PartialBirth 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!