Life For All

Life For All

Ava Padelford, Co-Editor

Humans today can control so much. They can give or take away. Decisions about what we want to control can be made so fast and then can be regretted for years and years. 

 

There is a huge argument over abortion. There’s the argument claiming women deserve the right to do what they want with their bodies and that the government shouldn’t control what they want to do with their baby. Then, there’s the argument that all life is valuable; born or unborn. 

 

There’s no question this heated topic is a huge issue in the world. But what puts a human being in the right light to take a life away? 

 

There is so much darkness in the world and what people see as the truth or what we take as right versus wrong. There are so many arguments made that cross over one another within politics. One side will say something and promote rights for all and then give no value to an unborn child who is very much alive in the mother’s womb. 

 

While freedom is a blessing, moral values can be overlooked in the attempt to have freedom or have the freedom to act in certain ways. Often times people think the very best solution to an unwanted pregnancy is abortion because they see no other alternate solution. 

 

Often the argument is given that a baby would be better off dead because the mother couldn’t provide for the child or give it a good life. There are, however, so many other options for unborn children. Many mothers who aren’t able to have children would gladly adopt. 

 

A human is formed so perfectly in the mother’s womb. In weeks one and two, the egg is being fertilized. The egg then divides into several cells and the cells travel down to the uterus. 

 

At four weeks, the ball of cells is an embryo and the baby is at the size of a poppy seed. A very much alive child starts its journey. Abortion is still an option for a mother at this time. 

 

At five weeks, the baby is tiny, but is growing fast. The heart begins to beat at this time. The baby is the size of a sesame seed. Abortion is still an option for a mother at this time. 

 

At six weeks, the baby’s nose, ears and mouth begin to form. It is now the size of a lentil. 

 

At seven weeks, small hands and feet start to develop and the baby is the size of a blueberry. Abortion is still an option for a mother at this time. 

 

At eight weeks, the baby begins moving around and the lungs are developing. The mother can’t yet feel the baby moving because it’s the size of a kidney bean. Abortion is still an option for a mother at this time. 

 

At weeks nine and ten the baby grows rapidly. Small details in the tiny child begin to form. At week ten, the baby is the size of a strawberry. Abortion is still an option for a mother at this time. 

 

At week eleven, the baby starts kicking and is now a fetus, and can still be murdered through abortion. At this time, the baby has eyes, ears, a mouth, a tongue, lungs, nails and more. The baby is the size of a fig at this time. 

 

At weeks twelve and thirteen, the baby’s reflexes come and fingerprints form. At thirteen weeks, the baby is the size of a pea pod. 

 

At fourteen weeks, the brain begins to start working and the baby is the size of a lemon. Abortion is still an option for a mother at this time. 

 

By week eighteen, the baby’s bones begin to solidify, their legs are growing more, and it can sense light. The child is the size of a bell pepper at this time. Abortion is still an option for a mother at this time. 

 

At week nineteen, the baby can hear voices, it has all of its senses, and is the size of a mango. 

 

By week twenty-three, the baby can swallow, poop, features become more developed, and their senses become greater. The baby begins feeling pain this week and often times earlier. Abortion is still an option for a mother at this time. 

 

In the state of California, a woman can have an abortion up until around twenty-four to twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy. By week twenty-four, the baby is the size of an ear of corn and by week twenty-eight, the eyesight is developing, it can blink and eyelashes are formed. The baby is a small human but is very much alive and is growing at a very quick pace. 

 

Live Action, a Pro-Life Advocacy stated that, “Abortion is the direct and intentional murder of a child through tearing the limbs off of, crushing the skulls of, and poisoning a living child with a beating heart to death. This is what we’re trying to stop.” 

 

From the moment the pregnancy test is positive, there is human life existing inside a mother. 

 

As a woman, I can say with confidence that I have rights in the US. I am so thankful for these rights. I don’t live my life thinking I have less rights than others. I don’t think banning abortion is taking women’s rights away but it’s protecting the rights of an unborn child. I am for freedom for all. Many women call abortions “freedom” but there is nothing free about taking an innocent life of a baby who can’t do anything to defend themselves. 

 

Humans are so driven by emotions instead of using logic to make decisions. If women didn’t have the option of abortion, the decision to keep their child and save its life would already be made for them. Why should someone even be faced with such a decision; decision of life or death? Abortion is a heartbreaking thing and changes the course of the mom’s life and completely denigrates the life of baby.

 

Women who have to choose between keeping their child and getting an abortion have a huge decision to make. It’s one that will forever change their life. Women who choose to have an abortion go through extreme trauma. Abortions have a huge impact on the body along with the mental health of the mother. Abortion can cause a woman to experience a weaker cervix, can increase the chances of getting breast cancer by 44 percent, can increase the possibility of getting pelvic diseases, and can just make a woman feel very sick all around. Mentally, abortions have been proven to cause extreme regret, depression, guilt, and can even lead to suicide. 

 

Some may argue that mostly male politicians are getting to determine what a woman must do with her body in this scenario but doesn’t it take a MAN and a woman to create a child? If women aren’t going to protect the child then someone has to. 

 

Life is so valuable. Everyone was and is created for a purpose and humans are put together inside the mother’s womb so carefully and so perfectly. The great gift of life is such a beautiful blessing that no one should take away. 

 

Sources:

https://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/your-baby/fetal-development-week-by-week_10406730

https://www.ncsl.org/research/health/fetal-homicide-state-laws.aspx

https://www.compasscare.info/health-information/abortion/abortion-risks-and-side-effects/

https://www.liveaction.org/