w4m: Speaking For Those That Cannot Speak

Writing to Persuade- Speaking For Those That Cannot Speak

By David Piggott

In 2011 people have more rights than at any other time in human history. With these rights great things have happened; an extension of freedom of expression, equality, education, and beliefs. Greater liberty should encourage people to think about their lives in greater depth. The concept of “life” can be considered on many different levels, from the biological to the spiritual, from the past to the present, from the individual to the many... but what about from the start?

In 2009, 189,200 abortions were carried out in England and Wales. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948 states that, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person”. The European Convention on Human Rights states that each human being has a “right to life”. The question is; when does a human life begin? The two main arguments are that life begins from the moment of conception or from the moment that a baby could theoretically survive outside the womb.

I have chosen to believe that life begins at conception; the reasons for this are both scientific and personal. As with any moral and ethical situation, both the scientific and the moral conscience carry weight. Which one has greater influence on the argument is down to the individual.

Many medical professionals agree life begins at conception, therefore, according to the Declaration of Human Rights terminating that life is akin to murder. Yet we have set in place laws designed to protect our citizens from harm?  Why not the unborn?

Even if people do not agree that life begins at conception then they cannot object to the fact that the seeds of life have been planted and are growing. To set arbitrary limits on when a life becomes a life is a dangerous path. Does life begin when there is a heartbeat? Or when there is the possibility of brainwaves? Or when the child leaves the mother’s womb?

Within the last 10 years abortion rates have risen. This leads to the conclusion many people have not used contraception despite government and charity campaigns encouraging them to do so. Looking at these two things in conjunction, the link could be made that abortion is now seen as a form of birth control. This is a dangerous idea as abortion is a serious medical procedure with potential side-effects and negative outcomes that could be avoided if contraception were used in the first place.

The possibility of adoption has been a viable option for many years and yet is often discounted due to the emotional heartache involved. One has to ask the question, would someone feel more emotional pain if they were to terminate the life of a child or if they were to see that child adopted into a stable home? It’s completely understandable that a child is a responsibility and, for whatever reason, some might not be able to cope with that responsibility. But for every person that can’t there is someone that can.

Ends

Word count: 500