A Woman’s Right to Choose
Abortion is one of the most controversial subjects that is argued in our country today. The major controversy, when discussing abortion is whether or not abortion should be legal. This subject has been argued for many years and will most likely continued to be argued for years to come. Before we get into the different viewpoint’s of abortion, it is necessary to understand what abortion actually is. Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the induced removal of an embryo or fetus which results in death of the embryo or fetus. Being that a fetus is not an actual living human being and is merely a potential human being, I believe that aborting the fetus is merely the right of the person carrying the fetus. “Rights” in Ayn Rand’s words, “Do not pertain to potential, only an actual human being. A child cannot acquire rights until it is born” (Peikoff). It is only this base that we can support the woman’s political right to do what she chooses in this issue. No other person, not even her husband, has the right to dictate what she may do with her own body. That is a fundamental principle of freedom (Peikoff).
In 1973, Roe v. Wade was a decision made by the United States supreme court in regard to abortion. The court held that the constitutional right to privacy extends to a woman’s right to have an abortion. Roe v. Wade changed national politics and divided the nation into so called “pro-choice” and “pro-life camps“. When looking at the term “pro-life,” that is used by many abortion rights advocates, it is important to realize that it is a mother’s right to her life that gives her the right to terminate her pregnancy. A woman has the own right’s to her body as she should. A fetus however does not have any rights, nor a right to be in the mother’s womb which is a part of her body. The fetus is allowed to be there by permission of the mother. This permission may be revoked at any time because the womb is a part of her body....