The Right to Choose is a Human Right

We are all endowed with natural rights, including the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Today, I am not just advocating for basic human rights but urgently pleading for the right to choose, the right to bodily autonomy, and the right to access safe and legal abortion. This is not a matter for future consideration but a pressing issue that demands immediate attention.

Let’s begin with the medical realities. Pregnancy can sometimes pose life-threatening risks to a woman’s health. In such cases, abortion isn’t a preference, but it’s a necessity. A woman’s health or even her life could be at risk due to complications from pregnancy. In these cases, the choice to save her life or protect her health should never be up for debate. It is her body after all, and she should be the only one to make that choice.

Then there is the horror of rape. The emotional, physical, and psychological scars left by such a traumatic experience are profound. Forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy resulting from such an act of violence is not only cruel, it’s inhumane. It can perpetuate her trauma, especially when it happens to younger girls. Can you imagine this happening to your sister or even a close friend? You cannot because it is not just a violation of her body but a violation of her entire life. Imagine this happening to your sister, friend, or daughter. A child could be forced to become a mother before understanding motherhood. She is not legally old enough to adopt, yet she would be expected to raise a child. That is not protection.

Some argue that adoption is a viable alternative. But we must be honest about that system, as the reality is far more complex. The system comprises fraud, racial bias, age bias, and profit-driven motives. Too many children are placed into unstable or unloving homes. Until the adoption system becomes truly ethical, transparent, and focused on the well-being of every child, we cannot rely on it as a simple solution to deny women their rights. Many individuals are also not financially stable enough to have children. Fortunately, the adoption system helps with that. Unfortunately, that system is corrupt.

Now, let's talk about individual rights. Every individual has the right to make choices about their own body. Do I tell you when to eat? Do I tell you when to shower? Do I tell you when to wake up? Do I tell you whether or not you can go to school or work if you’re sick? No, I don’t. Then why should that be different when it comes to abortions?

Let’s also examine the hypocrisy in our justice system. In many states, individuals seeking abortions face harsher penalties than rapists. Let that sink in. A survivor of assault can be punished more severely than her attacker simply for making a choice. It is worth noting that most of the Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade were men. How can individuals who will never carry a pregnancy presume to decide what others must endure?

Whether or not one believes a fetus is alive, the reality is that most abortions occur very early in pregnancy. That’s before the fetus has a heartbeat and long before it could survive outside the womb. In fact, over 90% of abortions happen in the first trimester, when the embryo is so small and lacks the organs or systems required for independent life. At that stage, what’s being terminated is not a fully formed baby, but a potential for life, one that depends entirely on the woman’s body to exist. We must be honest about the science to have a fair and compassionate conversation about choice.

That said, abortion is not a choice to be made lightly. While abortions can be necessary at times, we must take that decision with care. We must take responsibility for our actions and be prepared to face the consequences. Careless abortions not only pose a risk to our health but also reflect a lack of responsibility. This is not a decision to be made lightly, but should be approached with the utmost care and consideration.

The Declaration of Independence states that individuals are born with God-given rights, including the right to govern our bodies, futures, and freedoms. These rights should never be stripped away under the pretense of protection or control. Our laws should uplift and defend the dignity of women, not diminish it.

So, today, I urge you: stand for justice. Stand for compassion. Stand for choice. Protecting the right to abortion is not just about policy, but it is about preserving the humanity, freedom, and future of every person this affects. Let us rise to defend what is rightfully ours.