Partial-Birth Abortion & Its Affect On The American People Essay, Research Paper
“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!