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AbortionAbortion refers to the physical act of purging, either by choice or accident, of a human fetus from a woman’s womb. Abortion is a highly explosive subject, as it touches on two of the fundamental tenets of modern civilization; an individual’s right to live and an individual’s right to decide. It represents a volatile mixture of morality, ethics, enlightened jurisprudence, individual rights, personal choice and religion. FAST FACTS ON ABORTION• The Center For Disease Control (CDC, Department of Health) is the federal overseeing body for abortions. • Annually, there is an estimated 1.4 million abortion performed (one abortion every twenty seconds) • One fifth (22 percent) of all pregnancies end with induced abortions. The conflict over abortion is divided between two camps; the pro-life and the pro-choice. Pro-life supporters essentially reject the idea of abortion on religious, moral and ethical grounds. They seek to overturn the landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision in the case of Roe v. Wade, which they blame for the approximately 53 million cases of abortions since. The ruling is seen by many pro-life advocates as extra-constitutional, and is a classic display of judicial activism that ignores the letter of the law and the rights of an unborn child. Pro-choice proponents meanwhile are unequivocally against the idea of any government involvement or influence in what they consider as ultimately, a woman’s choice to make. They reject attempts to narrow down the issue to a single factor, ignoring the numerous extenuating circumstances surrounding the issue. CENTRAL ISSUESPro-Life The rights of the unborn Pro-choice The rights of the mother Federal ban on abortions The 30-year debate saw a sudden increase of interest in the matter last year following allegations by Republicans and pro-life groups that President Obama’s health care bill will open the floodgates for indirect government funding of abortions. A bi-partisan “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” (H.R. 3) legislation was passed in the House of Representative in early May. The bill would permanently prevent federal funds from being used for abortions or on any related expenditures or insurance coverage. It remains to be seen whether the bill would be able to pass the Senate unchanged. In the event that it unexpectedly does, there is still the President and his veto to contend with. Adoption A third alternative, proposed mainly by pro-life advocates, who argues that adoptions are a more humane approach compared to abortions. Pro-choice supporters, while not rejecting the idea outright, contends that adoption causes the same, if not a higher, level of emotional trauma to mothers. In addition, there is also the question of pressures being placed on mothers burdened under economic hardships, thus raising the specter of legalized human trafficking. Roe v. Wade Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113 / 1973) was a historic and still controversial decision made by the United States Supreme Court on 22 January 1973, a decision that continues to reverberate to this very day. The Court ruled that a woman, based on the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution’s Bill of Rights, has the legitimate right to abort her pregnancy. In addition, the Court also ruled that a human fetus only possesses the potential for life, and thus, cannot be considered as an individual yet, therefore, denying it any constitutional rights. The case was initially filed in Texas by one Norma McCorvey against the DA of Dallas County, Texas, Henry B. Wade, in March 1970. The Texan Court ruled in favor of the defendants and declared abortion illegal, a decision that was overturned by the Supreme Court less than three years later. Parental notification Parental notification requires underage mothers to seek the consent of their parents for any abortion-related procedures. Proponents argue that this ensures the involvement of an adult in the decision making process. Critics, however, feel that the presence of trained medical personnel negates the argument and believes that such measures merely alienate and frequently cause additional mental distress to minors. Parental notification is currently required by law in 41 states in the country. Parental Consent Parental consent takes the process of parental notification a step further by requiring the permission of parents to be obtained prior to any abortion-related procedures. Currently, 23 states require parental consent for any procedures involving minors. Spousal Consent (A Father’s Right) The question of whether a biological father has the right to share in the decision making process appeared to be settled in the aftermath of the 1992 case between the Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (505 U.S. 833). The Supreme Court found in the favor of the plaintiffs and ruled that the five provisions of the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act, one of which was the spousal consent clause, were unconstitutional. Planned Parenthood The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) is one of the nation’s biggest service providers for child health, maternal and reproductive health care in the country. It is the largest and most respected pro-choice organization in the country and is a recipient of federal funding under the Federal Family Planning program. Planned Parenthood also happens to be the biggest provider of assisted abortions in the country, accounting for 3% of all their health care programs. Pro-life activist and Republicans in Congress have for years attempted to curtail federal funding from the organization, citing that these funding allows the Federation to divert their resources to assisted-abortions. Several battles and three legislations have been tabled over the past two decades, with the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” (H.R. 3) bill being the latest after being passed by the House of Representative to the Senate. Embryonic stem cell research Embryonic stem cells are cells derived from pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ES) from human blastocysts found in adult bone marrows, human embryos and umbilical cords. Scientists hopes to eventually harness the technology for use in human transplantation therapy involving the nervous system, organs and appendages. However, bone marrow stem cell extraction carries a high probability of permanent ancillary and second level damages, besides being of lower stem cell content. There are fears that the pharmaceutical industry, opportunists and middle men would leverage the current standoff in the debate over abortion to their advantage in the form of a rich and a cheap source of stem cells from aborted fetuses. |
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