I found it very difficult to watch the Frontline documentary. I can not really say that I am for or against abortion. I think that it should be the mother’s choice. Although, I think that the baby’s rights should be considered as well. I know that there is a huge argument, from reading the textbook, over when the conceptus is consider to be a human being, and therefore giving it rights. I have learned that this is a very difficult subject to make a decision on.
In the video the first woman, decided to go forth with an abortion. She stated that keeping the baby was not the best option. She thought if she was to go through the 9 months she would want to keep the baby, and would not be able to give it up for adoption. She also knew that she would not be able to provide a good and healthy environment for her child to grow up. Therefore, she came to the conclusion that an abortion was the best decision. Ethically, I think that she believed that it would be unfair and immoral to the baby, if she went through with the pregnancy and gave the child an unjust life. Though, I can also see the argument that killing the baby is immoral and unjust. That leads back to the whole argument over when the conceptus is consider a human being. Honestly, I do not know if she made the right decision or not. I think as long as she is able to live with her decision then she made the right one for her.
The second woman in the video that decides also to go forth with an abortion has some very similar reason for why she made her decision. She already has a 2 year old son that she is having trouble taking care of. She also does not want to place the child, which she is pregnant with, up for adoption for the main reason that she would always be wondering about where that child was and how it was living with out her. Therefore, she too decided that the abortion was the best choice for her. I really do not think that either of these girls ever thought ethically about these decisions. I think they just thought about the babies then about themselves, and then made what they thought was the best decision for them. Now do not get me wrong, I do understand that both women will probably be emotion damaged for life because of the decision that they made.
As I think about this exercise, it relates back to morality in that there are consequences for decisions. Maybe having a different world view, related to premarital sexual relations could have had different consequences for these young women. This video reinforces to me that decisions have consequences and having a value system is very important to help me make my decisions. Hopefully as my understanding of ethical and moral value systems evolves it will prevent me from finding myself in one of these very difficult, ethical and moral situation.
Something you stated really caught my attention. You said that they thought about the babies, then they thought about themselves. Do you think that the women were acting selfishly or unselfishly? While I agree that these ladies are probably going to be scarred for life, I think that Barb probably thought more about her decision and it had more of an impact on her then Helen did.
ReplyDeleteI really do not know if they were selfish or or not. I do not like to judge people when I don't have to live with their consequences. Though I do not completely understand why giving up the baby for adoption would be so bad. I have trouble choosing a side, for the reason that I understand both sides arguments. Like I said this is a difficult subject for me to make a decision.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I am always struck by in this documentary is how these women are faced with the decison and the problem and the men at least for the women who choose to abort the pregnancies have stable make figure. I always feel that it is so unfair that this decison fall so heavily on the women, when 2 people are in the act of creation
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