Essay/Term paper: Partial-birth abortion and its affect on the american people

Essay, term paper, research paper:  American History

Partial-Birth Abortion and its Affect on the American People


We sat and watched our televisions and rejoiced as Jeffrey Dahmer was
sentenced to life in prison for the brutal killing of hundreds of men, women,
and children. Yet, right now, as you are reading this paper, another life has
been taken...a child's life. A child who, one day, could have been seen take
his or her first steps, opened the first Christmas present. One who later could
have went off to school and come home with news of his or her first new
girlfriend or boyfriend. A scholar, who could have fulfilled his or her dreams
by going to college to study in a chosen field, and one day, been deemed one of
the greatest in that particular field. The child who was just "murdered" could
have seen all of these events come to pass, but instead, the child's mother had
a partial-birth abortion and ended the infant's life forever. Partial-birth
abortion is a topic that has caused a massive controversy in the past few years.
In September, 1993, Brenda Pratt Shafer, a registered nurse with thirteen years
of experience, was assigned by her nursing agency to an abortion clinic. Since
Nurse Shafer considered herself to be "very pro-choice," she didn't think this
assignment would be a problem. She was wrong. This is what Nurse Shafer saw:

"I stood at the doctor's side and watched him perform a
partial-birth abortion on a woman who was six months
pregnant. The baby's heartbeat was clearly visible on the
ultrasound screen. The doctor delivered the baby's body and
arms, everything but his little head. The baby's body was
moving. His little fingers were clasping together. He was
kicking his feet. The doctor took a pair of scissors and
inserted them into the back of the baby's head, and the baby's
arms jerked out in a flinch, a startle reaction, like a baby does
when he thinks that he might fall. Then the doctor opened the
scissors up. Then he stuck the high-powered suction tube into
the hole and sucked the baby's brains out. Now the baby was
completely limp. I never went back to the clinic. But I am
still haunted by the face of that little boy. It was the most
perfect, angelic face I have ever seen." (Patriot, Partial Birth-
Abortion)

A partial-birth abortion is a procedure used after twenty weeks (4 1/2
months) of pregnancy--often to six months, seven months, and even later; and
involves inducing labor and turning the child into "breech" position. The
only difference between partial-birth abortion and homicide is a mere three
inches. The abortionist delivers the baby's entire body, except for the head.
He then inserts the sharp end of scissors into the baby's head and opens them to
enlarge the hole. The baby's brains are then vacuumed out with a suction device.
The dead baby is then removed (Patriot, Partial-Birth Abortion).
One would think the American people would want this "murderer" brought
to justice just as we angrily waited for the sentencing of Dahmer, yet nothing
is being done. In fact, in March of this year, a bill was passed in Congress
to make this type of abortion illegal; but in April, the bill was vetoed by
President Clinton. Scientific theories, social and political views, and
religious standards clearly exhibit partial-birth abortion is wrong and a law
should be passed to make this terrible death illegal.
It has been said that patients abort their child believing it is not
alive until it is born, but they are wrong. "Physicians, biologists, and other
scientists agree that conception marks the beginning of the life of a human
being--a being that is alive and is a member of the human species" (D.C. Metro
Pro-Life/Events Line, FactBot Database). So, if life begins at conception, then
how can abortionists say that abortion is not murder? An abortion is the
intentional killing of an innocent child. I say that is murder. But, it is
often disputed that the fetus is not a living being until it is born. Let's
clear this up a little, shall we?
By the end of the second week of pregnancy, there is a distinct embryo
present. The fetus has a developing brain and heart. At the end of the fourth
week, the fetus has the beginnings of vertebrae, a bony jaw, eyes and ears, a
closed circulatory system, a working heart, lungs, limbs, a developing nose, and
a pancreas. In the sixth week of pregnancy, the fetus is also starting to
develop hands, feet, a bladder, kidneys, a tongue, a larynx, a nervous system,
and a primitive cranium. After nine weeks, unborn babies can feel pain, yet 48 %
of all abortions are performed after this point.
Now, if the fetus has all of these developing parts: a heart that beats,
lungs, circulatory system, nervous system, then how can it NOT be called a
living being? (D.C. Metro Pro-Life News/Events Line, FactBot Database).
The "popularity" of partial-birth abortions has raised substantial
controversy stemming throughout the American society to the U.S. House of
Representatives, and has provoked many church groups and pro-life activists all
across the nation. Many church groups have protested and signed petitions
regarding the bill President Clinton vetoed that would have put an end to
partial-birth abortions. The Pope has also displayed how he feels about the
issue and is "very disappointed with Clinton's decision" about the veto. U.S.
citizens have signed petitions to make President Clinton reconsider his veto.
Did every voting citizen know that over 2,000 partial-birth abortions are
performed annually, and that at least 75 percent of them are elective?
(Schnurpfeil, M.D., Partial-Birth Abortion). With his re-election, pro-life
activists are going to fight to get him to pass the bill in order to make
partial-birth abortion illegal (Patriot, Partial-Birth Abortion).
The controversy doesn't just stop at Capitol Hill, but spreads
throughout society, especially into the various religious denominations. Their
main defense, The Holy Bible, has proved very effective in their conflict with
pro-choice activists. Exodus 20:13, a very familiar verse which most every
American has seen: "Thou shalt not kill"; and Jeremiah 1:5, "Before I made you
in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a
special work..." are two Bible verses that pro-life activists are using to
clearly state that abortion is wrong, and are two verses I firmly support (The
Inspirational Study Bible). I know everyone does not know about God and what He
has done for us, but He created every person and knows all about us before we
are even born. And, like stated in Jeremiah 1:5, He has set us apart for a
special work. If God knows the child in the womb and has a special work set
aside for that child, why do abortionists feel they can "play" God? How can we
let the 27.5 % of the pregnant women who have abortions each year know that they
are, in fact, committing murder in the eyes of man and God?
Think about it. In the past year, over 1,500,000 abortions have
occurred--2,000 of which were partial-birth abortions (1995 Information Please
(TM) Almanac, 844). And, in the five or ten minutes it has taken you to read
this essay forty more children were born and thirty were aborted, three of which
by a partial-birth abortion (Morgan, Christianity Today, 66). With all of the
medical theories, political views, and religious convictions, surely you can see
that partial-birth abortion should be illegal. Abortion IS murder, no matter if
it's in the third week, the tenth week, or in the eighth month. The fetus is
still a living human and deserves a chance at life. Please join with me in my
fight to end partial-birth abortion. Call 1-800-LIFE-YES and tell your state
senator and President Clinton that partial-birth abortion is murder and should
be made illegal, or write to: House of Representatives, Washington D.C. 20515.
Please, help stop partial-birth abortion NOW!