Abortion Should be Illegal Due to Moral and Ethical Reasons
ASSIGNMENT: Using your outline and annotated bibliography from Touchstones 1.2 and 2.2, draft a 6-8 page argumentative research essay on your chosen topic.
In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.
As this assignment builds on Touchstone 2.2: Create an Annotated Bibliography, that Touchstone, as well as Touchstone 3.1, must be graded before you can submit your research essay draft.
Sample Touchstone 3
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
1. Argumentative Thesis Statement
❒ Have you included a thesis in your introduction that takes a clear, specific position on one side of a debatable issue?
2. Argument Development
❒ Are all of the details relevant to the purpose of your essay?
❒ Is the argument supported using rhetorical appeals and source material?
❒ Is your essay 6-8 pages (approximately 1500-2000 words, not including your references or reflection question responses)? If not, which details do you need to add or remove?
3. Research
❒ Have you cited outside sources effectively using quotation, summary, or paraphrase techniques?
❒ Are the sources incorporated smoothly, providing the reader with signal phrases and context for the source information?
❒ Have you referenced a range of at least 7 credible sources?
❒ Have you properly cited your sources according to APA style guidelines?
❒ Have you included an APA style reference page below your essay?
4. Reflection
❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses?
❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
B. Reflection
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
Provide one example of a place where you have used rhetorical appeals or source material to support your argument. How does this enhance your essay? (2-3 sentences)
Touchstone 4 is a revision of this draft. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you as you revise? Are there parts of your draft that you’re uncertain of? (3-4 sentences)
Touchstone 3.2: Argumentative Research Essay
Name
Sophia Learning
ENG 123
English Composition II
March 17, 2023
Touchstone 3.2: Argumentative Research Essay on Abortion
Introduction
The global society is rapidly changing, and new ideas and practices come with these changes. Some of these ideas and practices are quite controversial, as they tend to go against the conventional and traditional approach to things. One of the most controversial issues is abortion. Today, abortion is controversially debated across the world. While some countries have accepted the practice of abortion, others have refrained from making it legal. There is an equal share of supporters and critics of abortion among different scholars and policymakers. In the United States, statistical evidence indicates that abortion cases are increasing. Abortion has its own impacts on the women and society at large. The National Library of Medicine revealed that women experience negative consequences post-abortion, such as increased mental health issues like depression, death, and low fertility issues. A 2015 report from the Guardian revealed that there are more than 47 million women engaged in abortion worldwide, out of which 26.1 million are conducted in an unsafe manner. This is a worrying trend when we look at it from the perspective of lives lost. Therefore, this research paper is an argumentative essay that argues abortion should be illegal due to Moral and ethical reasons.
Arguments Against Abortion
Morality Objections to Abortion
Morality around High Numbers
The high number of abortions across the United States is clear evidence that something needs to be done to stop abortion practices. It is disturbing to think about the many people who lose their lives in abortion practices and the many aborted unborn babies. The consequences of abortion are more diverse in scope. As much as some states have declared abortion to be a woman’s right, the consequences of abortion devastate many people, including the father of the child and the unborn baby. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed more than 620327 abortions in the United States in 2020 (Kortsmit et al., 2021). According to KFF.org, the states that topped the list of abortions are the state of Michigan with reportedly 29669 abortions, The state of Florida with 74868 abortions, Illinois with 46243 and Texas with 55132 abortions in 2020. These figures should be huge enough to probe the government to make the government put a stop to it. Abortion raises the issue of morality, as to the nature of the act itself is a violation of human rights; particularly the right to life. The most immoral thing humans have engaged in is killing an unborn child. Many religious groups, such as the Catholics, support this view. Even unreligious people should be able to agree that taking someone’s life can never and should not be considered to be the right thing; hence abortion is immoral. Abortion is more like murder, denying someone the right to live.
The National library of medicine journal named ‘The abortion and mental health controversy' states that abortion is immoral since it leads to negative consequences on the participants and should hence be illegal (Reardon, 2018). An immoral thing to society is that which causes harm. The other aspect of immorality from abortion is that is completely distorts the fabric of society when it comes to how society values life. Society will now start viewing life as something that is not so valuable, thereby completely changing the conventional perspectives about the sanctity of life. Such alteration of the moral fabric can have long-term and permanent impacts on society. Abortion causes harm to both the participants and society. A vast majority of women experience depression after engaging in abortion (Reardon, 2018). The journal revealed that women who have been exposed to abortion previously and those exposed to anti-abortion picketing are at a much higher risk of being depressed after engaging in abortion.
Ethical Objections to Abortion
Ethics around Abortion: Fetus Feels Pain
Research studies reveal that abortion causes significant pain to the fetus. An article in the journal of medical ethics named 'Reconsidering Fetal Pain' revealed that it is necessary to consider all types of pains to be important regardless of whether an unborn child experiences it. This report revealed that for a long time, there had been an assumption that the fetus only starts to feel pain after 24 weeks (MU School of Medicine. (n.d.). This report reveals that all forms of abortion, regardless of the gestation period, can feel some pain. This raises the question of whether the states that have legalized abortion considered the ethicality associated with the fetus's pain. According to Derbyshire and Bockmann(2020), it is estimated that there are 56 million induced abortions each year, corresponding to 25% of all pregnancies. It is not ethical at all medically to conduct abortions while knowing that the fetus is feeling pain (Miller, 2022). The Center of Heath Ethics argues that it is not morally right to treat the fetus in such a manner; hence abortion is an unethical act (MU School of Medicine. (n.d.). The Center of Health cites arguments that have been debated over the years, with some scholars stating that the fetus's moral status changes as it develops. At no point should the fetus lose its moral status during the development cycle.
Alternatives to Abortion
There are numerous alternatives to abortion. One of the possible alternatives is adoption. Adoption, commonly known as legal guardianship, is a good alternative that mothers can adopt. This method is safer and life-saving to both the mother and the baby. None of the parties is subjected to something unethical or morally unacceptable (Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.). There are so many people across the world who are not able to have children of their own due to various medical reasons. Hence, adopting children could not only resolve the ethics around abortion but also ensure that women undergoing depression due to a lack of children get children to take care of and live a more satisfying life. Adoption is a win-win alternative since it ensures that the child lives and the mother doesn't fear having a child.
Another alternative to abortion is contraception and prevention. There are so many ways of preventing pregnancy. In this modern era, women should be more proactive in avoiding unwanted pregnancies that lead them to have last-resort alternatives like abortion. (Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.). The government should equally focus on educating women on the many contraceptive menthids available so that they can have more awareness. Contraceptives should also be available at a cheaper rate to ensure everyone gets them and avoid unwanted pregnancies.
While contraception and prevention are an alternative, counselling and assistance programs are equally viable alternatives to abortion. These programs can be based in all healthcare institutions. ...