Abortion: Where Has Morality Gone? :: abortion argumentative persuasive argument

Joan Didion's essay, "On Morality," poses the question, "What is 'right' and what is 'wrong,' what is 'good' and what 'evil'?" (182). In today's society, often times many people do not even consider this question before taking action. Morality has become a gray area in which morality can scarcely be defined. For instance, Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines morality as "the quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct." However, everyone has a different opinion of right and wrong. This difference of opinion on what is moral causes many disputes such as in the topic of abortion. Some people believe it is a woman's prerogative to choose whether or not to have a child, while still many others believe it is "morally" wrong. On the other hand, there are moderates who disagree with the idea or the morality of abortion, but agree that there are certain circumstances that should give the woman the option. Since abortion is essentially th e killing of an unborn child, why are women who abort not convicted as murderers; just as women who kill their children face such charges? Morality should be a standard at all times and abortion should be no exception. In fact, abortion is destroying the life of a child; therefore, it should be considered morally wrong, except when extenuating circumstances leave no other choice for the woman. While deciding whether to be pro-life or pro-choice, many people consider the moral aspect of abortion and its consequences. On the pro-choice side, a woman should have the right to choose whether or not she wants to give birth. The argument is that it is her body and she is the one who will have the responsibility of caring for that child. The problem, however, with this argument is that it does not take into consideration whether abortion is right or wrong, and it does not deal with the morality of the issue. However, the arguments of the pro-life side may be more correct simply because they make a moral judgment. In Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, abortion is defined as the "termination of a pregnancy often accompanied by, resulting in, or closely followed by the death of an embryo or fetus.