Project 2

Danielle Silva

Professor M. MacKnight

WRT104

27 February 2011

Project 2: Analyzing a Text

In the article, “Abortion, Right and Wrong”, Rachel Richardson Smith, a student of theology, explains her views on abortion.  Rachel is not for abortion; however she is not against abortion either.  She, among many other people, stands in the middle between pro-life and pro-choice.  Throughout this article, she explains the pros and cons of each topic.  The people who put themselves on the pro-life side sometimes become a bit too overwhelming with their “scare tactics”.  Also, many of the people involved with anti-abortion campaigns are usually on the religious side.  Therefore, they follow these reasoning’s simply because of their religion.  Rachel explains that she leans towards the pro-life side because she simply does not like the idea that abortion is “the taking of human life”.  However, she feels as though our society needs to figure out the “value of human life”.  She explains that in our society abortion seems to be such a big deal because one is taking the life of someone who is not even born yet.  On the other hand, we seem to have no problem taking the life of a person who is born and grown in ways like “self-defense, the death penalty, and war”.  Overall, the author of the article feels as though she cannot take side.  She could never come to terms with herself to agree that abortion is a good idea, however, she also feels as though in some circumstances woman need the choice.

The way the author writes the article brings upon new ideas towards abortion.  Everyone seems to think they either need to be pro-life or pro-choice and there cannot be any in-between.  However, Richardson Smith explains her view in a new and interesting way.  She explains, “Even as I refuse to pass judgment on other women’s lives, I weep for the children who might have been”.  Taking a side to be against or for abortion is a confusing thought for the author.  There are so many different ways to look at each argument.  The author shows and explains each side perfectly and creates a new category which she explains as, “I find myself in the awkward position of being both anti-abortion and pro-choice”.  I feel as though a lot of people are unaware of this feeling and they themselves would feel this way after reading this article.

Abortion, Right and Wrong, explains and interprets each side of abortion so well, however makes the reader realize there is no right or wrong answer to abortion.  When one reads Richardson Smith’s article, first one agrees with the first side she is explaining and then one agrees with the other side, left with confusion.  However, when done reading the entire article, after thinking for a few minutes, it is concluded that there may not be a one side the reader can agree with.  It leaves one with feeling pros and cons on the pro-life side and pros and cons on the pro-choice side.  The author then explains how abortion is definitely not the right answer, however sometimes it depends on the circumstance.  She explains, “What many people seem to misunderstand is that no woman wants to have an abortion.  Circumstances demand it; women do it”.  She is illuminating how abortion is erroneous, however, in some cases with explanation it can be an understandable situation.

Personally, I feel as though this article opened up so many new ideas and feelings towards abortion.  Before reading and examining the text, I was felt very strongly about abortion.  Pro-life was my definite choice.  No matter how many times people tried to explain and convince me that pro-life was not the best way to go, I always stuck with it.  The reasoning behind the fact that I am was an anti-abortionist was simply because of the way I was brought up.  Coming from a religious family, my thoughts towards abortion were always evil.  Even as Rachel explains in her writing, “The pro-life groups, with their fundamentalist religious attitudes, have a fear and an abhorrence of sex, especially premarital sex”.  Thinking through the pros and cons of each side of abortion was never really a question in my mind.  Because of the way I was brought up, I simply always thought abortion was one hundred percent wrong.

Although I still do not agree with abortion, as I never will, the article brings up various exceptional points that I can cope with.  The way she states she is both anti-abortion and pro-choice is very appealing to me.  Thinking deeply into the subject never was a thought for me.  The author thought deeply for me in her text by allowing myself to read it.  Realizing many new ideas from the article, one thing I will do differently simply because of the reading is cut back on judgment.  Usually if anyone was associated with the word abortion, I immediately judged in a way I should not.  Unless I know the story behind one who has gone through this loss of self-respect situation, I will not put a negative title on anyone.  This text showed me, among many other things, not to feel so strongly about being so anti-abortion.  I’m sure many other pro-life men and women would conclude to feeling the way I do because of Rachel Richardson Smiths article, Abortion, Right and Wrong.  In the end of the article she states, “I suspect I am not alone”.  She is most definitely not alone, seeing as I agree with her explanations and interpretations towards abortion completely.