Pro-Life vs. Pro-Choice
When it comes to politics, most issues that affect our contemporary society inspire heated and passionate debates. American politics are often polarized and no middle ground can be found without compromise from both parties involved, typically those involved being the liberal Democrats and the conservative Republicans. One of the most controversial and polarized issues still being debated today is the right to life versus the right to an abortion. Abortion has been outlawed, legalized, and moderated time and time again. It is an issue that when traced back, helps us follow the views on gender issues during a particular time in society. For example, in the nineteenth century, when women were still believed to remain in the home, abortion was outlawed. Conservative Republicans typically support the outlawing of abortion. On the other hand, liberal Democrats support women’s discretion. As one can see, finding a middle ground between the two opposing views proves to be challenging. It is either one or the other; life or choice. After thoroughly researching the background and politics of both the Democratic stance and the Republican one, I decided to support the pro-choice movement.
Abortion is a highly controversial topic for more reasons than one. Abortion often branches out into other issues such as LGBTQ politics and the feminist movement. For those that promote the pro-life movement, abortion is murder. For those that support the pro-choice movement, abortion is a savior. In today’s society, abortion is not illegal thanks to the Roe v. Wade decision but others are working to change that. Society is split between those who believe an unborn child has rights versus those who support a more feminist approach and support the idea of individual privacy (National Abortion Federation 2010).
The conservatives believe in upholding traditional values. They are cautious and generally against any form of political change. They uphold the constitution for the text written on it, not necessarily for the broad interpretations that could come from it. One can see how this ideology applies to abortion. Traditionally, a woman’s place was in the home, bearing and raising children. Moreover, the constitution explicitly enforces a right to life which Republicans tend to use against the pro-choice argument. Republicans believe that even though a fetus is unborn, it has rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness just like its mother. In the 2012 Republican Party platform, their stance was made clear; “We support a human life amendment to the Constitution and endorse legislation to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment's protections apply to unborn children. We oppose using public revenues to promote or perform abortion or fund organizations which perform or advocate it and will not fund or subsidize health care which includes abortion coverage”.
On the other hand, the 2012 Democratic Party platform stated, “The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right”. Liberals are more open minded towards change than their Republican counterparts. They are also typically for the middle class people when it comes to legislation. They also support affirmative action and other forms of social welfare such as Medicaid. While Republicans believe in rugged individualism, Liberals believe in leveling the playing field. When it comes to abortion, they support the right to privacy. They believe it is a woman’s choice whether to have a child or not and that it is a deeply personal decision that the government has no say in. Though those against abortion may accuse the party of endorsing abortion through endorsing personal choice, it far from the truth. Instead, the Democratic Party endorses “contraceptive research,