Dear Future President,

Abortion is a huge controversy in the United States. It splits friends and families apart over what is morally right and wrong. People are divided between pro-life and pro-choice. Mostly, but not all republicans are pro-life and democrats are typically pro-choice. The big question is whose life is worth more, the woman’s or the fetus’? The government and religions shouldn’t determine whether a woman can choose to have an abortion.

This is not the first time abortion has been in the spotlight. In the ‘70s many people were debating on whether it should be the woman’s right just like they are today. On Jan. 22, 1973 the US Supreme Court declared abortion a fundamental right in the Roe v. Wade court case. For 43 years abortion has been legal and prevented many women and even girls from having unsafe or unwanted pregnancies. This could be the election that determines whether or not it stays legal. I want you to defend women’s rights and protect their right to choose.

After having a child a woman’s life is never the same. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but it could be if the women was too young, not ready, at risk during the pregnancy, or the baby was caused by being raped. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote in the 1992 decision in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, "The ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives." It’s a human right to make decisions regarding their body. Taking away a woman’s right to choose something the could greatly affect her life. If abortion became illegal it wouldn’t stop abortions completely. Women who were desperate would find unsafe ways to perform abortions which would lead to major injuries or even death. An unwanted pregnancy won’t just affect a woman physically, but also mentally. “A Sep. 2013 peer-reviewed study comparing the mental health of women who received abortions to women denied abortions found that women who were denied abortions "felt more regret and anger" and "less relief and happiness" than women who had abortions,” (Corinne H. Rocca, Women's Emotions One Week after Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion in the United States). If a woman goes through a unwanted pregnancy they can become majorly depressed. If they keep the baby then their regret and depression would bleed into the child’s life. Abortion should be the woman’s choice to prevent any negative effects on her life.

The major point of pro-life supporters is that you’re killing an innocent baby who should also have rights. That is a strong argument, but if you state that the fetus has rights too then you’d take away the woman’s rights. 2010 review by Britain's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, "most neuroscientists believe that the cortex is necessary for pain perception." The cortex does not become functional until at least the 26th week of a fetus' development, long after most abortions are performed. (Pan Belluck, Complex Science at Issue in Politics of Fetal Pain). Most safe abortions are performed before the 26th week therefore the fetus can’t feel any pain from the procedure. Some people choose to have an abortion to prevent a fetus with major abnormalities from being born. My mothers cousin had a child with major abnormalities. The kid was blind, deaf, and couldn't speak. She also couldn't eat solid food. She got major migraines from the time she was born until she passed away at age 12. The migraines were so bad that she would beat her head on the floor to knock herself out to end the pain. Her parents both said that one of the worst mistakes of their lives is having her and making her whole life endless suffering. Abortion prevents children from being born that won’t even truly live they will just suffer while their parents watch. Pro- life supporters also say a baby and fetus are the same. A baby is something that has been born and while a fetus is a living thing who still relies solely on the mother for everything and hasn’t been born. Since abortions are performed before a fetus is born then a fetus and baby aren’t the same. For those who still think they are the same I pose a question to you. If I was holding a baby in one hand and a fetus (unborn baby) in a petri dish in the other hand, which would you save if I dropped both of them?

Whether or not someone has an abortion performed on them is their choice, no one else’s. This is a woman’s fundamental right to choose what they do with their body. Abortion should definitely stay legal to prevent health risks, unwanted pregnancies, and babies being born with major abnormalities. As president you should help people understand why abortion is not murder and the reasons it should be an option. You should also make it clear that those who do not support abortion should just simply not have one.

Works Cited

Corinne H. Rocca, Katrina Kimport, et al., "Women's Emotions One Week after Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion in the United States," Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, Sep. 2013

Pan Belluck, "Complex Science at Issue in Politics of Fetal Pain," nytimes.com, Sep. 16, 2013