Dear Pro-Choicers, Let’s Talk Facts

Dear Pro-Choicers, 

I want to talk. Our country is divided on abortion and both sides spew hatred and judgment to the opposing side. I have a lot of questions and I want to better understand your argument and why you believe in a woman’s right to choose. I want you to better understand my argument and my belief that all life is valuable. These discussions may make us feel uncomfortable and perhaps fearful we will offend someone or initiate hostile arguments; however, fostering necessary and civil discussions is important to reach a solution. I do not believe that people who support the Pro-Choice argument are amoral or bad. I do not want to judge anyone who does not agree with me. In fact, I want to have a discussion. So, here is my Pro-Life argument and I hope it will help you better understand why a growing number of Americans agree with the Pro-Life stance. 

I am Pro-Life for a number of reasons. One of the biggest is because of my Christian faith; however, I do understand that not all Pro-Choicers (or Pro-Lifers) subscribe to Christianity, so for the sake of this argument, I will not rely on Biblical scripture or the Christian ideology to support my opinion(s). The fact of the matter is I am a Christian, but being a Christian is not the exclusive reason I am Pro-Life. While I do believe the Bible to be fact and science based (a topic for another discussion), not all agree; hence my focus on the legality, morality, and medically based support for my argument. So, let’s talk facts.

Why do you not believe a fetus is a baby? Why do you simplify life to a euphemism by saying ‘a clump of cells’? Is there science that backs this up? From what I understand, from the moment the sperm meets the egg, a unique DNA sequence is created making the baby unique and distinguishable from the mother. The baby has an identity that can be traced and is a separate entity from the mother. While the baby is at a different stage of development, he or she is not less valuable nor less human. Is it really justifiable to treat someone as lesser than because they are at a different age or developmental stage?

You may still argue that a fetus isn’t a baby or isn’t alive because he or she isn’t fully formed. I do not understand this either. By that same logic, anyone not fully developed can be ‘terminated’ which can be a person up to 25 years of age. To elaborate, NPR (National Public Radio), hosted neuroscientist, Sandra Aamodt to discuss brain development in 2011. Aamodt revealed that, “neuroscientists have caught up and brain scans show clearly that the brain is not fully finished developing until about age 25”. The neuroscientist goes on to explain that the prefrontal cortex does not complete its development until approximately age 25. Considering this, couldn’t there at least be the chance of a fallacy in the argument?

You may argue that you have a right to choose because it is your body. Again, is that entirely accurate? Based on the unique DNA sequence available from conception, aren’t women sharing their body with someone else? I have heard people who are Pro-Choice say that my Pro-Life beliefs infringe on the liberties of others — others being women. The way I see it, Pro-Lifers are defending the rights of the unborn, while the Pro-Choice movement infringes on a baby’s unalienable right to live. 

Not to mention, the heartbeat can be heard as early as 5 ½ weeks after conception and actually begins around 22 days after conception. How can a beating heart not signify the presence of life? How can a growing baby still be considered a ‘clump of cells’? Two people of the opposite sex are required to form a child. Isn’t a woman’s right to choose infringing on the father’s parental rights? Does a father have no say in his child’s well being? 

You say that being Pro-Choice directly corresponds with being Pro-Woman. I vehemently disagree. So many women opt for an abortion because they believe having a child will be a burden on their life. Our culture and society tends to shame women who get pregnant at a young age. Our culture and society punishes women who begin the journey of motherhood at an ‘inconvenient time’ in their career. Considering pregnancy is one of the most beautiful, valuable, and unique aspects of the female sex, shouldn’t we choose to embrace it? Pro-Life Advocate Lila Rose argues that, 

We should dare to have a better view for America and our women by saying we shouldn’t believe and have to think that women need abortion and that we have to kill our children to achieve the dreams and the careers and families that we want. I think we can do better than that as a society. Women deserve better. I think we should fight at the community level for programs that are positive, that help women if they’re single mothers. We should improve the foster care system. I think we should improve the adoption system so we can welcome children into this country instead of seeing them as a threat and killing them by the thousands each day.

Also during this CNN debate, Lila Rose is questioned on women turning to self-abortion because their states tightened abortion laws and if her beliefs are forcing women to dangerous and extreme options. She answers, 

Why are [the women who choose abortion] in that position? Why are they in the position to feel like abortion is their only option? Could it be because a boss didn’t want to promote them, because a boyfriend was going to leave them, or a university professor said we’re not going to be flexible our class schedule? Let’s look at the reasons. Let’s address those reasons but let’s not turn to killing, dismembering, poisoning, let’s not turn to killing our littlest Americans as a solution. 

One of the most well-known debates for the Pro-Choice argument is abortion because of rape, incest, danger to the mother, abnormalities, and social or economic reasons. The Agency for Health Care Administration breaks these numbers down. As an example, in the year 2018, 70,239 abortions were reported in the state of Florida. Of that total number, 53,000 were elective; this means the mother decided she did not want a child. 8 abortions were performed because of incest and 101 because of rape. 14,031 abortions were performed because of social and economic reasons. Again, why don’t we fix our broken systems before we resort to the killing of infants? Furthermore, why is a child conceived of rape less valuable? Why is a child with Down syndrome less valuable? Why does a woman get the right to choose if another human being lives or dies? What kind of message does that send? 

In 2004, The Unborn Victims of Violence Act was passed. Under this (Public Law 108-212) anyone who, “engages in conduct that…causes the death of, or bodily injury to, a child who is in the utero at the time of the conduct takes place, is guilty of a separate offense”. Furthermore, this act defines unborn child as, “a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development who is carried in the womb”. By this standard, the only thing allowing the termination of a pregnancy is a woman deciding her child is not worth the effort. 

Again, I do not want judge you based on your beliefs. I simply want us to understand each other. In the end, don’t we both want what is best for women, children, and families? We only disagree on how to arrive at that point.

With love,

A Pro-Lifer