The Abortion

Today, most of the campaigns try to capture the thoughts of the audience to the abortion debate. In the Webster dictionary, abortion is referred to as something unnatural or a misshapen. In medical terms, abortion means to terminate the development of a fetus from attaining full development through artificial means. In Anne Sexton’s first poem, “Someone who should have been born is gone,” the abortion act is shown to have occurred in a deliberate manner (Sexton, 1962). The angle notwithstanding, abortion is cruel, and mothers who accept to abort should be held accountable. The religious standpoint is one of the oldest arguments on this unnatural act. People who support the choice of abortion should know that they are playing or undertaking the role of the “creator,” which is wrong. It is true that the debate surrounding abortion is a moral one rather than one on values or numbers. People should focus on the moral ethics and principles and stop abortion in society. Although Christianity has been on the forefront in the campaign against abortion, other religions like Islam, Buddhism, Baha’ism, and Hinduism do not support the unkind act. For one reason or the other, the number of women resulting to abortion has decreased. In some countries, abortion has been banned, and women are forced to be responsible for their actions. This essay focuses on different ways on why abortion is wrong and how an individual can avoid the act.

In her poem, “Live,” Sexton justifies her abortion act. It is almost true that the author had an abortion. Sexton says, “Death has been here for long” (Sexton, 1962). This statement implies that if she performs the unnatural act; it is a death like any other. She is not about to change anything about death and everything religious about children or fetuses are obscene when it comes to her “…dwarf heart” and conscience. She describes the abortion ordeal as a mutilation, a ritual that results into a cooked human body. The thought of mutilated and cooked human body disgusts her, and she is provoked to call the mother of the aborted fetus a “damn bitch.” Even after those disgusting thoughts, she is convinced that she has to go on and perform the act. She cannot accept a child she does not intend to raise. In addition to that, she cannot “dress” or cover the body to avoid seeing the truth, which is a dead fetus. Sexton admits that, whichever way she thinks, the fetus is dead and nothing that can be done to reverse the act because death has been is natural and the end to everything (Sexton, 1962).

Abortion opposes the principles of the sanctity of human life. The life of a human being starts at conception, and abortion is the same as murder because it puts an end to development of a fetus. Sexton accepts this fact when she says that “…today life opened inside me like an egg” (Sexton, 1962). A fetus is not a lesser person because it is alive only that it does not have the power to make a choice. Therefore, it is senseless and against the tenets of society for a person to purposely take the life of another innocent person.

Even though people claim that abortion is a clean act, the immorality on the subject of abortion makes it an unethical act. In real life, any person will run away if threatened with death. This scenario is the same during abortion. A blood sample taken from an aborted baby had a high level of hormones produced when a human being is feeling pain. This disqualifies the propositions made by pro-choice people that, during abortion, the fetuses do not feel pain.

In her abortion ordeal, Sexton feels that her “body was sawed off her trunk” (Sexton, 1962). This statement shows that she acknowledges that the child that she aborted was a part of her body and soul. At some point, it is as if her life was amputated. At any point, if people take a critical look on the three ways of performing abortion, none can be said to be clean or ethical. The first method of hysterectomy is where the abdomen and the uterus of the mother are cut, and the fetus is severed at the cord. The sad thing about this method is that the fetus is very much alive when this act is being done. The baby or fetus is put into cold water or chopped, an inhumane act for any person with a sound mind. This is the same as suffocating an adult. In the second method, a highly concentrated salt solution is injected into the amniotic sac. This solution is so strong such that the baby convulses and its skin peels and the body looks like that of a skinless person. After the baby ingests this solution, it passes on. The third method is removing the baby from the uterus using a suction pump. This pump is 30 times more powerful than the ordinary vacuum cleaner used to clean household surfaces. The hose jerks as it sucks the pieces of the baby. Finally, the person performing this act has to reassemble the pieces and make a complete baby. The only thing that such a baby lacks is life that has been sucked into the suction pump and the conscious of the person performing the act. After the abortion, Sexton asks the reader if life is something that people can play with at will. This implies that people have chosen to play their games and yet they do not want to be held responsible. They avoid responsibility through “…getting rid of it” (Sexton, 1962).

It is very easy to avoid an abortion because so many couples are childless, and are willing to adopt a child. Instead of ending an innocent life, one should just give birth and give it up for adoption. If the baby is left to grow, it becomes an adult. If an adult is killed, the act is termed murder and the killer faces capital punishment or gets extended jail terms. This implies that, persons conspiring to commit an abortion should also face the same charges as those who killed an adult. In Live, Sexton talks of “dressing the naked and dead body” (Sexton, 1962). This statement implies that no amount of persuasion or justification can make the crime of abortion to be correct or moral.

The woman who undergoes abortion is at a very high risk of getting an ectopic pregnancy, which is life threatening. In addition to that, the woman has a very high chance of getting a pelvic inflammatory disease. Most women who have aborted have had miscarriages in their next pregnancies. If the abortion is not conducted in a clean place, the woman may get secondary infections that may lead to the loss of the uterus or other life-threatening conditions like over bleeding.

In cases of rape, a woman should ensure that they have received medical care. This will ensure that the woman does not get pregnant. According to Sexton, abortion is an act that punishes the unborn baby who has committed no crime. The perpetrator of the crime, “the damn bitch” is the one should be punished.

Any woman who has undergone abortion risks the stability of her mental health. Sexton says that if a person commits an abortion, “…people will be yelling at you, taunting your sickness” (Sexton, 1962). In this case, Sexton is referring to is mental suffering and depression whose chances of occurrence increase by tenfold after an abortion. During abortion, the cervix and integrity of the womb is lowered. This implies that the cervix and the womb are stretched within the shortest time possible, a process that should occur naturally. Subsequently, this increases the chances of having a future miscarriage because the integrity of the cervix has already been compromised.

Before any sexual engagement, a woman should bear in mind that abortion is not one of the contraception methods. Responsible women should know that they have to be in control of their bodies especially their reproductive systems. Control of reproduction includes complete abstinence from any sexual engagement or use of contraceptives to avoid any unwanted pregnancy. It is vital to note that, many of the young people who choose to abort are misinformed or ill advised. There should be appropriate counseling before a person is left to choose. The parents of the young people should suggest alternative methods to abortion like putting the baby up for adoption. One case that should discourage persons from aborting is that of the late Apple Chief Executive Officer, Steve Jobs. Jobs’ grandparents disapproved the relationship between his father and mother. Jobs’ parents were advised to put him up for adoption. If he were aborted, then Apple Inc. would not be around to transform the world of technology and the lives of millions.

In conclusion, people should embrace all levels of humanity and do the right acts. Any sexual act whether intended or not will lead to pregnancy. Rape or incest does not have to result to a pregnancy when a person can receive proper medical care to avert the situation. On foundations of morality, abortion will always be a crime because it involves the termination of a human being who has not committed any crime.