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Abortion as a Divisive Social/Political Issue

The issue of abortion is the most divisive social and political issue in America today. There are two opposing armies of dedicated true-believers, one opposing abortion under any circumstances because they view it as the murder of an unborn child, and the other upholding the idea of choice as an absolute allowing the woman to secure an abortion without hindrance at any point in her pregnancy. Standing between these two extremes are millions of Americans with a more moderate view. This view includes a concern for the trauma of the woman and an understanding that abortion is a choice not to be made lightly. These millions of Americans area also willing to allow some restrictions on abortions without banning the option altogether. The issue to be explored here is government funding for abortions.

The rigid positions of the two extremes are well-known because both are articulated by core groups of advocates who present the issue in black and white, with an either-or rhetoric that can be puzzling to the majority of Americans who do not see the issue in such stark terms. Those with a "pro-choice" position hold that the fetus is not yet a human life but only a tissue that is part of the woman's body and thus under her control. Those with a "pro-life" position do not favor abortion as an option except under very limited circumstances, if at all. These people assert that the fetus is a human life and that abortion is murder (Luker, 1984).

The pro-life position opposes government funding of abortions as it opposes abortion itself, while the pro-choice position may or may not support government funding. Opponents of abortion contented that the fetus is a human life. Some hold that the fetus is a human being from the moment of conception, while others believe that the fetus is only a potential human life but is still qualified for certain rights and protections (Dworkin, 1993). Some believe the fetus should be given constitutional ...

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Abortion as a Divisive Social/Political Issue. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 19:03, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1692263.html