Think of the last time you held a baby.  Maybe it was your own child, grandchild, niece, or nephew.  Whoever it was, just think about it for a minute.  Now think about that child being taken out of your life.  Think about that baby not having a laugh or cry.  Not even a heartbeat.  Imagine a world without a baby’s laughter.  What would it be like? 

                In the year 2014, approximately 926,240 abortions took place in just the U.S. alone.  That’s thousands of lives being taken away before they even have a voice.  Thousands of innocent babies that could have had a whole life ahead of them.  In my opinion, killing anything with a heartbeat is murder.  No exceptions.  Not in any case should it be legal to murder.  Whether you can see the life being taken or not, it is still a life. 

                Some women will state that their pregnancy was an “accident”, though I think it would be unfair to consider consensual sex an “accident”.  If it was, then it would be an accident that could have been easily prevented and by no means am I referring to birth control.  I don’t believe in birth control, or any other form of what people these days consider “safe sex”.  You know when sex is safe?  When you have a ring on your finger, a roof over your head, and a job to provide you with the finances to care for a child.  It’s as simple as that.  Until you have those things, all it takes is the word “no”.

                But what about circumstances such as rape?  Surprisingly, only 5% of the 957 women who provided a reason for their abortion were rape victims.  That’s a small amount compared to the 25% who said they just weren’t ready for a child.  But again, I bring back my point that it should never be legal to murder under any circumstances.  Whether you were ready or not, killing is never the answer to your problem.

                There is, however, a healthier alternative for both the pregnant woman and the unborn child.  There are many couples in the world that would love to have a child but are physically unable to because of diseases such as Chlamydia that cause sterility in both male and female reproductive organs.  This is why it may be a wise choice for pregnant women to put their baby up for adoption after it is born.  Young children usually get adopted quickly and go to a loving home.  Doesn’t that sound like a much better alternative to abortion?

                Considering that most women said that they just weren’t ready for a child, ultimately the best decision would be to not even make it a possibility.  It’s that easy, and the safest, healthiest way to prevent pregnancy and women will never have to even face the decision of abortion.  As I stated before, taking birth control can minimize the chances of pregnancy but it is not 100% guaranteed, and often includes side effects such as headaches, weight gain, and can even increase the chances of a heart attack.  Not to mention that forgetting to take it will not allow it to work at all.

                As we are entering 2017, the numbers of pregnancies of young women ages 15-19 are growing, which means that the numbers of teen abortions are growing as well.  While the abortion rates are the highest in women ages 20-25, teen abortion and unplanned pregnancy is still an issue.  Most teens will drop out of school and never graduate because of parenthood.  It’s saddening to think that young girls just entering High School will have to raise a child (most of the time without the support of the father of the child).  If the awareness of abortion and teen pregnancy can reach girls and women before they have to face the issue, just think of how many abortions can be prevented just by talking about it.

                In most of the stories I’ve heard about women who chose to abort their unborn child, most of them regretted the decision after it was too late.  Then for the rest of their lives they had to live with the guilt of killing an innocent life.  Besides guilt, abortion can also result in depression for the woman who will live the rest of her life remembering what she did.  No one wants to live like that, so why even make it a choice?  And for the women, why make that decision?

                One thing many people argue is that abortion protects women’s rights.  Well, what about the rights of the unborn child who doesn’t even have a voice to make his or her own choices?  Shouldn’t that be considered as well?  Wouldn’t the rights of a baby be just as, or even more, important as the woman’s rights? 

                If there’s one positive thing that comes from unplanned pregnancy, it’s the fact that it teaches the importance of dealing with consequences.  As humans we all make mistakes, and we must deal with the consequences that come from making that mistake.  If abortion is just a way to prevent a consequence, then it would be okay to assume that making that mistake wasn’t a big deal because you’ve gotten around the consequence.  How are we ever going to learn from our mistakes if there aren’t any consequences to deal with?

                To sum things up, abortion is wrong, killing an innocent life is wrong, and anyone who supports abortion needs to spend a few Sundays in church.  It’s sickening to think that there are so many supporters of this hurtful crime, and hopefully one day we will live in a world where it is no longer legal to murder an unborn life.