Abortion debate

The age-old debate of abortion has reared its ugly head again, as parliament debates a possible new legislation on decriminilising abortion up to 24 weeks. It's a topic that everyone (including me, of course) has an opinion on. But who is wrong and who is right?

On the one hand, women will have access to safe, legal abortion facilities. For those that feel they are truly unable to cope with a child, teenage pregnancies, or those affected by drugs and alcohol, this may be the best option. After all, what would be crueler? Bringing a child into a life full of neglect, abuse or no affection? Or preventing a child from living a horrible life in the first place?

But on the other hand, I couldn't imagine going through 24 weeks of pregnancy only to decide for whatever reason that I don't want to go through with having a child any more (I type this as my 2 year old son snuggles up against me on the couch, and my number 2 kicks away furiously in my stomach). Does fate not have a say in things anymore? Is it too much to ask that women not be completely selfish when it comes to the suffering of others, choosing to do away with that which will cause us suffering, rather than suffer and GROW? I just think abortion because a child has Downs, or Dwarfism, or whatever else, is totally, unbelievably selfish.

In short, the option of abortion is necessary, if only to prevent the nasty, unsafe, underground methods to resurface, as they were in the 60s and 70s. It is necessary to prevent a generation of unloved, unwanted children, whose parents have overdosed or ended up in jail. But it is NOT necessary for the sake of making women's lives easier and less painful. You shouldn't be able to change your mind half way through because you just realised your life will be ruined. That's just selfish.