New York bill demolishes conservative morals

Javi Mercado, Staff Photographer

My mom was only 18 when I was born. Her pregnancy and my birth changed her life forever. I was an inconvenience for her.

But here I am, an abortion survivor, able to write this piece today because she didn’t choose abortion, she chose to have me and raise me.

Everyone who is reading this right now also survived abortion. Now I’m wondering why should people who got lucky enough to be chosen to become a human being have that taken away from them because of their mother’s inconvenience?

A new abortion law was passed in New York Jan. 22 and other states are moving to follow in the same direction. A Democratic sponsor from Virginia has proposed a similar bill in that state. This means that a fully-developed fetus can be aborted.

This legislation has caused a lot of conversation about abortion. Following this law, conservatives have been creating major backlash against New York governor Andrew Cuomo for passing the bill.

The reason Cuomo is getting so much criticism is because those women who are pregnant can now legally get an abortion up to delivery, whether it be for physical or mental health issues. Just as a reminder, after the second trimester the fetus is 80 percent formed. This means that a baby who is ready to be born can be killed before even taking its first breath.

But I don’t get to have a say about abortion rights, because I’m male. I understand women’s rights but how come the 125,000 potential unborn women who are being aborted each day also don’t get a say? And isn’t it also a man’s future child as well as the mother’s? Most people don’t consider the father when discussing abortion but the child is just as much the father’s as it is the mother’s. I’m not saying that the women should be forced to keep and raise a child she doesn’t want, but the baby she is carrying isn’t just hers alone, unless it’s a case of rape or something across those lines.

I believe abortion is wrong in many cases, but there are a few of cases in which there is no other option, such as women who could face life-threatening consequences or permanent damage. Even if the child could face some difficulties in life then they still get the right to live their life. Look at the spectacular young Purdue student Tyler Trent who lived his life with terminal bone cancer. It was estimated that he wouldn’t live long, but he still lived long enough to change the lives of many throughout his 20-year life. He was an honorary football captain at the university and was featured on SportsCenter a few times because of how he kept supporting his fellow students even though his life would soon come to an end. Trent made a huge impact on me, like many others. His example makes me feel that I should speak up for the unborn who could also be like him, a short life but one that makes a difference.

Some women may not be able to afford to raise the child they’re carrying, but adoption or any other alternative is better than abortion for any baby. I even support Plan B, the pill, or any other preventative pregnancy tactic before abortion is an option.

When talking adoption there are many positives for those involved. The child would go somewhere where they are wanted and the adopters are receiving a child, whether it be because the woman couldn’t produce a child on her own or a couple that naturally couldn’t produce a child such as those who originate from the LGBTQ community.

Getting an abortion would be something I couldn’t live with if I was able to carry a child. I envy women who decide to raise their children, because being a mother is the strongest form of feminism.