With the confirmation and swearing in of Justice Amy Coney Barrett, for the first time in recent history, many Americans feel as if the legality of abortion seems to be up in the air.

In 1973, the case of Roe v. Wade was heard by the United States Supreme Court. It ruled that any state law banning abortion would be unconstitutional. This law gives women across the United States the right to seek and have an abortion performed, technically until the birth of the human child. Since the Supreme Court ruling, the Guttmacher Institute reports at least 59,902,500 abortions have occurred. This number equates to more than 18% of the United States’ population being murdered before even having the chance to take a first breath. 

With Barrett’s recent confirmation, could we see a change to the legislature in our nation and change in the number of abortions in the coming years and decades? 

Beginning of Life

Many people who consider themselves pro-choice, often say life begins at birth. Simply put, this is an easy way to justify the horrendous act being committed against the unborn baby. In the general population, or, more specifically, those who have had an abortion, there is little to no agreement on when life truly begins. As previously stated, there are those who say life begins at birth. But how much does the baby change from the 279th day to the 280th day? The baby would be viable the day before and the day after. 

For so long, the liberal media and even some Democratic candidates have acted as if no one knows when life begins, like it is some mystifying question we will never know the answer to. 

When President Obama was running in 2008, in response to being asked when a baby gets human rights, Obama said, “answering that question with specificity is  above my paygrade.” 

Melissa Harris Perry, from MSNBC, says that the beginning of life depends on “a powerful feeling, but not science.” 

I find that idea particularly dangerous. Based on that logic, you could get an abortion at nine months. 

In all reality, the only true consistent line one can draw is at conception. This view is widely supported by science, specifically embryology. World-renowned embryologist, Ronan O’Rahilly, stated that “fertilization is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed… .” This statement, from one of the world’s most respected embryologists, very clearly states that human life begins at conception. With this in mind, conception is the only consistent line that can be drawn as to when life begins. 

Addressing “My Body, My Choice”

In the pro-choice community “My Body, My Choice” is an increasingly common refrain, along with “clump of cells” or “just a fetus,” phrases that oversimplify what is actually going on. While I agree with the premise that a woman should be able to control her own body, some fail to recognize that a pregnant woman is responsible not only for herself, but her unborn child as well. 

There is a difference between the body of the mother and that of the baby. They have separate heartbeats, separate DNA, and most importantly, separate bodies. When a woman chooses to have an abortion, she is taking a voice away from an unborn baby who cannot speak for itself. It’s ironic that they coin the phrase “my body, my choice,” when in fact the body at risk is not theirs. 

A woman has no right to end the life of her unborn baby. 

Are There Any Exceptions?

Pro-choice advocates often introduce outliers such as cases of rape and incest and cases where the birth could harm the mother. Of course in a case where the mother’s health is at risk, I would definitely be in favor of an exception being made. 

However, these types of cases represent such a minuscule portion of all abortions that it would be unwise to base an entire opinion off these rare circumstances. 

In 2018, less than 5% of the 70,083 abortions that occured in the state of Florida were for health reasons or cases of rape and incest. When you really get down to it, abortions are occurring because women are either financially unable to support the child or they just do not want the baby. 

Abortion is a selfish act.

A Better Option

About ten out of every 100 women in the U.S. have trouble getting pregnant. That is about  6.1 million women. With nearly 1 million abortions occurring each year, what does that say to all the women who cannot get pregnant. So many couples wish they were able to conceive. Yet there are thousands of babies killed each year, sometimes without a thought. No one is saying it is easy, but if a woman carries her baby to term, she’s bringing the miracle of life into this world. She is giving that baby a chance at life. Whether it be with her as the mother or putting the baby up for adoption, the baby has a chance. Although giving a child up is never an easy decision, it is far better than ending that child’s life.

The Dark Reality

So many people in the pro-choice community like to use simple words to describe abortion. “Termination of a pregnancy”… “just ball of tissue”… the reality is that it is the murder of an innocent baby. That’s what abortion is. It is an extreme, horrendous act against the most innocent beings in our world. And I just can’t turn a blind eye to that. 

Positives

The number of yearly abortions in America has been trending downwards for the past several years, but we certainly still have an issue. What can we do? There are countless organizations in our country, in our state, and even one right here in Crystal Lake. On a broader scale, there is the yearly March for Life that comes to Chicago, which is a great opportunity to make your voice heard. Participating in marches, donating to these organizations, and using your own personal platforms, whether that be your voice, your social media, etc., are all great ways to do your part in ending the abortion crisis.