Abortion

This is my latest essay for my English class. It is about abortion. I am very passionate about this subject and I feel I did very well on this essay. It is a 5 page research paper and I wasn't allowed to make it an opinion paper (and if some of you know me, you know that's hard for me to keep out of something like this). The underlined words/phrases are what I added to the original. My computer isn't letting my copy and paste the final (without the underlined stuff), so you'll just have to deal with the lines.

            
In January 1972, our country legalized abortions.
Roe v. Waderemains one of the most divisivelawspassed on a Federal level. Since the passing of Roe v. Wade, 52,000,000 babies have been aborted. Abortion is the act in which a doctor removes an unborn child from the mother’s womb. It is a very controversial matter. The clinics claim that it is safe and legal, although it isn’t the safest choice. 90 percent of abortions are performed because the baby is unwanted or an inconvenience. The earliest form of abortions dates back to Ancient Egyptian times, and it is still used to this day. Margaret Sanger started one of the most well known organizations in the country, Planned Parenthood, in 1939. Her goal was to wipe out the “impurities” of our nation. There are two sides to the abortion argument, Pro-life and Pro-choice. Pro-life is the side that claims that abortion is a bad thing and Pro-choice believes that abortion is the best choice for unwanted pregnancies. Now, I personally am pro-life, but I do look at it from both sides before making any arguments or decisions on this subject. I write from both sides of the argument so my paper will be as accurate as possible. I do not want what I say to sway you to either side, but instead inform you so that you can come to your own conclusion.

            Abortion is where a doctor, specializing in abortions, removes an unborn child -or fetus- from the mother’s womb. It is safer to use a doctor who is properly trained in this area. Most abortions are performed because the women cannot take care of the baby. Whether they aren’t mature enough or they don’t have the money for it. Others are because the women just do not want the baby and therefore want to get rid of it as soon as possible. Some people who are pro-life dub abortions as the “easy way out” for this reason. The clinics say that abortion is safe and legal, but others say it is not and should be illegal. There is currently a political debate in progress over this subject of life and illegalizing abortions.

            The first discovered description of abortions is from Ebers Papyrus, dating back to Ancient Egyptian times. According to the Ebers Papyrus, the earliest form of abortions is herbal abortifacients. This is basically using herbs to cause a miscarriage. There is also another method of abortion. Some call it the abortion pill. When the egg implants itself into the womb, the woman’s body creates a certain hormone called progesterone, which
allows
 the fertilized eggto attach itself to the lining of the uterus (the endometrium). This abortion pill (or as known in Europe: RU-486) prevents the body from producing this hormone causing the uterine lining to break down into a menstrual period, flushing out the fertilized egg. Women to this day still do this as a method of abortion, although it was illegal for a while. The most common method of abortion is the aspiration method. In this process, a tiny tube connected to a vacuum aspirator machine suck out the contents of the uterus. This procedure takes about ten minutesand is the same procedure as a DNC. These are all first trimester methods. One of the second trimester proceduresis a chemical procedure. This method is rarely used, for it is not totally safe. The third trimester is more difficult, as the baby can now live outside the womb. In order to abort these babies the woman is induced and the baby is terminated. This method is called a partial birth abortion.

            Margaret Sanger is the founder of one of the most well known abortion and women’s health organizations in the country, Planned Parenthood. She established it in 1939 and it has been going strong for over
7
50 years. Planned Parenthood started out as American Birth Control League, and was later changed to Birth Control Federation of America. One of Sanger’s motives for starting this organization was to get rid of the African American race. She thought that by doing this she could “purify” America, cleanse it from the poor, disabled, and colored.

            The pro-life or right-to-life group believes that the unborn child has a right to live. Some believe that life begins at conception and others believe that life starts when the fertilized egg places itself in the womb. They believe that abortion is murder and demolishes the rights the child has. A lot of pro-life activists use the Bible to back up their arguments. This can be useful because the Bible does imply that abortion is wrong. Exodus 23:7 states: “Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.”(NLT) When an innocent, defenseless, blameless fetus is aborted, it is directly defying this statement. There is another option. If the woman decides she does not want to keep the baby, she can decide to give it up for adoption. The Bible also talks about adoption as a very good thing in Ephesians 1:5; “God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.”(NLT) Adoption should be the first choice a woman goes to or thinks of if she has decided not to keep the child. Pro-lifers believe that abortions are unsafe and should be illegal. There are many different side effects to having an abortion. Abortion can tear the cervical muscle, the abortion tools can pierce the womb – which can lead to miscarriages or other problems during pregnancy later on. Some women are even unable to become pregnant again after having an abortion.
The women
can also be struck by depression. Some are so weighted down by the emotional stress that they wind up committing suicide.

            Another part of this debate is whether or not the fetus is actually alive. The pro-life group believes that the fetus is alive and human. They believe that since the fetus is an unborn baby, it deserves the same rights to life as everyone else. There is evidence that the fetus is alive. For one thing, the word conception means “to begin” or “the beginning”. Research shows that after three weeks, or more specifically - 22 days, after conception the fetus has a detectable heartbeat. After six weeks, it has detectable brainwaves and is able to feel pain at 12 weeks. It can have dream sleep (REM) at week 17 and recognize its mother’s voice at 20 weeks. There is proof that the fetus can feel pain, video footage of a fetus moving away from an abortion tool. This footage has been showed in many different occasions. Pro-lifers believe that the fetus really is a baby. Actually, the word fetus literally means “unborn child” so that is more proof that the fetus is alive and a baby.

            The pro-choice group has a different view of these things. First off, they believe that life starts when the baby is born, or the beginning of the third trimester (the last three
months
 of pregnancy). Abortions are not allowed after the third trimester has started, unless the life of the mother is in danger. The pro-lifers say that abortion is sin, but many pro-choicers do not feel the same way. They believe that an abortion is simply getting rid of something they did not want. Some pro-choicers also say that quoting the Bible won’t get pro-lifers anywhere in this debate. They believe that the fetus is not alive and that it does not deserve the same human rights as those living. They do not believe that the fetus feels pain or is even human yet. It is not a child to them and should not have the right to live. They also think that, if the child has the possibility of being handicapped or of being put in a bad situation (a poor family or a teenage mother), that they are doing it a favor by aborting it. The pro-choice group portrays abortion as a very good thing and as a way to help women who do not want to care for a child.

            Abortion is a very heavy topic and a serious matter. It’s something that should not be taken lightly. Again, this paper was not written to persuade you to choose a certain side, but rather to let you know what is happening and to help you to make an informed decision. Abortion is when a woman acts on the decision not to have a baby, and decides to have it taken out of her body. There are many different abortion and women’s health clinics around the country but the most well known is Planned Parenthood. Founded by Margaret Sanger in 1939 and going strong since. There are various methods of abortion and each is performed with care.
Both sides of this debate
have their own pros and cons. The Pro-life side believes that the fetus is alive and human, deserving of human rights, while the pro-choice side believes that the fetus is not alive and that the mother’s right should be top priority since she had rights first. Both sides use great arguments defending their views and beliefs. The pro-life group uses the Bible and scientifically proven facts- just to name a couple, while pro-choice go off of other resources. Some pro-choicers even use Bible references, but most of them do not. Although I have found many of the verses they have used to be misinterpreted or used incorrectly. Most people can agree that a woman should have a choice, though the pro-life side says that abortion should not be one of those choices. Abortion can be a terribly gruesome episode or it can be a relief, depending on how you look at it; from the pro-life perspective or the pro-choice perspective. It’s your choice. 

A Passion for the World

I entered the poem contest on the King County Library System website. I call it A Passion for the World. They are announcing the winner on June 1st. Wish me luck! :) Tell me what you think of my poem.

A Passion for the World

Zee R. 

Sometimes I sit and think,

This life is all a blur.

I’ll miss it if I blink.

I’ve thought a lot

And I’ve thought hard

What can I do to make my mark?

I want to be remembered

For something so much greater.

Passion, love or mercy.  But

Not just a one-time deal, no.

I want to make a lasting difference.

I refuse to stand here in comfort

When someone somewhere is freezing.

I’ll do something to help that

Child who’s barely breathing.

For the woman not able to feed her children,

Or the man who barely makes enough.

The dying people cry for help,

But no one comes to save.

One day I will help them.

One day I’ll be brave.

Human Trafficking

I wrote this essay for my English class. I hope it drives you to take action and do something about the wrongfulness of this situation.

Zee R.

Writing for High School Level 1

18 January 2012

            “I expose slavery in this country, because to expose it means to kill it. Slavery is one of those monsters of darkness to whom the light of the truth is death.” (Frederick Douglass) Slavery is a big deal, and even though people don’t think it’s still present, it happens all the time. And of course, he’s talking about the slavery back in Civil War times, but, there is still slavery in this world. One form of this modern day slavery is child trafficking. Every year in Africa, there are millions of children being smuggled across borders, sold, and forced into labor or prostitution. The majority of children who are trafficked range from twelve to sixteen years old and work an average of twelve to fourteen hours a day. There are about 19 million children in Africa, and over 1.2 million are victim to child trafficking. Child Trafficking is an evil action that should be abolished.

            Child trafficking is a huge deal that people don’t much. What they don’t realize is how eminent it really is. Just about everyone likes chocolate, right? Well, boys in Africa are used for labor on cocoa farms, harvesting cocoa beans to make chocolate. They are brutally abused and undernourished. They are exposed to very dangerous illnesses, pesticides, severe heat, and use dangerous tools that twelve-year-old boys should not be allowed to use. The children have cuts and scars all over. These children get little to no food and most sleep in a single room with about fifteen other boys. The rooms have no windows and the doors are locked every night to ensure the children don’t try and escape. This kind of event goes on unnoticed by authorities because the farms are usually hidden and discreet. Children attempt to escape but almost always get caught, then beaten. Occasionally, one of the boys will escape and report the farm to the authorities, but that rarely occurs. Most companies don’t know that the chocolate they sell is produced from these children’s hard work, but some do and use what’s called “fair trade” chocolate.

            Another part of child trafficking is forced prostitution. Traffickers will take advantage of the desperation of a young girl who is looking for any way possible to help out her family, and use her. He will either keep her for his own pleasure, or he will sell her to another trafficker. They target girls more than women because girls are worth more money, especially if she is a virgin. Sometimes, the parents will even sell their child in order to get the trafficker’s money. Some men will pay about $700 for a single night with a virgin girl. Most of these girls are twelve to fifteen years old. It is a tragic event, but most people overlook it as it is disguised inexplicably well.

            The smuggling of children in Africa is immense. Many will lure the children into their grasp with false promises of jobs and/or food, then capture them and keep them imprisoned. They are taken over borders and used on cocoa farms, as domestic servants, or sold. These children will eagerly go with them to earn money to help their families; money that they’ll never get. These children are lied to and treated horribly. They are either sold or kept for the trafficker’s own personal use.

            You can be a part of stopping Child Trafficking by raising money to donate to an organization. There are plenty that will do everything they possibly can do to abolish this wrongfulness. Also, be aware of the coffee and chocolate and things you buy. Check it to see if it’s fair trade before making the decision whether to buy it or not. Raise awareness in your area. Encourage people to donate to a certain organization. Arrange a fund raiser to earn the money for that donation. You can also talk to your pastor about arranging a mission trip to an impacted country you would like to help. There are many ways you can make a difference on this world, and lots of helpful people to do it with you.

            Slavery still exists, and it can be stopped. Not enough people know about it for it to be ended though. Douglass said it right. Modern slavery is a big “monster” in today’s society. Forced labor, prostitution, and child smuggling are tremendous issues in many third-world countries as well as Africa. I challenge you to do everything you can to help abolish slavery once and for all. This kind of ordeal simply cannot happen anymore! Some organizations that can help are:  www.freethechildren.com/donate/, www.notforsalecampaign.org/donate/, www.unicef.org/za, and http://generation4justice.com/?page_id=33

Susan G Komen Walk For A Cure

Okay, so I've been hearing a lot about the Susan G Komen thing and I know what I believe and I know how I see it, but that's all I know. I don't know or have ever talked to someone who has different views than I. Well, I've talked people who are pro-choice, but I haven't talked to them about their views. So I want to hear from you guys. What do you think of Planned Parenthood? Do you think the Susan G Komen Foundation was right to pull their funds? Or were they right to give them back? What's your take on abortion and women's rights? Personally, I think women should have a choice, but abortion should not be one of those choices. Did you know that if a person kills a pregnant woman, they are charged with two murders, no matter how old the baby is. But a woman is allowed to kill her own baby? Does that sound right to you? It doesn't to me. Also, some people believe that conception isn't actually when life starts, but guess what conceive means? The word "conception" literally means beginning. Now that I've spoken my thoughts on this subject, I would love to hear what you guys have to say about it. Thank you and hope to hear your guys' thoughts soon! :)

~Zee

Exciting News!

So as you may know, my family is adopting from Ethiopia, Africa. Well, today we checked the website as we do mostly everyday and when we looked at the referral clocks my mom and I saw that the infant boys were up to November! My parents shipped their dossiers to Ethiopia in November so that meant that our referral was coming very soon. I am so excited to be having a new sibling! We will hopefully be leaving within a few months or so. :)

Making A Difference

Even though I might be young, I can still make a difference in this world. I know that there has been this big, pro-life debate going on in our country, and I believe that even I, being a teenager, can make an impact and help stop abortions. I was adopted and my birth-mom could have had an abortion, but she chose to put me up for adoption. The other day my brother was doing his homework and stopped, and asked my mom some questions. He said; "Mom, if you kill someone you get arrested, right?" and my mom said; "Yes. You would go to prison for that." My brother said, "Then why can women do that to their babies?" Now I wasn't there for that but my mom told me and my dad. So really the point is, why should women be able to have this choice, when it just isn't right? A book called UnPLANNED by Abby Johnson, describes what goes on inside the abortion industry. I will be reading this and will write a review about it soon.

Sucks to Be Me Review

Sucks To Be Me is a surprisingly good book. I know, it's about vampires and all but it isn't all overly-dramatic like Twilight. XP It's about a teenage girl named Mina who's parents are vampires and she has to decide whether or not she wants to be one also. If she doesn't want to be a vampire, then the Vampire Council will just swipe her memory and she'll never even know that vampires exist, right? DEAD WRONG! She has known that vampires exist her whole life, her parents told her when she was really young. And what's even worse is her new boyfriend just became a vampire, so if she doesn't become one of them then she'll never see him again! Okay, so there is some dramatic content, but not so much that you wouldn't want to read it. Trust me, It's AMAZING! Her best friend Serena can't know anything about Mina's life, at all. But Mina accidentally spills the beans and tell Serena EVERYTHING! Sorry but that's not okay in the vampire world. When you turn (into a vampire that is), the transformation is just amazing to watch and experience. This book is one of the best vampire books I've ever read. Way better than Twilight. :)