This semester I am taking an introductory Women's Studies course, and while I am learning many facts I did not know previously, there are some facts I would rather not be aware of. For instance, while researching information on abortion for a reading response I came across this number....857,475. That's the total number of abortions reported for 2000. What I find even more disturbing is this number 1.4%, the percentage of abortions performed after 21 weeks gestation. Now 1.4% sounds like a small number, but 1.4% of 857.475 is 12, 004. Now does that number seem small? Most abortion supporters make themselves feel better because of this number: 87%--the percentage of abortion performed before 13 weeks. They rationalize, saying that the fetus isn't really a human being. Well, when I was pregnant with William, I had sonograms about every 3 weeks starting at 6 weeks gestation. I saw his heart beat when his little body was only 4 weeks old...now tell me, how is that not proof of his humanity.
Please do not misunderstand me...I am a realistic person who understands not everyone shares my believe on when life begins, so I do not believe abortion should be made illegal. I do believe, however, the procedure needs to be more controlled. Too many women see abortion as a means of birth control. I know one women in particular who had 9 before she was 27 years old. And it is obvious to me that if at least 857,475 unintended pregnancies occurred, women are seriously in the dark in regards to how their bodies and reproductive systems work. And don't get me started on the "safe sex" education debate...apparently women aren't listening.
Enough of my soap box...I'll get down now.
3 comments:
I'm clapping from the sidelines. I remember the first time I felt my baby move inside me - around 14 weeks. It was a flutter, but it was impossible to misidentify. For me the bond was instant, and I cannot imagine aborting a viable life! It really breaks my heart.
Seems to me that if a person is legally dead in this country when there is absent of both a heartbeat and brain wave, then the converse would be true as well: That you're legally alive once both are present.
It's my understanding that they've detected both together at roughly six weeks.
I'd like to think that a person's constitutional rights kick-in at that point.
Brent---yeah, I would think that too. But you can't infringe on a woman's right to do what she wants with her own body (dripping with sarcasm).
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