Rutkai 1

Miranda Rutkai
Ms. Caruso
UWRIT
12 April 2016
Condiscipulorum Absentium Gratia
It is clear that abortion is one of the most controversial issues in America, especially right
now with the election coming up and candidates taking a stand on these major issues. Through
my past research, I studied and discussed everything from moral issues to the scientific evidence
of conception and abortions, although I mainly focused on the scientific evidence. Based on the
research that I have discovered, I decided to create a blog post online that mainly focuses on the
morals and ethics of abortion, instead of the scientific evidence concerning conception and the
babys growth. Those who would benefit most and are the targeted audience would be women
who have the potential to get pregnant, hence, female adults. Condiscipulorum Absentium Gratia
is the name of my blog that I have created. This is the University of Princetons club for ProLifes motto which means, for the sake of our missing classmates in memory of all the babies
that have been aborted (Abortion and Embryo Destruction). For the sake of our missing
classmates, take a look at the morals and ethics of abortion.
While I was doing conducting my research, I wanted to dig deeper in regards to the main
reason why pro-choice supporters believe that abortion is ethical and moral by looking at a few
scholarly articles. In 1973, the Supreme Court decided that up until the third trimester, an unborn
baby does not have constitutional rights (Luhrmann, Tanya, Par. 3). This decision was based off
of the assertion that the baby cannot function on he or shes his or her own, without the mother
(Luhrmann, Par. 3). In order to be consistent, that would mean that people who have Down
syndrome or another mental illness do not have constitutional rights. Depending on how severe

Rutkai 2
the case is, those who have these conditions would be deemed with no rights, which is not the
case in our society. They have just as much unalienable rights as those who do not have Down
syndrome or another illness. Another example would be someone who is restricted to a
wheelchair forever and is paralyzed. This individual cannot eat, go to the bathroom, move, nor
do anything on his own. Just because he cannot function on his own does not mean that he does
not have constitutional rights. A baby has the potential to live outside of the mothers womb after
twenty four weeks (Luhrmann, Par. 3). The location of the baby, nor the size of the baby should
be contingent on whether or not this child has constitutional rights. If someone is in space or
deep in the ocean, the tallest man in the world or the tiniest, they all have the same rights to live
just like any of us. The location of an individual does not diminish he or shes right to life and
having constitutional rights.
John Donohue and Stevin Levitt A scholarly article discussed how the writers believed
that the legalization of abortions are was connected straight to the decrease of crime. The Roe v
Wade court case legalized abortions in 1973. They The article argued that because the crime rate
dropped in 1980, that it was because of legalized abortions (Donohue, 373). I do not agree with
this statement. In 1980, the population was 225,349,264 million people and 1.6 million abortions
occurred (United States Crime Rates 1960-2010, Par. 3). Abortion was still legal in 2008, the
population increasing to 304, 374, 846 million people with 1.2 million abortions that year
(United States Crime Rates 1960-2010, Par. 4). If abortions and crime rates were directly
contingent on one another, then the statistics would be different. Abortion was legal in 2008 just
like it was legal in 1980, and there is still a constant rise and fall of crime per year. The
population was higher in 2008 than in 1980, which makes sense why the crime rate was higher
also. If there are more people living in an area, than there are more people to commit crimes also.

Rutkai 3
It is vital to consider obvious factors like that before making the statement that abortion and
crime rate decrease is contingent on one another.
A huge question that lays heavily on every person is the following: Is there an exception
to having an abortion if the woman gets raped? Obviously, I do not agree with abortion at all, but
when I get asked this question, honestly, I find myself stumbling for an answer adequate enough
to not only satisfy the person asking me, but myself. This encouraged me to do some heavy
research in order to gain a perspective on this very issue. I found an article titled, Pro-Life
Answer to the Rape Question, that greatly helped me come up with an answer that satisfied me
and my concerns with an abortion resulting from a rape. Majority of abortions are the outcome of
consensual sex although there are some that are because of the woman being raped. The reason I
am against aborting a baby is because I believe that an innocent baby has the right to live and
grow. Because that is my initial and main reason as to why I am against abortion, then the means
of conception should not alter my view. The article stated the following question, Do the
circumstances of a childs conception change the fact that he or she is a living preborn person?
(Pro Life Answer to the Rape Question, Par. 3). I know and realize that it would be extremely
and incredibly difficult to bear a child that shares half of the genes as the man who raped a
woman, but having an abortion does not unrape her, nor will the feelings of regret and grief go
away, if anything, they will increase to do killing the baby inside of her (Pro Life Answer to the
Rape Question, Par. 10). The circumstances of how the baby was conceived do not change the
fact that the baby is an innocent human life and no one should take that away from he or she. The
child should not have to suffer due to he or shes parents crime. For a moment, picture your best
friend. Picture you two doing one of your favorite things together, laughing, and having a good
time together (Pro Life Answer to the Rape Question, Par. 6). If your best friends birth was the

Rutkai 4
result of his mother being raped, would you still want to be friends with him? Of course you
would, that would not change your feelings for him. Your friendship is not contingent on how he
was conceived, so it should not matter in the case of rape either. What if a mother decided to
keep the baby that the rapist impregnated her with, but gave the child up for adoption?
Something good came out of the horrible situation, she gave birth to a new, innocent life. The
rapist should be punished, not the innocent baby (Pro Life Answer to the Rape Question, Par. 9).
When looking at abortion, many consider the mothers right to privacy and free will over
the babys. 53% of Americans believe that abortion is morally and ethically wrong (Dionisio,
Par. 9). Just because they believe this, does not mean that abortions are not any more prevalent
than they are, because most still choose the mothers right to choose over the babys right to life.
The American Heritage Science Dictionary construes and describes conception as the unification
of an egg and a sperm cell that forms a zygote (Agresti, Par. 7). The genetic composition of
every human being is formed during fertilization, therefore the zygote and early embryo are
living (Agresti, Par. 14). Because life does begin at conception due to the establishment of genes
and certain developments that begin to happen within a pregnancy, abortion is murder (Agresti,
Par. 14). If murder is not ethical, then abortion is not ethical. As humans, we are characterized by
four attributes that not only give us our civil rights, but our right to life. The four attributes of
something that is living includes the following: growth, reproduction, metabolism, and response
to stimuli (Agresti, Par. 9). A baby growing in a mothers womb is growing, has the potential to
reproduce, has a metabolism, and responds to stimuli. It is not only unethical, but morally wrong
to terminate someones life and future due to an inconvenience. Pro-choice supporters believe
that providing women with safe abortions is the only way to eliminate death and trauma from
illegal abortions. Aborting a baby is traumatic and unnerving for the mother of the baby.

Rutkai 5
Abortion is not only the termination of a life, but of the womans child (Major, 4). It also
contravenes the motherly instinct of protecting and loving ones baby. Feelings of loss, grief, and
guilt flood the mind of the woman following her abortion. There is a term resulting in receiving
an abortion that is a form of Post-traumatic stress disorder, Post abortion syndrome. There are
symptoms of depression, substance abuse, denial, and flashbacks (Major, 4). Therefore, I do not
agree that abortion is the safest and only way to prevent harm and death. Because the statement
also believes that legal abortion is the safest way to eliminate death and trauma, lets look at the
different types of abortions. Medical abortion, which is the abortion pill is taken in two doses, up
to nine weeks of pregnancy (Johnson, video 4). Mifepristone is the first tablet to be taken and it
makes the uterus unsuitable to fertilize the egg by blocking the hormone, Progesterone
(Abortion- How it is Performed, Par. 15). Progesterone is the hormone that stabilizes the uterus
wall lining (Abortion- How it is performed, Par. 14). Prostaglandin is the second tablet that is
taken two days later (Abortion- How it is performed, Par. 17). The embryo and uterus wall lining
will be broken down and will bleed out which will be very painful and cause some sickness.
Cramps, contractions, and bleeding will result in order to push the baby out. Abdominal pain,
headaches, vomiting, bleeding, and even maternal death are possible and potential side effects of
having a medical abortion (Johnson, video 4). Vacuum aspiration is a surgical abortion that is the
most common type of abortion received between five to thirteen weeks of pregnancy (Johnson,
Par. 7). Vacuum aspiration sucks the fetus from the uterus by first enlarging your cervix with a
metal tool called a speculum (Abortion- How it is performed, Par. 21). Because it is painful, you
will be under an anesthetic and a tablet may be taken to soften the cervix. Metal rods will then be
inserted to open up the area even more. Because the bones of the baby are still forming, they are
very brittle so a suction catheter is used. The catheter is ten times as strong as a household

Rutkai 6
vacuum (Johnson, video 2). Because the baby is too large to be sucked up all at once, pieces of
the baby will rip off and be sucked up (Johnson, Par. 7). The abortionist will then get a sharp,
metal curette and scrape the wall of the uterus in order to get any pieces left (Johnson, video 2).
Cramps and bleeding will follow for the next few weeks along with nausea, light headedness,
sweating, and possible blood clots (Abortion- How It Is Performed, Par. 23). Because the babys
heart commences to beat with the babys own, unique blood type by day twenty two, the
abortionist will have sucked up and obliterated he or shes heart, along with the spinal column,
intestines, and other major organs (Diary of An Unborn Child, Par. 3). Induction is a surgical
abortion that can be given up to twenty five weeks. DiGoxin is injected into the babys head,
back, or spine in order to bring the baby to cardiac arrest (Johnson, Par. 7). Laminaria, a
seaweed, is then used to soak up the fluid in the uterus. The woman will then leave and carry the
dead baby inside of her for two days, unless the baby is still alive, then the baby will receive
another injection (Johnson, video 3). The mother will then have a stillbirth and if the baby does
not come out whole, she will have to receive a Dilation and Evacuation abortion (Johnson, video
1). Dilation and Evacuation is another type of surgical abortion. This surgery is performed up to
twenty weeks of pregnancy (Abortion- How it is performed, Par. 28). Because the baby is so
large at this point, a weighted spectrum will first open the vagina. Luminaria, is then inserted
into the vagina to soak up the fluid that is in the uterus. A suction catheter sucks the rest of the
fluid out. A sharp, metal sopher clamp is then used to hold onto, grab, and then rip each limb of
the baby, along with the spine, heart, and lungs (Johnson, video 1). Because the head is so large,
it has to be crushed and taken out piece by piece. A curette will be used to scrape the lining of
the uterus wall to be sure to get every part of the baby out. Nausea, cramps, bleeding, potential
damage to the uterus wall and cervix, infection, blood clots, maternal death, and complications in

Rutkai 7
future pregnancies are side effects (Johnson, video 1). After every surgical abortion, the
abortionist has to account for every part of the baby by putting he or she back together in order to
make sure no parts were left inside. It is important for the doctor to be sure that every body part,
limb, heart, and spine are accounted for to prevent any further infections (Johnson, video 1). No
part of any of these methods of abortion sound safe nor the only way to eliminate death and
trauma. It MAY eliminate death from the mother because she will be receiving an abortion in a
professional and legal environment, but she could still die from any complications. The
procedures all sound unsafe and inhumane, not only for the baby, but for the mother as well. The
doctor in the videos from the research I had conducted had given 1,200 abortions, but one day he
decided to stop because he pictured the torn, mutilated baby in front of him being his own child
(Johnson, video 1). I created a tumblr page in order to convey the ethics and morals of abortion
because clearly, abortion surgeries are not safe nor easy to perform. I wanted to portray the
barbaric tools along with the detail of abortions in order to make the entire issue of abortion
personal which is why I ended my tumblr page with a story. I wrote a story about how one
persons life changed others lives, which caused a ripple effect. He saved two peoples lives,
who in turn, saved other peoples lives. I portrayed the idea that the main characters specific
genes that were established at conception and his one unique personality would not have saved
lives if his mother had gotten an abortion. By personalizing the entire matter of abortion, along
with revealing the uncivilized procedures to carry out an abortion, I feel that it put abortion in a
new light and exemplified my thoughts well.
In conclusion, it morally and ethically makes more sense to preserve and protect human
life, than to terminate it. No matter the circumstance, a life is a life. Abortion is neither the only
option nor the safest option, in fact it carries many risks and side effects. For the sake of our

Rutkai 8
missing classmates, friends, family members, doctors, teachers, and community members,
choose to fight for the 1.2 million babies that are being aborted each year. In the words of the
infamous elephant Horton, from Horton Hears a Who, A person is a person, no matter how
small.

Works Cited
Old:
Abortion Procedures During First, Second, and Third Trimester. Americanpregnancy.org.
American Pregnancy Association. May. 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Agresti, James. The Science of Abortion: When Does Life Begin? Justfactsdaily.com.
WordPress, 10 June, 2014. Web. 15 Feb. 2016.
New:
Abortion and Embryo Destruction. Princeton.edu. Princeton, ProLife. Web. 4 April. 2016.
Abortion- How It Is Performed. Nhs.uk. Gov.uk, 7 Aug. 2014. Web. 4 April. 2016.
Diary of an Unborn Child. NRLC.dj.web.net. Working For Life Since, 1968. Web. 17 Feb. 2016.
Donohue, John. The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime. Jstor.org. Oxford University Press,
2 May. 2001. Web. 4 April. 2016.

Rutkai 9
Dionisio, Lisa. A Political Public, and Moral Look at Abortion. NYU.edu. The Social
Foundations of Public Issues, 28 Feb. 2006. Web. 4 April. 2016.
Johnson, Ben. He Performed 1200 Abortions. Lifesitenews.com. Lifesitenews.com, 24 Feb.
2016. Web. 4 April. 2016.
Luhrmann, Tanya. The Pro-Choice Argument. Thecrimson.com. The Harvard Crimson, Inc, 25
Oct. 1979. Web. 10 April. 2016.
Major, Brenda. Abortion and Mental Health. Apa.org. American Psychologist, Dec. 2009. Web.
4 April. 2016.
Pro Life Answer to the Rape question. Studentsforlife.org. Students for Life of America, 2016.
Web. 09 April. 2016.
Surgical Abortion Procedures. Americanpregnancy.org. May 2015. Web. 4 April. 2016.
United States Crime Rates 1960-2014. Disastercenter.com. Disaster Center, 2014. Web. 4 April
2016.