Dear Next President of the United States,

Even though I’m only in eighth grade and cannot vote, I do find the election interesting. I’ve heard many issues that are happening throughout the country such as equal rights, healthcare, etc. The one I care mostly about, and, according to an article in WHO, is currently happening over 3,000 times in one day, is abortion. If you think about it, abortion is the same as murder. There’s punishment for people who commit a crime such as murder and get sent to jail. Or even in worse cases, they receive the death penalty. So why is it legal for doctors to perform abortions? Is it really okay to end a life that hasn’t even started yet? I think not.

Someone in my family recently told me they had three abortions throughout their whole life. I was completely surprised with not only the fact of them getting an abortion, but how many times they have followed through with it. To think that three people could have been included as part of the family, but have been terminated, really makes me question why it isn't illegal to perform abortions. Another way abortion is important to me is because my cousin was adopted from a family that didn't want to take care of her, nor be around her. Around the age of two, they gave her up for adoption and my uncle now takes care of her day after day. I am very thankful to have her in my life, and to think that I wouldn't have her in my life due to an abortion, scares me. I am thankful that she is here on this Earth because her parents decided to sign up for adoption rather than abortion. There's adoption for a reason, and I'm pretty positive adoption is better than killing an innocent life.

The issue, as far as I can tell, seems to be that the medical industry and the general public cannot come to an agreement on what constitutes a human life. According to the article Reproductive Health, it states, “In 2012, 699,202 legal abortions were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. The abortion rate for 2012 was 13.2 abortions per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years, and the abortion ratio was 210 abortions per 1,000 live births.” This shows it can be just as easy or difficult to have an abortion, or bring a life into the world. Many babies are born healthy before 28 weeks, yet the law reads that it is legal to have an abortion up to 28 weeks. In other words, you could be killing a healthy baby. In my opinion, that constitutes murder. Another article, Man sentenced to ten years for stomping on pregnant rape victim’s belly causing an abortion, states that the brother of the victim was sent to jail for stomping on the victim's stomach, creating damage to the baby, which soon turned into murder. Therefore, wouldn't it be illegal for a doctor to conduct an abortion there by murdering an unborn child? It’s the same thing, just in a different procedure.

One indirect cause of abortion is the economy. Some people can no longer afford to raise children on the amount of money that is available to families in America, so women plan to have an abortion instead. which concludes that Americans are putting a dollar value on human life. The mental effect can be very overwhelming on both men and women for losing or deciding to end that child's life. There's not as many couples living together, so resources like two-incomes no longer provide for the family as the whole group. The effect of that cause is the parent has to struggle to provide for their child.

I want you, future president, to challenge Congress to change the law to make it more difficult for women to have an abortion. I would also like there to be former consequences for doctors who perform abortions. To make women not want to get an abortion, I would like you to allow funding for more therapy or counseling so that women could make a better, and more educated decision about whether or not to have an abortion. Once women find out that there's more alternatives, support programs, or options to raising a child, the mother would be more likely to raise the child securely. I’m counting on you, Mr./Mrs. President, to make change, to make the world a better place.

Sincerely,

Jenna H., Pennsylvania