Abortion "The Right to Choose"

Essay by didieve, University, Bachelor's, November 2004

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Abortion "Right to Choose"

I.         The Abortion issue

A.         A woman's right to choose and their protection under the ninth amendment.

B.         The Pro-Life versus Pro-Choice.

II.         Court cases on abortion

A.         Griswold versus Connecticut (1965)

B.         Roe versus Wade (1973)

C.         Planned Parenthood versus Casey (1992)

III.         The abortion laws are the bottom line.

A.         Woman have the right to privacy

B.         The ultimate choice is that of the woman.

Many people believe abortion is a moral concern however it is also a constitutional issue. A woman has the right to choose what she does with her body, and it shouldn't be altered or influenced by anyone. This right is guaranteed by the ninth amendment, which contains the right to privacy. The ninth amendment states: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." This right guarantees the right to women, if they so choose, to have an abortion, up to the end of the first trimester.

Regardless of the fact of morals, a woman has the right to privacy and choice to abort her fetus even if other individuals don't believe it should happen. The people that hold a "pro-life" view argue that a woman who has an abortion is killing a child. The "pro-choice" point of view holds this is not the case. They argue that a fetus is not yet a baby. It does not possess the criteria derived from our understanding of living human beings. In an important justification of this position, philosopher Mary Anne Warren has proposed the following criteria for "person-hood": 1) consciousness (of objects and events external and or internal to the being), and in particular the capacity to feel pain. 2) reasoning (the developed capacity to

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