Abortion and the Public Interest

The essential abortion "debate" consists of two diametrically opposed positions. Those who favor abortion as an available option for women under a number of conditions, generally labeled the "pro-choice" position. Those of this mind-set contend that the fetus is essentially not yet human life, but tissue that is part of the women's body, and thus under her control. On the con side, the position labeled "pro-life" are those who do not favor abortion as an option, except in very limited circumstances, if at all. These people tend to assert that the fetus is a human life and that abortion is murder (Luker, 1984).

For the most part, these are the positions that also determined whether or not individuals favor government funding for abortions. (However, there are some exceptions on the pro-choice side in which conservatives who support the woman's right to choose do not support funding for abortions for low-income women.)

There are several fundamental arguments on the con side which undergird individual's opposition to government funding of abortion. Some of these have an extreme edge to them, while others are closer to the mainstream.

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abortions is clearly wrong because: (1) abortion is murder; (2) abortion devalues human life, (3) abortion is not a constitutional right; and (4) abortion destroys family life. In its most basic form, opponents of government funding of abortions claim that they cannot support the government using their tax dollars to support an action they believe is murder, and akin to Hitler's genocide. While this is a strong assertion, it is common. However, as Dworkin (1993) noted, the pro-life movement does frequently make exceptions for killing in terms of war and the death penalty. The Pro-Choice Position: In this paper, the intent is to support the pro-choice position, which has found considerable support among members of the general population and in the courts. The fundamental human rights protected under the constitution. On the other hand, the mother is clearly a person, with both interests and rights which are protected under the constitution. Among these rights, which the courts have supported, is a certain right to privacy which allows for such things as reproductive management through contraception and abortion. The basic argument upon which this position rests is that the fetus is not yet a person with interests and ri
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Approximate Word count = 1774
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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