The abortion is issue is about choice. Should women have the option to choose to terminate their pregnancy or should the state be in charge of women's bodies? Personally, I am pro-choice. I do not believe that the government should have the power to make such a personal, emotionally decision for its citizens. Eliminating the possibility of legal abortion will only lead to overcrowded adoption centers, dangerous "back alley" abortions, and children that do not receive proper care because they were unwanted/unplanned.
Having perused two websites, the NARAL Pro-Choice America site and the National Right to Life site, I am still pro-choice. I found the NARAL site to be informative and easy to navigate, with information on not only abortion but birth control, sex ed, and adoption possibilities. I found the Right to Life site nauseating. I appreciate the interest NARAL takes in helping women and their dedication to getting the care and information they need, no matter what they end up choosing for their individual pregnancy. On the right to life site, I could hardly read the information, having been distracted by hideous graphic images and nauseating descriptions of abortion. Unfortunately, it seems the anti-choice party is winning this debate in small but permanent steps of legislation and with emotionally wrenching imagery. Nevertheless, I still believe that the pro-choice argument is more convincing.
While I am pro-choice, I do believe that parents should have knowledge of whether or not their child is seeking an abortion. They should be able to offer their opinions to the minor. However, I still believe that the ultimate decision should be up to the pregnant woman. After all, it is her body and her risk. I feel the same way about paternal notification. The father of the child should be notified, but the decision should still rest with the mother. He is not the one who will have to make sacrifices, carry a child, and face health risks and pain that accompany pregnancy and delivery.
I agree with the law that states that refusal to administer an abortion cannot be cause for discrimination or criminal liability. This is a heated issue, laced with emotional and religious undertones. Persons should never be forced to perform something as potentially compromising as an abortion. However, other laws seem to blatantly deny women access to proper care. Similar to the previous law, another piece of legislation allows medical personnel to deny women access to information on all of their options, specifically abortion. These and other laws do not help women in any way. While their name, TRAP laws, implies extreme bias towards the pro-choice movement, it cannot be denied that the laws restrict facilities where abortions could be provided, thus preventing women from getting the care they need in their home town, city, or even state. IL laws on abortion place unnecessary burdens on women who need options.
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