pleasant to do. How would you live with yourself? But then, on the other hand, I can easily see why people believe it is okay. After all, imagine if everyone in the world had an unwanted pregnancy, but abortion was illegal. Now they have done nothing with their lives, and are likely in a financial situation that wouldn't be able to support a child. If this happened to everyone, our economy would crumble! The birth rate would soar! I see how you've looked at this, and I love your points, but I feel there's room for reason here. I mean, what do unwanted pregnancies usually result in? Stress, terrible lives, break ups, divorce, terrible living conditions... And then to think about what effects this could have on that poor child growing up. Is it better to allow them to live their lives, at the possible expense of terrible living conditions and depression? I'm not sure... It's why I'm on the fence. But let me just say, hats off to you. This piece has inspired my thought process, and I don't think I'll ever come to a conclusion. But if you were to force me to label it... I guess I'd label it a mercy call on the jurisdiction of the mother. It is ultimately her choice to decide whether she is or is not ready to have a child. And it's not always selfish. Sometimes it's reasonable. Some people just really aren't in a situation where a child is even a possibility. Do I think it's right to kill the innocent thing, or do I think it's better to allow them to live what would likely be a bad life? In the end, it's a lose-lose situation on the mother. The biggest point here is abstinence. DO NOT GET PREGNANT BEFORE YOU'RE READY. If everyone follows this rule, abortion may not be a topic to discuss anymore at all. And as a final note, though I neither agreed nor disagreed with the subject, this work, in my opinion, for all the hard work and pure devotion to the topic, DOES INDEED earn a like. I sincerely hope you find the time to reply with your thoughts, and I wish you the best in your future works.
-Charizard821
I think this was great. I don't have a whole lot of time to comment, but I just wanted to let you know that according to the government, if you have a fingerprint then you are considered a person. A baby develops its fingerprints about six months into conception, and so by the government's own ruling, abortion beyond this point would be considered murder.
Is there a discussion forum for this? Because I don't want to start a flame war, but I'd like to discuss it.
There is actually. Abortion: Good or Bad
Hello!
I don't agree with you on the subject you're protesting, but, as DrFeelGood said, you're a pretty brave writer for posting it.
I would say that this did not er, persuade me about abortion being wrong. I'm not pro-life, and I saw the way you put your points and opinions as rude. If I were pro-life, I probably would have given you a thumbs up, because it would have HYPOTHETICALLY answered all of my cries. ABORTION IS WRONG! WRONG WRONG WRONG!
Unfortunately I don't actually think that, and the way that you tried to make your point about it was offensive and left no room for tolerance. You said that things were 'wrong by all standards', just like that. But some people don't think that. And since this is an essay about YOUR opinion, I'd think it's more appropriate to say that 'you believe' that abortion is wrong by all standards. Because this is an ongoing argument, not resolved in any way at all. These are your opinions, not the world's.
I do understand that religion comes into this issue, and it was a good move to introduce that angle, as it's one of the major forces against abortion. But I think that you used the angle in the wrong way. I mean, this is why I don't like Christianity. J. C. was a pretty cool guy, the way I see it. He preached TOLERANCE FOR ALL. Because everyone deserves to be loved and accepted. But you use 'sins' and the concepts of heaven and hell as the ultimate revenge, and God as the...parol officer/policeman of the universe... and that personally sickens me.
I would not have a problem with this, even though I disagree with it...as the great philosopher Voltaire said, "I disapprove of what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it." The statistics part (all those dead unborn babies) sort of fudged me a little bit, even. But you have to understand that christianity is not hate. Christianity is love and tolerance and acceptance, and when you say that 'christians have to pray' for all of those 'sinners', it makes us a little bit pissed off and a lot amused. It sounds honestly ridiculous. Your job, as the writer, is to prove why it ISN'T ridiculous. If you truly believe in what you do, and you want to speak about it, you have to be more convincing.
sorry. this is a 15 min. opinion. I'm ranting here. the main points I have are basically:
. from a pro-lifer's point of view, this is really good, and I completely understand that. If this were an article for something I believed in, i would be in for the ride too.
. you were very thorough, and I'm impressed what you came up with in the allotted time.
. I would rather you be more tolerant of everybody's views...
. ... instead of condemning them. christianity is supposed to be accepting and tolerant, but you give a very rigid outlook about it. This makes people NOT want to convert to christianity at all.
yep, that's it. again, very brave of you, I liked the statistics (or found them overwhelming), and good for you for posting it. I, for one, like a good debate...
oh, also, cutting off your arm is not illegal. sorry! Everybody has the right to maim themselves as much as they like (before getting thrown into the looney bin...but that is besides the POINT)
Though, like I said, I don't agree or disagree with the point, I think this is a good area to say that it is my goal in life to accept everyone for who they are. I believe that everyone deserves a chance. Therefore, I am NEVER judgmental of a person's religion, race, sexual preferences, gender, the whole lot. And it has honestly made me the happiest I've ever been. I do believe in God and J.C., but I think certain things about religion, like everything, could stand to be looked at twice. The way I see it is the way you see it @Satira. God accepts all people, no matter what they believe in. It is why he is supreme. He does not judge us as we do each other. He simply watches us, guides us, and brings us to him when our adventure ends. I don't normally preach my beliefs on an online domain, but I think in a way it's my own little religion, and I couldn't be happier with it. That being said, I remain neutral on this topic. Thanks for hearing me out guys.
I totally 100% agree with what you said, a baby is a baby and abortion is murder. I am for life and I totally for life and against abortion(which I believe should be made illegal)
If you are going to be horrid about this post please don't say anything.
Okay ,I want to say how brave you are for posting this. Seriously, the world needs people like you, people brave enough to speek up for what is right.
I was reading about partial birth abortions recently, if you don't know what it is please look it up. And although knew that the methods abortionists used were brutal, but I had no idea how brutal. It goes beyond brutal into something we would never do to a human outside the womb, EVER. No one deseves that, least of all an unbornchild. I encourage you to look into what they do to these innocent infants during an abortion.
I don't know how I landed up here, but I have to say, you have guts to post such a controversial essay on pubic domain! I have written a strong critique on organised religion but I dont have the courage to post it here. I may strongly disagree with you on the topic but I have to accept that you're a very brave writer!
Good job, Knight Teen!
I know you didn't have time to edit it or fix it because of the 15 minute limit, but I think you should try to clean it up a little here, just for neatness' sake.
Also, I like how you have religious background for all your beliefs. You're not writing this to be a persuasive essay, so it's ok here, but in the future, I recommend thinking of all the reasons abortion is wrong that aren't religiously based. Think of it this way, if you were an atheist, would you be pro-life? Why? Not here, but should you ever be writing to persuade people, consider those questions, and argue from a scientific and logical standpoint. It's ok to have religious views, but those won't convince everyone.
I appreciate you posting your work here. I think you did a spectacular job, and I wish you all the best as you continue to write. Don't ever be afraid to write the truth, no matter what people will say about it. The truth is worth any (biased) criticism you will ever receive, because it's something people need to here.
Toboldlygo
Hi there! Lucrezia here for a review.
Okay, a few things before I start. Firstly, because this is your stance on the issue, I won't get into the one-sidedness the reviewers before me have mentioned. And secondly, since you wrote this in fifteen minutes, I won't nitpick any slight, technical errors. I'll just handle the overall content.
To begin with, I thought you wrote this well. You made your points very nicely and cleanly, telling the reader information, facts and statistics without giving them whiplash from info overload. Your word choice was strong. The other essays I've read on here have been good, but most of them fail to explain their points or go into detail about what they mean/why they believe something. You, on the other hand, have perfectly explained your reasons.
You made some interesting assertions. For example:
This is an intriguing suggestion. I hadn't really thought about it before.
Overall, your piece leaves the reader thinking, and that's always a good thing. As I said before, you made your points well, and for something you wrote rather quickly and with only a prompt from your mom, it's nicely-organized!
Keep writing
No offense to the other reviewers, I respect their opinion and their right to have it and speak it, but thank you so much for getting that this was my opinion and not the facts.
First off, I would really like to commend you for posting your views on such a controversial topic on this website.
I do agree with you to some degree. Women should not justify abortions using the examples you have cited. I disagree with the "too young/not ready." While abortion can just as easily be psychologically traumatizing, so can actually giving birth. What if a fourteen year old had sex and got pregnant? Are you saying that a fourteen year old is mature enough to become a mother? Let's just say that I have a thirteen year old daughter named Elsa. So, Elsa has a boyfriend, let's call him Olaf, who gets her pregnant after taking advantage of her. Yeah an abortion may be psychologically traumatizing...but so is giving birth!
I know you can make the argument "then she shouldn't have had sex," but it isn't as simple as that! I have a friend...let's call her Anna (which is close to her actual name). She has bipolar disorder, like I do, and is vulnerable to severe depression, like I am. Sometimes, when someone is depressed, they do things that they normally wouldn't do. Sometimes they feel so empty inside that they need to escape somehow, and they aren't aware of what they are actually doing. Sometimes the same thing happens when someone is having a manic episode. Having experienced both moods myself, I can empathize if someone would want to do something sexual like that. This is exactly what happened to Anna. It wasn't her fault. Her mental state made it so a guy took advantage of her. Luckily for her, she did not get pregnant.
Just because someone has a mental illness, it doesn't mean that they should be blamed for their own actions. If you understood the feeling, you'd understand.
What if a girl has sex with a guy and he promises to wear a condom? What if he pokes a hole in the condom due to the fact that he...let's call him Joffrey...is a total asshole with problems of his own. It isn't the girl's fault. WHy should she be deprived of nine months of her life because of the other person's cruelty? What if she was raped? Why should she be put through the psychological torment of such? The fact that she has to give birth to the product of a traumatizing act of violence is just awful. It is her child...yet it also belongs to the cruel man...let's call him Palpatine.
I have compassion for the "babies," but I have more compassion for the mothers. What would you do if you were raped? Surely there is more to abortion that "just killing a baby." It may just be the cynic in me, but the end does justify the means...
I believe that abortion is neither right nor wrong. Being a morally ambiguous person, not being good or bad, I see the shades of grey. THere are always exceptions...ALWAYS. Things aren't just black and white...right or wrong.
The chances of abortion becoming criminalized are very slim, givin the progressivism the US is going through right now. No matter how many people dislike it, it is something that most likely will continue.
Mind you, I am not sharing my firm stance here...I am merely playing the Devil's advocate as to make you think some (I love when people do that to me, since it helps me learn!).
I believe it is the woman's right to choose. Staunchy white men up on capitol hill shouldn't have the right to dictate what a woman can and can't do with HER body. It's not really fair to them, even if it does go against religious dogma. We live in a secular society. Religion should NOT be brought up for debate if being used as a political argument.
Someone shouldn't get an abortion for being careless and...ahem (pardon my language, please, I am just doing it for emphasis), "sportf*cking" any chance they get. That's awful. They have no right to get an abortion because they are like that.
I like how the law of abortion is now. As long as it isn't beyond three months (first trimester), I tolerate it. I may not believe in abortion, but I am not opposed to it, because it at least gives women the option.
Now, let me reveal my true colours.
Yes, I am pro-choice, but I do not believe in abortion. I believe that life, in a basic sense, in fact DOES begin at conception. Abortion itself is against MY PERSONAL morals and ethics. I do not believe that my own views should be imposed onto the world (actually I do, but nevermind. I am just a power-hungry person, but you get the point). Life is about choice. When it comes to the body, it gets personal. I do NOT support abortion, but I do NOT support the wanting to take away a woman's right to choose. That is what I believe.
I am sorry if I offended you at all. I just like getting into heated debates. I kinda feel like Jon Stewart replying to Bill O'riley in one of their debates. I just figured that I could share my personal beliefs since you shared yours. I really enjoyed reading your article. It is very well-written and you do make some tangible points, I have to admit, that reflect on my personal beliefs. I still like to see what I believe to be the bigger picture though, taking context into account.
This was a very good essay and I am really impressed that you are able to openly share this with all of us and insight a good conversation! You are a strong person who is rooted firmly in her beliefs and faith. Good for you, KnightTeen!
Stay true to your beliefs!
-Spotswood
The reason that I feel so strongly about abortion, and anyone is free to comment on this, is that my mother was a teenager when she got pregnant with me. My father was...less than thrilled.
She has never really talked about what went on during that period. But, from the descriptions I have received about Isaac, he wanted her to get an abortion.
And then the doctors wanted her to get an abortion when she contracted appendicitis while she was pregnant with me.
But she didn't. And that is why I am here to write this essay. If there is one thing in my life that I will be grateful for, it is that.
Another reason that I feel so strongly about abortion is because I don't know if I will ever be able to have children. The woman in my family have all had ovarian cists that make it difficult for us to conceive. My mom having six other kids is a miracle.
I want kids at some point in my life. The thought that I might not be able to have them devastates me. This might sound weird coming from a sixteen year old, but I have always wanted children.
These are the main reasons that I feel so strongly about this.
Thank you for your insight. It will definitely be taken into consideration once I edit this.
I am really proud of my mom. She took a horrible situation and turned it into something good.
Spotswood, not trying to start an argument, so I won't reply to anything you say after this.
BUT
If you believe the baby is human and alive from conception, doesn't that person have the right to live, regardless of what the mother might face for a few months? In the case of the bipolar, does abortion REALLY solve the problem? Abortion hurts women (go look up Silent No More). Being pro-life doesn't just mean always saying let babies live, don't care about the mother. True pro-life-ism means taking care of BOTH the mother and the baby. Killing one just won't help either, and it will cause pain and regret later in life. Don't women deserve better? I think so. Rather than have abortions, we should be giving women REAL options, ones that will help her AND respect the life of her child.
How is abortion different from slavery? Slavery didn't start out being so horrible. It was originally an indentured-servant type of arrangement. Not too bad, actually, in theory (for the sake of argument, I won't bring working conditions into account, since those were more individualistic and not relevant to the idea of the work in exchange for passage). But over time, the black people were singled out and became property. NOW, consider this. When a woman has an abortion, she basically says the baby is her body. But that is false. From conception, the baby has his/her own specific DNA. It's not her body, it's the baby's. So, it's not her choice about her body, it's total control over someone else's. She can simply end the life of someone else, because it may not be convenient? Quite obviously, the baby isn't part of her body. And he's certainly not a "parasite", as some might say, because he didn't invade the mother's body, as pregnancy is normally how humans develop. Truthfully, it's absolute nonsense to believe that the baby is a) not alive and human, b) does not belong inside the mother, c) should be killed for someone else's convenience. There are better options, and both the mother and the baby deserve them.
KnightTeen, I'm glad your mom made the decision she did. Even though I don't know you and this prob'ly seems a little creepy, I'm sure there are many people who love you and are glad they have you. I know I'm glad that we can see all your wonderful writing here on YWS. Keep up the good work!
Don't worry, not creepy! Considerate, more like.
Wow, it is pretty brave to put your views on here. I agree that abortion is murder but I have to say I agree with some people down here saying that putting kids in adoption homes is sometimes brutal in some cases. Due to the depress of not having a family, some actually kill themselves or run away.
You wrote a lot for 15minutes (well actually 13) ands great. I do have to advise you not to put this just anywhere. Some have opposite opinions and they aren't afraid to show it. If you do put it somewhere else, that's fine with me for it is your decision, even though I wouldn't agree with it.
I'm not going to reprimand you for your, ah, mistakes for you had a limited time space. Hopefully your mom doesn't do this everyday. I shudder at the thought.
Keep writing and be careful!
-lost
The child isn't part of the body. If it was, it would never leave the mother, and there would be a big chain of humans stretching around the globe (that's just the image I got from this)
It would be interesting to know your stance on abortion in cases of rape. Well, actually, since this is full of sweeping generalizations, we can assume that you wish the mother to carry the child to term no matter what the circumstances.
Cutting off your arm is a stupid decision because you use that to do things. A fetus is not part of the mother. You can't compare these two things because arms and babies are not the same thing.
Off topic. We're talking about abortion, not Christianity here. Don't turn this into a bid for souls; you're not winning any with your one-sided biased attitude.
You've gone off topic here, too.
You know those pregnancy help billboards? You know, the ones that read "Pregnant? Need help?" One of my friends called one of those, and they forced her to carry the baby to term, and then put it up for adoption. She didn't have a say in the matter. You know what's going to happen if people depend on that kind of thing? Exactly what happened to my friend.
Women abuse their rights??? Abusing rights is forcing someone else to do something they don't want to with their bodies because they were born with different reproductive equipment. Men are the ones abusing their rights here. Women need equal rights, and outlawing abortion would only perpetuate the power of men in this patriarchal society. Women are not abusing their rights. They have these rights, and they use them, but this is not an abuse of power. They barely have this power.
If you want to make a more convincing argument, you need to cite your sources (I would really like to read some of the articles you based your argument off of) and leave religion out of it. Religion is a very personal thing that not everyone has or cares about. Take all the religion out of this, and don't make the claim that it is morally wrong. Morality does not have facts behind it. Give us facts, and this will turn into an essay rather than a rather long rant.
I have realized the mistakes I made through posting this without editing. Looking back, I am somewhat disgusted with myself, and I should be. But in the end, I think that people keep forgetting that I had 15, 15 minutes to write this, and what paper written in 15 minutes is going to be good?
I will not back down in my belief that abortion is wrong. I will not leave religion out of it, because my religion is a big part of why I believe this.
But I can be disappointed in myself for putting it the way that I did. I honestly never meant to offend anyone, I just thought that I was to close to the situation to honestly judge this piece. And I was right.
I'm sorry.
Abusing rights is preventing a living human organism from the aggregate experience of life.
There is no true double standard for men as far as abortion goes, true, but that doesn't mean that men are "abusing their rights" or benefiting. For crying out loud, a lot of the time, if not most of the time, the partner or father of the pregnant person is the one pressuring/forcing them to have an abortion.
The child is temporarily attached to the mother's body as it grows from the uterine wall and develops in scope until it becomes viable, then unarguably conscious, then is born, and then and only then is the connection between mother and child severed. Therefore, in the context of an early-stage abortion, HT would be right in including the zygote as an extension of the mother's body part, yet is incorrect that it is a body part, as it is an independently totipotent, soon to be or already, organism, and therefore it's own entity.
...remember that KnightTeen said that she doesn't want this to turn into debate.
It's okay to point out weak parts in the argument and such so that KnightTeen can become an awesome writer of persuasive essays, but arguing with her reviewers is a little over the top.
Dear Cow,
I was joking about the last one. Trying to make my harsh criticism a little less harsh.
Love, Magpie <3
I find this extremely offensive. Reading your essay literally made me feel sick. How dare you judge people like this? Do you know what percentage of children put up for adoption find their way to loving homes? It is very small. Most of these kids are shuffled from home to home their entire lives, made to feel like trash. Some of them, like my best friend, are adopted but their parents are horrible people who abuse them their entire lives. Moreover, the reasons you listed for why people have abortions are the most mild cases. Many people choose to have abortions because they were impregnated by rape, like my stepmother. Others simply can't afford to have the baby and raise it. Some others abort because they know their baby is abnormal, meaning that it might have a terrible disease or mutation. I wish you would take this down. I realize that you have the freedom of speech, but so do I and I will not hide how upset this made me.
I am not going to take this down, because I want to look at it and the comments and be reminded of my mistakes.
I can honestly say that I am disgusted with myself. I know that I can write better then this. I know that a lot of the things that I said were wrong.
But I only had fifteen minutes to write this. No editing whatsoever.
I will always believe that abortion is wrong thanks to several life experiences. That will not change. I will always believe that the unborn child should have the right to live.
And you are right. Most of the reasons I listed were only a small percent of why people have abortions. I am ashamed of myself for making such wide generalizations.
I'm so sorry. Thank you for being honest with me.
Again, not trying to start an argument, so I won't reply to anything you reply to this (you can PM if you really want, though).
First of all, most abortions are only the result of selfishness, not rape. Second, consider rape. Who's at fault, the father, or the baby? Do you believe that the father should be killed for raping a woman? Most people strongly believe no. So why should the baby be killed. Step back and look at this from another angle. The baby is just as much a victim as the mother! Just as the mother's life has been trashed, so also will the baby's. What the mother and baby need is real help, not abortion. Abortion doesn't solve anything, it only kills a victim, and since when do crime victims deserve death? I repeat, abortion isn't the answer, women deserve better.
In the case of disabilities or anomalies, think for a minute of how offensive that sounds. Should people with cerebral palsy be dead? Should people with heart defects be killed? What about learning disabilities? Should people with those be allowed to live? People with disabilites/abnormalities enrich our lives. Saying their lives would be too hard, who are we to judge that? Saying people would be cruel, well, teach them not to be and don't put up with it when they are. All that saying that babies who are "abnormal" should be aborted really says is that people with disabilities who are already alive are worthless. Put into perspective, that's horrible!
As for adoption, no, it isn't a great option. But the thing is, there are more couples waiting or willing to adopt than kids up for adoption. So why are there kids waiting to be adopted? The system makes it impossible. Druggie moms can take their babies home, but a great mom with three other kids has to spend thousands of dollars and go through multiple inspections. I get it's to protect the kids, but, really, what we really need is a dramatic improvement of the adoption system. Just streamlining it and making it easier/cheaper would help so many kids be adopted. That and better education for the lower-income classes would really help solve the problems, and that would respect everyone's lives. (Like the UNC Chapel Hill scandal. Obviously, those athletes never got good education in school. They were failed and cheated. Just solving those problems would help moms be able to take care of their babies better).
Again, there will be no arguments involving me on this topic. If you wish to contact me privately to discuss this further, you're more than welcome to.
Don't worry, we've all (or at least, I have) posted controversial pieces. I think where you slipped up was a. posting it without really working on it, so it's very very rough. b. making religion the main theme of the essay c. not showing the other side of the story. I'm not here to debate with you about abortion, I'm here to review your essay so that's what I'm going to do.
Before I go any farther, I have to say I am pro-life. I cannot imagine killing a child, especially a child that was my own. Buuuttt the way you chose to write this essay is very close minded and very very one sided. I know you say you don't know what exactly this is, but I can tell you, it's not persuasive. Even though I agree with you, it didn't convince me. Every time you brought up God I thought "wow, how condescending". Because your tone is very condescending. And pitying. Saying that people who choose abortion should be pitied and shown the ways of God makes me think that you think anyone who doesn't believe in God is lacking. And that's not true. People who believe in God are not any better than people who don't. People who choose abortion are not to be pitied. There are people in this world who do it because they're lazy, but there are also people that do it for reasons like what Snoink offered. Did you ever think of them when you were writing this essay?
Because you've posted this as an essay, I'm going to treat it as such. Good essays are written unbiased and factual. Unless it is meant to be emotional, you don't speak of yourself or any emotions. They're meant to give the reader information, not emotions. And when the writer tries to put emotion in, it's usually done badly. I'm afraid it was done very badly in this essay. Because you chose to take the religion stand point, you gave your essay very little room to grow. You couldn't open up the reader to the world beyond God and prayers and faith, when most of your readers on here aren't going to be Christian. You have to, I hate to say it, cater to the majority when it comes to controversial topics. I don't mean change your stance, but I do mean pick your battles and not bring religion, another controversial topic into something that's controversial enough on it's own. Religion is often dismissed as a bad reference anyway, because it's very very hard to back up. Incidentally, where exactly in the bible does it say abortion is wrong? I'm not familiar with it, but I've never read a passage that said straight out "don't get an abortion." Abortions didn't even EXIST back then. How could they claim it was wrong if they knew nothing about it?
My biggest problem with this is you only give one side. You mention all these quotes from women who had abortions, but you don't give their back story. You don't give them any human qualities, but you do give the fetus humanity. Do you know how underhanded that is? You make the baby more human than the mother is, because it's easier to hate the mother that way. But that's not how life works. The mother has to be human too, not just a vessel that's trying to kill their child without any remorse. The way you present these quotes make the women seem weak and whiny. Have you ever thought about how much strength it would take to walk into an abortion clinic, especially without the support of a loved one? And how much strength it would take for someone to be pregnant for nine months, alone without any help (financially or mentally), just to give up the baby at the end of the pregnancy? It's a very difficult path that you didn't think about, which gave your essay a very accusatory feeling.
If I had been someone who chose to get an abortion for various reasons and read this essay, I would be angry. You give nothing to the nameless women. You just label them murderers. That's a very strong word for people who were just trying to do the best they could with the situation they were put in. Read over what you've written carefully, my dear. Try re-writing, and when you do, put yourself in the nameless women's shoes. Give them a heart. Give them a story, even if you don't tell it in the essay. I could even argue that if the women is real and human, just like the child, it'll be a more believable and convincing essay. Also, if you do re-write it, try taking religion out of it all together. It makes your argument weak and flimsy.
Spark
Thanks spark. I am going to re-write it, but I have to say that I will not take religion out of the essay. Maybe it makes my argument weak, but that shouldn't matter. This paper is supposed to explain my stance on the subject, nothing more, nothing less. My stand is that I don't believe in abortion because I am a Christian and because I know that it's wrong.
To take it out would be to compromise. my beliefs, and I'm not going to do that.
But I do thank you for everything else you said. I agree that I made a mistake in posting this so soon without even editing it, but I wanted to post it so that I could receive reviews like this. I knew that I was to close to the subject to have any good insight on what I did wrong, and I thought that some of you guys could help me see this in a different light. And you did. Thank you for that.
I respect you for deciding against what I said about religion and leaving it in there. I really do. Maybe when you re-write it, try and look at it more if someone were to have an abortion, God would want us to love them, not damn them for being murderers? <3 you're so welcome, love! And I really did like it, whatever my review sounds like.
Kudos for taking on such a taboo subject in such a way.
Like I said, I only had fifteen minutes and I have to admit was a little frustrated because of that. I took out my personal issues on this paper without even stopping to consider what I had said. That's not like me, normally.
And thanks to all the wonderful, insightful reviews, when I rewrite this I will look at it in different lights. I will be able to consider other sides of the story. I didn't here, and that is one of my many mistakes.
Hopefully my revised edition will be a whole lot better.
Again, thanks.
<3
Spark,
Not only is this an excellent review, but I appreciate a Christian who can understand how much strength it takes to walk into an abortion clinic and have a procedure. Abortion is never an easy choice, and I'm glad that you can see the other side of things.
Well thank you!
Great, so many Christians proclaiming their faith here, not that it's a bad thing, it's awesome.
About Abortion, i think it's very, extremely wrong!
How could you take a life, it's murder, why don't people get charged for this, but like you said, it's in the states,where i come from, that sort of thing would warrant imprisonment. A lot of years and sometime in the mental faculty. Same with Gay marriage and the likes.
I like your stance on this and no matter the reason, no child should be made to die for selfish reasons.
fro you grammar, i think you had some errors on, but nothing you can't fix.
apart from that, you're a hero, 15 minutes of great writing, i'm endeared to you now!
keep writing, keep your faith strong, may God be with you!
<BEE>
Thank you.
But it is not our place to decide what law is. That is up to the government. We also really need to consider the mothers in this, something that I did not originally do. That was a mistake.
You are right. No child should have to die like that. But we are not the ones who decide the punishment. We need to leave that to the authorities and remember that ultimately, we should not judge because it is not out place. I did not remember that when I wrote the paper and let my personal feelings get in the way. I will fix it soon.
But the point is that we shouldn't judge those people. God will be the ultimate judge.
And as for your stance on gay marriage, I have to say that I disagree. I would also like to note that this work has nothing to do with gay marriage and I am unsure why you brought it up. Just because people are homosexual does not mean that they deserve to be in prison. That is like saying that I deserve to go to prison because my hair is red.
But then again, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and I must thank you for sharing yours. It's much appreciated.
I know this might not be my place to comment, but how is it now our place to decide what law is? We are those who decide, just as much as it is us who elects presidents like the one we have now. We are the ones who elect those government officials that are busy at work destroying our country, so it is our fault.
People who don't judge are weak. So... is there any difference between those who pull the trigger on a fellow man and those who have an abortion? No matter what the circumstances are, I think the crime should be even bigger. Why? Because they are destroying an innocent life.
Sorry if if this irritates you... I know it isn't my comment. I just had to anwer.
Hey Knight!
Your mother sounds annoying
Alright, I do have things I could comment on in this essay, so I'll head into it:
Well, if you didn't want to spark up a debate, you definately chose the wrong subject. Abortion is one of the most controversial subjects out there and seeing as this work is featured, it puts it under quite a magnifying glass.
If you delivered this as a proper essay, you wouldn't have this intro explaining why you wrote it, right? In that case, I felt this beginning was a bit rushed and straight to the meat. Maybe ease into it?
I do have a couple of main thoughts on the piece though.
Firstly, the first part of this makes it look like a straight to the point essay. However, after your second paragraph it turns into a personal essay. Which is of course fine.
Yet, all of your arguments have no solid foundation, can both be rebutted and not be rebutted (it is, after all, one of the most critical discussion topics), and it is quite preachy. To be frank, it is extremely preachy.
Secondly, you brought religion into it. In this essay, especially one on this subject, it shouldn't play a major part. Reproduction, as well as abortion are both scientific subjects. It can be debated within its own parameters. Do you think something that is barely alive and fuctioning has a right to life, despite the circumstances, or not? Though a touchy subject, forming an opinion is easy. Follow that, don't follow some book that somebody wrote at some point. Religion is unnecessary.
Aside from this, you (again) preach a specific religion on the reader. Namely Christianity. Doing this, you alienate a massive part of the masses throughout the world, who all follow their own religions, cultural icons and ideas.
If I got this essay delivered to my desk I would commend you highly for having such strong beliefs, but I wouldn't learn much.
Alright, I'll comment as I go along:
Your entire first paragraph is very informative. That short paragraph holds a lot of emotional punch in it on its own, as it relies only on brutal facts. All without bringing it to a personal level. You follow up this sentence with this line though. And the message takes a big turn, sounding almost hostile, or to paraphrase: rude.
Edit
Edit
I really love how upbeat you are about adoption! It is such a great solution. Sadly, it wouldn't be feasible. As you said yourself, Over 200 million pregnancies occur annually worldwide. That fraction of unwanted conceptions would never have enough adopters to cover the sheer number.
Women or couples who are not ready for parenthood, for whatever reason, would be in a sticky situation. The children, even worse.
Suggestion
You can't proclaim this, as there simply is no definitive answer. Trying to argue for or against whether a cell, even as small as a zygote, is pointless.
Edit
You repeat this grammatical error twice.
This is the only section I'll give out my personal opinion on abortion.
Spoiler
Though I am not too religious myself, I have been practicing Buddhism for quite a while now. My choice fell upon it after I was looking for something to believe in and to strive for. What I like about it is that it doesn't have to be looked on as a religion, but more as a way of life.
I feel I look at abortion with a more grounded perspective.
Look, I'm sorry I keep harping on this, but everything will be okay? How will this resolve itself?
This sentence is a bit confusing. Did you mean 'cannot' ?
The sentence would work for me then.
I realize the point you are trying to make here, but this example falls a bit flat.
Though abortion is still a hot button issue, the US recovered from this long ago. It rather viewed as a tentpole or landmark within our rights. Though I'm no American, I still learned of this as I grew up.
Though not on the same page on everything, I am actually a big admirer of George W. Bush. Reading through his memoir Decision Points last year, I liked how he tried to compromise on the abortion laws despite his political party. A little more conflicting might be his stem cell research ban, but I should probably avoid this.
Of course we couldn't understand how it is like. The fetus would have no memory of it, that is, if they can even be aware that it is happening or the fact that it has been created.
Alright, geez, long post.
I'm sorry if I offended you in any way, Knight. I did go in pretty neutral though. But as I said, you chose the wrong subject if you wanted no discussion.
Lastly, as for you writing itself. It's fantastic. If you wrote this in such a short while, that's great. I also found little to no grammatical errors. The few I did find were probably due to writing it so fast.
Keep it up!
Cheers
Birkhoff
I'd say you did go pretty neutral.
But, when I said that it wasn't written to spark any debate, I meant that. I did not write it to spark debate. I did not write it to post on this site. It was a school exercise that I wanted some input on.
And like I said, I'm not even sure if this is an essay. I don't really know what to call it.
And trust me, you didn't offend me.
I like insight like this.
I respect an honor you and your opinion on this subject. I completely agree with you and the examples you gave. May God bless you.
Thanks bugs.
Hi KnightTeen!
So, you're a lot braver than I am! I am hesitant to post up my story I've been working on for the past month, let alone something that I just worked on for 15 minutes that has typos!
Because I am annoying, I am not going through and pointing out every typo. Because you should do this and clean things up. Yup. Tough love going on here. XD However! Even though I am also pro-life (a position which apparently my baby agrees with, because she just kicked me), I figured that I would poke holes in your argument and be the devil's advocate, just for the sake of you learning how to develop your argument even more. I'm sure others will poke even more holes! Sound good? Okay, let's go!
By any standard? By the moralistic modern standard, the answer is an unequivocal no, it isn't wrong. Which you mention briefly, but then say it should be wrong, you are inviting the question, "Well, why should it be this way?" Which you should answer immediately.
The excuses that you pointed are largely straw-man arguments, so I figured I would expand on them more so that you can see why pro-abortion sounds very good to the eyes of many people. As far as the stories that I am going to share? I read a bunch of abortion stories, both from women who eventually regret their abortions, and women who had no problem with getting an abortion, so those are the sources.
Imagine this: you are completing your studies, and you have been so busy with school that you have just realized that your long-term boyfriend is someone you do not belong with. At all. He is an alcoholic who doesn't care for you and you're not even sure if he is not cheating on you. He also isn't Christian, and you're just starting to get involved with your college Christian group, which has quickly become your support group. So, you end that relationship and (because ending relationships sucks) you put your whole heart into your studies. Then, as you continue your college education, your grades start to go down because you can't concentrate anymore. Then, you miss your period, and the real freak-out begins. A week after you miss your period (and you can't concentrate on your studies at all at this point) you take a pregnancy test and it's positive. You know that you are pregnant with your ex's baby. You try to text your boyfriend, but he doesn't respond at all, so a couple of weeks go by. You start to feel sick. Your grades are plummeting and you know that if you tell your parents, who are diehard Christians, about this, they would disown you for premarital sex. Also, you would lose the support group of the Christians, who would hate you for engaging in premarital sex as well. Not that it matters, really, because you're about to lose your scholarship, which would make it impossible for you to go to school for the next couple of years because you would have to support yourself entirely because you don't see anyone standing up to help you. You feel absolutely miserable, both physically from your pregnancy and emotionally from everything that is going on, and you just want to push "restart" and pretend that this never happened.
Imagine this: you tell your boyfriend, "I just missed a period. I think I'm pregnant." And he says, "No you're not." He refuses to believe you at all until you show him several positive pregnancy tests. And then the trouble really starts. He tells you that both of you are going to the Planned Parenthood and that you are having an abortion, or else he'll leave you. You say no, you would rather leave him first, and you'll just collect child support. He calls you a crazy slut who purposely is ruining his life, and he starts threatening you with physical violence. He tells you to your face that he WILL push you down the stairs so that you have a miscarriage. He also starts hitting you. You start to fear for your life. You consider leaving him, but you don't have any real safety nets anymore. Your relationship with your parents and family is strained, all your friends are his, and once you leave him, they'll stick with him. You have no where else to turn. You finally cave and agree to get the abortion. As soon as that happens, he starts acting nice to you again. You start to think that maybe, if you just let this abortion happen, you will be safe again and can leave him without worrying about the child's safety.
Imagine this: you have two children, which you later realize have severe genetic disorders that are expensive to treat. Worst yet, you are starting to show the same rare genetic disorder that they have, which forces you out of work and the ability to drive. Your husband is working three jobs to support your family and all the medical expenses that you are incurring, but it is not enough and you are living in poverty. One of your children starts going through dangerous epileptic seizures and the other one has lost the ability to walk. You find out that you're pregnant.
Imagine this: you have just graduated college, have just gotten married to your college sweetheart, and you are both unemployed and looking for full-time work. Because you cannot find a place to live, his parents allow you to rent their basement for $600, which is a very reasonable rate and the only place that you can afford at the moment. Both of you have part time jobs that don't provide health insurance and, by the time that you finish paying rent, food, college loans, and everything else you need, you have about $40 of spending money every month, which you try to save. You skip your period, and buy a pregnancy test, which costs about $20. Then, when you find out it's a positive, you buy pregnancy vitamins, which cost about $10. You look into buying insurance for the prenatal care, but it costs $200 a month, which is completely out of your price range. You decide maybe you can just pay for the appointments. When you do the calculations, you find out that the prenatal care and the delivery costs add up to about $20,000. You can't afford it. Both of your parents are going through enough financial difficulties already (that was one of reasons why they allowed you to rent the house) and you can't ask them. Worst yet, you are starting to feel awful and need to take sick days off because you cannot physically stand anymore on some days. Your income drops significantly, and you become very deep in debt. You feel that this is not the right time.
...I gave you several relationship problems before. But! For another!
Imagine this: you have a bipolar mental disorder and it is very hard for you to keep relationships. You've just started your manic phase, which means you are more prone to risk-taking, and you've had unprotected sex with a guy you've just started dating. You're not sure how long the relationship will last, and it seems like it's starting to show its death throes, but you're trying to have fun before the depressive stage hits you like a hammer. Then you find out that you're pregnant. Bam. The depressive stage is triggered and all you want to do is drinking. The guy wants to leave, but feels guilty leaving you at this point, so he is staying with you, but is still angry with you, since you lied to him about taking birth control medication. You have to stop taking your bipolar medication while you're pregnant, which makes you suicidal, and you are very depressed about having a child. All the guy wants to do is leave. He stays with you, but you find out that he's cheating on you with someone else. You just want to have your meds again and return to a somewhat sane life.
Imagine this: you are eleven years old. You have a boyfriend is thirteen. You're both curious about sex, and you haven't actually gotten your period yet, so you try it out once. It hurts, so you decide not to do it again. Later, while you stand up quickly, you faint in such a way that it injures your spinal cord badly. Your parents take you to the emergency room and you all find out that you're pregnant. At the ripe old age of eleven. Your parents want you to enjoy what remains of your childhood and they think you are too young to have a baby. They take you to an abortion clinic.
SO. Here's some stories. They're all based on real life. Because, sometimes, real life sucks and is hard.
Saying that Christians should simply pray for these people is naive. If you want to convince people to be pro-life, you have to give them support in every possible way throughout their pregnancy... and that includes emotionally, physically, spiritually, and yes, financially as well. This is not to say that these challenges cannot be overcome... they can. But, it can sometimes be tremendously hard.
This is a non sequitar.
I would argue that these programs need to be there BEFORE abortion is illegal. Because, like I said... to have a child takes about $20,000, if you want to have it regularly monitored by the doctor and have a hospital delivery. It's expensive, and it is even more if you have a difficult pregnancy. Fortunately, there are already many programs in place. But, they often rely on donations. Hopefully, you are already donating?
Also, adoption is tricky too. Because there's still a $20,000 price tag involved with birthing the child. And if you decide at the last minute to keep the child, you have a lot of debt, and you haven't even begun to raise your child.
Anyway. Those are some thoughts. Mind you, we're on the same team here and we're both pro-life. But, dismissing the mother's needs as irrelevant is probably not the way to go.
As far as it being written in 15 minutes? You probably want to refine your work just a little bit before posting it. Just sayin'.
I know that I should have probably refined it. I know that I didn't do a very good job. It was more me choosing a subject that I really shouldn't have chosen, but I did anyway.
Thanks for the review Snoink. Your advice is appreciated.
It's okay! Besides, if I remember right, you might have to take your SATs soonish and then you'll have to write a quick essay on a topic that you will most likely hate. So, this is good practice.
I just want to give you some mind candy to chew on for your next endeavor. Look ahead, no?
I took the ACT. I'm not sure if I have to take the SAT.
And trust me, I will be chewing on that candy all week while I overhaul this. It's really not like me to be so assertive when I write papers.
Being assertive is okay, especially for a persuasive paper! You need to be assertive to be able to assert your side... and this is a good thing. You just need to be convincing as well, and part of that is dealing with the other side and showing them to be convincing too, before demolishing that side with your persuasive argument. So, something like this.
So... I admit to operating under an agenda here. 
)
You just need to get rid of the fallacies! Fallacies aren't okay for a persuasive paper. So, when you were like, "Those excuses were pathetic!" that statement was actually a straw man fallacy, because you were beating up on statements that you set up purposely to beat down easily, when, if you look at the statements more carefully, it's more complicated than that! So, that's why I ragged on you for that.
(That, and I am horribly biased, and I really, really, really want to see some awesome pro-life arguments, because I am totally radically pro-life. Right now, the common theme of the pro-choice arguments is, "You don't care about women, therefore your pro-life stance is invalid!" So, I want to see that position pulled out under their feet from them. The first step to do this is to appreciate and care for BOTH the mothers and the babies. Which doesn't seem to be the current trend right now. People protest for the baby's right to live, but not the mother's right to be able to support her child through pregnancy and beyond. If we change that, then, we're getting somewhere!
Awesome Work NightTeen!!!
Timmy here for a comment!
So I agree 100% with what you say. A baby is a baby the moment it is concieved, and there is no way around that. It is murder.
I am so happy that you aren't afraid of posting work that you know will be controversial. This is awesome!
~Timmyjake
Thanks timmy. I have to admit, I almost didn't post it. I mean, I don't hide the fact that I am a Christian but I have never really allowed myself to put my beliefs in my work, mostly because I was afraid of creating controversy.
I'm glad I sucked it up this once.
Thank you for doing it! I am glad that there are Christians out there that aren't afraid of showing it! Be proud of who you are, always!
~Timmy
Many Christians do believe in abortion in some places. Besides, it's not very Christian of you to judge women for having abortions or ruling their needs and situations as irrelevant. It is, however, the Christian thing to do to talk about setting up actual programs to help young mothers financially
In response to that, I can only say one thing: Knowing that an infant inside the womb is still a human being, would you justify destroying that life because of some situation? Is the child's life not important? It is just as important as any human being's life, even the mother.
(sneaking in because) I know many people like to argue that it's the woman's decision, but if you think about it, the teenage girl shouldn't have been doing anything in the first place that would cause this baby to be conceived if she didn't think she was ready to take on the challenge and joy of raising a child. That's why waiting until marriage is encouraged, because this unborn child is just that-a child! And she/he has every right to be born just like we were. Terminating the pregnancy, as my science teacher said, causes many to feel guilt and their lives tend to be ruined. That does NOT go for everyone who aborts, of course, but just think about what you're doing to this baby. That's why I think giving them up for adoption is so much better than terminating them :/ Because they at least have the chance to live and experience this world just like we get to, no matter the syndrome or the issues they may have like you pointed out. We're not ruling or judging women. I always turn to prayer when I learn about another abortion locally, etc. But please remember. ADOPTION IS BETTER THAN ABORTION. (Grace/Thewriter13)
No need to reply etc. here. I know this isn't supposed to be a debate, but I really felt the need to say something
You had tons of grammar mistakes, and I'm disappointed at your POV. I'm sorry you feel this way about abortions.
I don't agree with abortions to be used as a contraceptive. For example, the fact that some women feel they are too young, don't have the funds, etc. etc. However, my mother actually used to work at a facility for troubled teens, many of which were girls that were terminating their pregnancy.
Believe it or not, sometimes an abortion is done out of love.
My mother told me that most of the teens in the facility she worked in ended their pregnancies for one of these reasons.
1. They had a drug or alcohol abuse problem, and didn't want the baby to have health issues such as downs syndrome or other handicaps.
2. The mother was malnourished, or not in a great state of health and the doctors ruled that the woman might risk losing both of their lives if she went through with labor.
3. With mothers of troubled teens getting an abortion, my mother said that in many cases, she was working to support more than one person with her health in possible danger. If the mother had gone through with the labor, and the baby lived while the mother died or both parties passed, the family would lose their source of livelihood and income.
I know number 3 isn't the best excuse. But think about it. The majority of American women do abuse their rights. I agree with you on that. But the problem with adoption is this: My mother also lived in foster care and group homes her whole life. Parents want to adopt newborn babies. The thing is, once a baby turns 3, their chances of being adopted lower drastically. After that the children are moved from group home to foster care, to group home again. Foster care homes and group homes can be very dangerous places, and I have loved ones who still suffer from trauma from things that happened to them from these places.
There is no black and white to abortion. I agree that the situations in which a woman can get an abortion should be regulated, i.e. rape, health, and substance circumstances. And I mean extreme circumstances. Other than that, I agree abortion is wrong.
But DONT YOU DARE say that the reasons above are pathetic. Because you know what? Some kids get really messed up because they have mothers who refused to terminate their pregnancy, and WERE NOT READY to have a child. I don't agree with it either, but until you understand that situation, and find yourself in it, YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT to say that there is no excuse for an abortion. That's what angers me.
A) Thank you for being honest with me and giving me your opinion.
B) Take a step back, calm down, and remember the fact that I only had fifteen minutes to pull this off. That included any research. I did the best that I could under the circumstances given me.
C) I am actually very close to this situation. You can draw whatever conclusions you want from that, but just know that I do have a right to say this thanks to life experience. And that experience was not pleasant.
D) You're right. There is no black and white to abortion, or anything for that matter.
E)As for the grammar and the POV, again, only fifteen minutes. It was just a writing exercise.
I apologize if this has offended you in any way.
I'm not offended, just a little upset, but I'm a big girl, so I can handle it. My advice to you would be to spend a little more than fifteen minutes on an essay about a topic as controversial as this. Also, your writing is biased. I can tell based on your diction and word choice. Try to make the tone less passionate and more... factual. You're less likely to offend people in that way. So for example, instead of writing "Because that is what abortion is. It's murder. It's death. People use uncaring medical terms like procedure, fetus, and termination to make themselves feel better." Try writing this "Women who use abortions are often comforted by the official medical terms in the abortions such as procedure, fetus and termination. Many would argue that this is just code for murder and for death." See what I mean? Also, this is a persuasive essay. Your job is present the pros and the cons, and describe why the pros of abortion re invalid. So there, my semi proper review :p
Thank you, and I am sorry to have upset you in any way. T
And the truth is I'm not even sure if this is an essay. I asked my mom what form she wanted me to write it in, and she basically said, "Just tell me your stance on the subject."
Okay, thanks for the help. 2 of my 15 minutes are gone.
So yeah. It's not really an essay. I apologize for not making it more clear.
And I totally get what you're saying. I think that I took my personal issues out on this piece, and I got something really weird in return.
Have you ever met a child with Downs Syndrome? They are often some of the sweetest, happiest children I've ever met. (Though they do feel other emotions as usual.) Also, I don't think that Down Syndrome is a "health issue". Take a look at this from the National Down Syndrome Society (http://www.ndss.org/Down-Syndrome/What- ... -Syndrome/): "There is no definitive scientific research that indicates that Down syndrome is caused by environmental factors or the parents' activities before or during pregnancy."
I have one question; Is it really right to stop a child from having the chance to live any life at all, because they *might* not be "normal"?
I've met several children with Downs syndrome. I've also seen kids with special abilities like that be beaten both verbally and physically because of their abilities. I was simply pointing out that there are health affects if a mother carries her child while abusing substances.
Just a short comment: I totally agree with your points. You really wrote alot for 15 minutes! Better than I could do! You have the normal grammar mistakes, not capitalizing, misspelling, but you can fix those with an editing software. You really elaborated on your points well and got your feeling through. Nice job!
Pony123
Thanks. It definitely helped the I had studied abortion earlier before I wrote the essay. Wikipedia is my saving grace.