Abortion a Modest Proposal: Abortion for Two

Abortion

A Modest Proposal: Abortion for Two

Perhaps the most significant debate of recent decades on a political, religious, and social level is that of abortion. Many questions are raised about whether this is a justified right inherent to any fertile woman, or an inhumane practice fostered by a barbaric society. Those who believe it is not right to abort the unborn struggle to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to get an abortion in hopes that fewer of these operations will take place. People who disagree with abortion-opponents will fight back, defending those seeking to end a pregnancy and make antiabortion actions into moot points. Even those who feel that abortion is not necessarily wrong are torn when making policies and regulations that are intended to make the process as easy as possible for those who seek the procedure, while still protecting everyone involved. Both groups are striving to have a positive impact on the world as a whole, even though the goals of each group may seem like polar opposites. What middle ground can stand between these warring sides without being shot down and destroyed by the crossfire? The only compromise that could possibly exist between the pro-life and pro-choice factions must be just as radical as either of the two, yet innovative, unexpected, and somehow quite natural. The solution to the question of abortion policy may be answered by the proposal that indeed, every mother should have the choice to end her pregnancy at any stage, but the standard procedure should include euthanasia for the expectant mother as well as the unborn fetus. Termination of the mother and child together has many benefits that will appeal to both the pro-choice groups that believe in continuing legalized abortion as well as the pro-life groups that believe abortion should be stopped.

Those who do not oppose abortion are known as "pro-choice" because their stance is based on the rights of people to have the power to make their own choices in life, and also based on the idea that making the right choice will have a positive impact on the lives of those immediately involved as well as on the world as a whole. Many pro-choicers would in fact not decide to personally have an abortion in all circumstances, based on what is right for that particular situation. Women choose to terminate their pregnancies because they believe this is the right choice for themselves and the others involved in the situation. Because of this philosophy, it makes perfect sense that if it has been carefully decided that death is appropriate for the circumstances, then the mother should get to be involved in this as well. Many girls arguing for abortion will admit, for example, "I wish my mother had aborted me." These girls were not given a choice to be aborted when their mother was pregnant; the choice was taken out of their hands. Allowing the mother to take herself out of the situation along with the fetus will give that choice back to her. Laws have, in the past, allowed abortion only as a means of preventing the death of the mother, even when the mother wanted to die, which is counterproductive. "California has legalized 'therapeutic abortion' in 1967, women had to go before a panel of doctors and plead their cases in order to have legally sanctioned, in-hospital procedures. They had to say they'd commit suicide unless they had an abortion." (Baird-Windle) Why not just assist the girls in committing suicide in a medically sound way? Additionally, abortion is a popular option for those seeking to combat the growing problems of overpopulation in the world. With birth rates growing at an astounding rate, supporting birth control methods of many sorts is necessary to avoid disastrous conditions in the world that would lead to hunger, disease, and misery throughout the world populations. It is believed that sacrificing or preventing one life through abortion (depending on the individual's perspective) is actually saving lives. With this in mind, it is easy to see the benefits of ending the mother as well as the fetus, as this will lead to twice the impact on slowing the population growth. Organizations such as the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement will point out that, "Having babies" is not so much the problem -- having adults is what's causing the problems." (Knight) Many women also choose abortion as means of avoiding the pain and suffering that would be involved in completing the pregnancy and child-birthing process, as well as the pain that the child will experience later in life. They may not realize, however, that current abortion procedures are painful and terrifying for the mother, and some speculate for the fetus as well. The physical suffering during and immediately following, as well as the post-partum-like depression and mental anguish caused by imbalanced hormones, can come as an unpleasant surprise to unprepared patients. Additionally, women who have had an abortion are far more likely to develop painful and recurring disorders involving the reproductive organs and also sexual dysfunction. This pain could be easily avoided through a simple and painless procedure that would allow both the mother and unborn child to avoid the pain of separation