In 1973, the government legalized murder. Nearly “1.5 million babies” are murdered every year by means of abortion (Abortion 1). Some say abortion is a woman’s right, but what about the child’s right? A child is a gift from God who deserves every right to live. Many pro-choice activists do not consider a fetus to be living, but “a baby’s heart beats eighteen days after conception” (Abortion 1). A beating heart is a symbol of life and to intentionally stop the beating of a heart is murder. Abortion must be put to an end before more innocent children are tragically put to death.
Women have been receiving abortions for many years. In the past, abortions were not legal, but most women continued to have them illegally. These illegal abortions were known as “back alley” abortions. In the 1960’s, “the number of illegal abortions ranged from 200,000 to 1,200,000 annually” (DISCovering World History 2). In 1973, the government decided these thousands of murders should be made legal. The case of Roe v. Wade was the cause of this disaster. The court’s decision stated that, “During the first three months of pregnancy, the first trimester, the choice must be left to the woman. In months four through six, the state was given a very limited ability to restrict the woman’s choice. During the third trimester, the viability stage, the state may regulate or prohibit abortion entirely, except where the abortion procedure is necessary to preserve the life or health of the mother” (DISCovering World History 2). This decision caused much controversy. Before the court’s decision, “about 500,000 abortions were performed and that number doubled by 1978” (DISCovering World History 3). Today, about “three out of ten pregnancies end in an abortion” (DISCovering World History 3).
Many people have asked questions as to why a woman would choose to have an abortion. They find it hard to understand why someone would want to kill an innocent child. Some people side with the fact that a woman...