Opening statement
Abortion remains one of the more serious moral issues in America today. The controversy over its legal and moral status rages on. Pro-Life is often referred to as Anti-Abortion. Pro-Choice is often referred to Pro-Abortion. This opening argument against the immorality of abortion is simple, short and largely unoriginal: the arguments have all been voiced and heard a thousand times before. As a result, important pieces of my argument, and sources of evidence, will inevitably appear in rebuttals. What I present now is essentially the reason that I, personally and at the present time, do not regard abortion as immoral and would not approve of outlawing it. I support the right of a woman to choose, it is not the governments place to dictate this most personal of decisions for a woman. Every child should be a wanted child, and my bill will protect the rights of a woman to choose if she is ready to support a child or not. If abortion is outlawed, women will be forced to go to back-alley abortion clinics or they will be self induced. Abortion cannot be stopped, we should keep providing a safe and healthy way for a woman to have this procedure.
Becky Bell was the all-American student who, at 17, became pregnant. Becky lived in Indiana one of thirty-five states that required her to get her parent's or a judge's permission to terminate her pregnancy. Too embarrassed to talk with her parents, Becky took the risk of having an illegal abortion. The decision cost Becky her life. Within a week of the procedure, she became seriously ill and died from a massive infection.
Becky Bell was a pretty girl -- blonde hair, blue eyes, looking every inch a cheerleader. After a pregnancy scare, her parents told her that if she ever did that to them again, they'd throw her out of the house. So when 17-year-old Becky learned that she really was pregnant, she turned to her best friend Heather for help. Together they explored her options. If Becky were to get an...