My Body, My Choice?

Many arguments for abortion rights have been turned into taglines for the abortion movement, the most ridiculous of which is, "My body, my choice." The argument essentially is that when choosing to have an abortion or not, it is the woman's body, so therefore it should be her choice whether or not to carry the baby to term. They say it’s about choice, and that no one should be allowed to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body.

Pro-life people argue that the baby is a separate individual—not simply a part of the mother. The fetus has its own unique DNA, and therefore should be protected from those who may wish to do it harm. Separate individual; therefore separate rights. However, the claim from pro-choice people is that the fetus growing inside of a pregnant woman is a part of her, therefore it's her right to do with it as she pleases. So let’s follow that logic. 

For argument’s sake, let’s say that the fetus is a part of a woman. What other body part can a woman legally remove? Yes, cosmetic surgery is available if one should so choose. Breast augmentation, rhinoplasty, liposuction, etc. are popular types of body modification. Some would argue about the mental health of some women (and men) who undergo multiple body modification surgeries, but that's not my point. The point is that women are not electively choosing to remove *parts of their body.* If a woman—or anyone for that matter—wanted to electively remove a body part, every single ethical medical doctor would say no. I can't even electively remove my uterus. There has to be a medical reason for a woman to have a hysterectomy. Most doctors won't even perform a tubal ligation until after a woman has already had children. If I wanted to remove my appendix because it might burst one day and cause a financial burden on me, I will get told no. My left thumb is fairly useless, can you just take it of my hands? If I want to remove my pinky toe, that’s gonna be a no. Begging for an elective amputation could also land me straight in the looney bin, and it rightfully should. Because removing an otherwise healthy body part is cRaZy.

Some might argue that the fetus could be more likened to a parasite or a cancerous tumor that takes over your body, sucking the resources from it. To that, I would say, of course you remove a parasite or a tumor, but a fetus does not consume healthy cells, nor does it take over the organs and cause organ failure. To compare a fetus to a parasite or a tumor is really a little overreaching.

The bottom line is that the argument about it being a part of a woman's body, and therefore she should be able to remove it if she pleases, should be moot. There's no other body part you can just legally choose to remove if you don't want it any more.

Now let's get to the issue of "No one should be able to tell me what I can and cannot do with my body." That's another non-sequitur. The US government already tells you what you can and cannot do with your body. I cannot prostitute myself—even if I *really* need to money, it's still illegal. I cannot sell my organs. I can't use drugs—but it's my body, and if I want to destroy it with methamphetamine and heroin, why can't I? Assisted suicide? That a no. If I know I'm going to die, and I am in the most horrific pain of my life, I can't have someone help me end it—because it's illegal. All of these things are illegal because they are immoral and unsafe. If the pro-choice community were *really* about "my body, my choice," then they wouldn't just be pro-abortion. They would be pro-prostitute, pro-organ selling, pro-amputation, pro-drugs and pro-assisted suicide. But they aren't. Pro-choice people are exclusively pro-abortion. They recognize that prostitution, organ selling, amputation, drugs and assisted suicide are wrong, and therefore should be illegal.

I sincerely urge those of you reading this who are pro-choice to really think of the logic behind your "choice." It doesn't really make sense. You really just want to make sure women have an "out" if they get pregnant. It cannot possibly be about the government trying to control your body—because they already do in so many other areas. Be consistent then in your arguments.