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If the men of the United States are trusted with the choice to send thousands of our young men and women to war and many to death, why are women not trusted to make the same life and death decision?
I am constantly amazed when I hear people say they are for or against abortion. Nobody is really for abortion, pro-choice is about having the choice to be a parent, not be a parent or raise a child alone. Abortion is not a desirable option, even to those who support the decision to end a pregnancy. What this heated debate ultimately comes down to are two issues: how Society views women whether we see it or not and a woman's health. We grant the President of the United States who has always been a man (though that may change soon) to have full power of the military as the Commander in Chief. Our laws grant him, a man, the powers to send men and women off to war, death and injury. We trust that this man is using the lives of these people in everyone's best interest so why can't we trust women are doing the same when they choose to end a pregnancy? The sad truth is, because women are still second class citizens whether we would like to admit that or not. Women are not as trusted with issues of such importance as life and death even in this day and age. Admittedly, groups such as Planned Parenthood and other enlightened individuals and organizations do believe women trustworthy of such a task, but many do not-which is why this is still a debate. Many people are uncomfortable with women having such a power over their own bodies that until recently, were hardly their own.

On the subject of a woman's body, many women who become pregnant and do not feel they are fit to be a parent and choose not to carry the baby to term for adoption will seek abortion whether it is legal or not. So newsflash to those attempting to keep abortion illegal: abortion will not end because the government says so. Abortions performed by unqualified physicians and witch doctors would accompany a ban on the procedure and can seriously harm both the mother and the unborn child unnecessarily.
I have also heard the crude argument that a woman should "keep her legs shut" if she does not want a child and to these crude people I would like to say it takes two to make a baby. I would also like to point out that making abortion illegal and telling women after the fact they shouldn't have had sex if they didn't want a baby is unrealistic, unproductive and unfair. Rape, which is illegal but still continues with little jail time for perpetrators unfortunately, will happen to 25% of American Women and many result in pregnancies. In those cases, her pregnancy wasn't her choice but we can give her something back by letting her choose to end of continue her pregnancy safely and legally.

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