Abortion: Divider of a Nation
A sixteen year old girl, bright and promising, lives in a low income home. She becomes pregnant and knows she will not be able to support her baby. She feels as if her world has come crashing down. She knows she has options, but she still doesn’t know what to do. If the girl had asked a Democrat what to do, the Democrat would have told her abortion was the way to go. If the girl had asked a Republican, she would have been told to give the baby to an adoption agency. Abortion is a topic that divides America.
Abortion is either a right or a crime; it just depends on who you ask. According to a Pew Research Center poll, approximately 75% of those affiliated with the Democratic party believe abortion should be legal (“Fingerhut”). Many Democrat leaders enter elections with a platform of protecting women’s rights. These leaders promise to fight for abortions to remain legal. On the other hand, Republicans feel almost the polar opposite. 65% of the Republicans polled by the Pew Research Center believe abortions should be illegal most of the time (“Fingerhut”). Many Republicans believe abortions are acceptable only when the mother is in danger. Any other reason is viewed as a crime. Leaders of this party have declared a war on abortion and will not stop until it is illegal.
Although both parties feel strongly about abortion, only one uses it as a main point during elections. The majority of Democrats believe abortion should be legal with little or no questions asked. They tend to be social justice warriors when running for office. They promise rights for women, members of the LGBT community, and immigrants. Democrats are dead set on the belief that it is a woman’s right to have access to abortion. Republicans, on the other hand, focus more on the economy and creating more jobs. Abortion is not an election platform for many Republicans, but when it is brought up, abortion is painted as an inexcusable crime.
There are two main arguing points with abortion. The first point is the time at which a baby is considered a baby. Members of the Democratic party believe a baby is not created until about twelve weeks along. At this point in the pregnancy, an embryo becomes a fetus. By week twelve, all of the fetus’s important systems, including the nerves, bones, muscles, and lungs, are developed. Democrats believe that prior to this point the fetus is just a bundle of cells. Republicans believe a baby is from the time of conception; therefore, an abortion would be considered the murder of a human at any point during the pregnancy. Since the killing of children and adults are crimes harshly persecuted, Republicans believe abortions should be treated the same way.
So, whose body is it? This question is differently answered by the two political parties. Democrats persist that the woman’s body comes before the baby in priority. Their famous catchphrase is, “my body, my choice.” They believe since the woman is carrying the baby, it should be her decision whether or not to continue the pregnancy. In contrast, members of the Republican party agree that a baby is its own being. The baby develops its own systems and is independent from the mother’s body. Therefore, the baby should have its own rights. Among these rights is the right to life. Aborting a pregnancy is considered a murder of a human. They argue that killing someone is a crime, so abortion should be outlawed everywhere in the majority of cases.
Although Democrats and Republicans are on polar opposite sides of this issue, they agree on one thing. Both parties agree that abortions are acceptable in the scenario that the mother or baby are in danger. It is no surprise Democrats are okay with life-threatening scenario abortions. In fact, many of the members of this party are okay with scenarios where the baby cannot be supported. For example, if a teenager in a low income home becomes pregnant, abortion is acceptable. Democrats continue to urge funding for Planned Parenthood in order to keep this possible. Planned Parenthood offers abortions along with cancer screening, birth control, sex education, and many other things to women. The real surprise is that many Republicans think abortion is okay in the case of a dangerous pregnancy. If a mother will die because she continues with a pregnancy, abortion is the best option. However, to Republicans, this is the only case in which abortion should not be a crime.
When presented with the previously stated scenario of the pregnant teenager, adoption becomes the number one option for Republicans. The baby should be carried to term and then given to someone to be cared for. They believe there is no need for Planned Parenthood. They believe if Planned Parenthood was to be defunded, more people will choose adoption over abortion. Although this seems like a solid plan, there are some flaws. The major flaw is the fact that there are over 400,000 children already in the foster care system (“Foster Care”). Republicans have plans of making the foster care system better. Democrats argue that it is better to not bring a child into a bad situation. Republicans want babies to have a chance at life outside the womb.
Roe V. Wade, a 1973 law passed by the Supreme Court, keeps abortion legal in all fifty states. However, this doesn’t stop lawmakers from trying to either belittle or empower this law. In traditionally Democratic states, laws on abortion are more liberal. Both Hawaii and Connecticut do not require medical justification to undergo the procedure. Most of the blue states have bans after twenty weeks. Some states, such as Florida, Massachusetts, and New York, have the longest ban at twenty four weeks. This allows abortions up until the start of the second trimester, well after the baby’s systems have developed. Red states, including Alabama, Mississippi, and Iowa, have more conservative laws to limit the number of abortions. Both Alabama and Mississippi have a law in place that would make abortions illegal automatically if Roe V. Wade was to be overturned. Iowa has the shortest ban of all fifty states at only six weeks. Many women do not find out they are pregnant until approximately three to four weeks along, so this makes abortions virtually impossible for women in Iowa. Regardless of the political leaning of the state, many states require both counseling and a waiting period. This prevents women from making spur of the moment choices.
Abortion is a very complex issue and continues to be a main point for those running in elections. Democrat leaders promise to keep them legal. They plan to continue funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers. They want to create an environment where women are not pressured into having a baby. On the contrary, Republicans leaders promise their followers stricter laws on abortions. They want to defund any abortion provider. Republicans have an end goal of making adoption the best choice for expectant mothers who cannot provide for their children. Both parties have children in mind. Democrats don’t want babies to be born into negligent situations. Republicans don’t want babies to be killed before they are given a chance at life. As of now, Roe V. Wade stands and protects abortions in America; however, Republican leaders have talked of trying to reverse this law. The laws on abortion will always be based on which party is in power. If common ground is not found between Democrats and Republicans, abortion will continue to harsly divide this country.
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