Life

 The Declaration of Independence states that as a nation we value three things above all else. Those are the individual's right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I always find it interesting that the first mentioned is life. Maybe it is just coincidence. Maybe it just had a better flow to it. To me, life seems to be the most important of the three. It all starts with life. Once life is taken from an individual, the rest are impossible (obviously). 

Most everyone knows about Roe v Wade. It is probably the most well known Supreme Court decision ever. Some, if not most probably think this was when abortion started. The opposite is true. It is not new to mankind and was legal in about forty percent of America before 1973. What Roe v Wade did was end the prohibition of abortion in the rest of the nation. Since then there have been rulings that have decided how states could regulate abortions. 

It is time to end abortion. How do we end it? We need an amendment to the Constituion. Why? As it stands now, abortion is Constitutional. The Constituion does provide that the government stays out of an individual's life unless there is some kind of cause. It does not differentiate between a mother and the fetus. In fact, based on the 14th Amendment the fetus has no Constitutional rights. That would make Roe v Wade the correct ruling under our current Constitution. 

What is life? Many say that pro-lifers base their view of life on religion. I would agree with them. I, however do not. My view of life is based on science. The following are the criteria for life.

    Growth

    Stimulus Response

    Metabolism

    Homeostasis 

    Reproduction

    Mutation

    Autonomous Motion

A fetus either has all of these qualities or the potential to develop them all. If one says that they do not deserve the same rights to life as a person that has been born because they are not fully developed then I ask what about a five year old child? They do not posses the criteria of reproduction yet. Is it ok to eliminate their life? What about the person who is too old to reproduce? Should the decision to end their life be another's to make? What about a person who has chosen to stop their body from reproducing?  Is it ok to kill them? Are any of these people less human? Any reasonable person would say no.

I also believe that every individual has a soul. That is based on the philosophers that I have read. The only place religion plays in it is that killing without cause is a sin.

Why then do we believe the fetus does not have the right to life? Because they are still inside the mother? Many say they are apart of the mother's body and it is the mother's decision to choose what to do with that life. I say that the fetus is a seperate human life. While the child is dependent on the mother to stay alive this doesn't diminish their individuality. Does the mother control the fetus' movements? When the fetus is hungry? When the fetus sleeps? 

Many bring up the subject of children conceived as a result of rape or incest. I can't say that I have any answers on this subject. I can only ask questions. If I believe that all life begins at conception and all life deserves to keep life until there is due process taking that life, how can I say it is ok to end one but not another? If a man rapes a woman then is ok to punish a child? Do we punish for the sins of the father? What about the psychological effects on the mother? Would it be ok to abort the child that was conceived during consensual sex, if the father killed someone during the pregnancy and the mother does not want to be reminded of him via his child? Does having an abortion help the woman psychologically? Does she suddenly forget the rape? I have never had to face the tramua of sexual assualt. I don't even pretend to know what someone who has had to endure such a terrible act feels like. I have no clue what I would say to my daughters if one went through it. I think I would just ask them these same questions. 

For my pro-choice friends, I do not believe you are evil. I do believe abortion is an evil act. I do not wish for you to go to Hell. We have a difference of opinion on the subject. You are trying to protect the liberty of the woman. That is a noble cause. Having two daughters, I never want someone taking away their God-given rights. I also want all life to be protected. Innocent life needs the most protection of all. We must amend the constitution to protect life from the beginning and that is conception.