Disclaimer: Everything stated below is my own personal opinion. I seek not to offend or upset anyone on either side of this issue. I encourage debate and discussion, the main problem on this issue is staying silent.

Now I know I have readers already thinking, "How in the world can you be Pro-Life and Pro-Choice? They are polar opposites!" and you are very right about that. They are completely different ends of the spectrum, but the topic of abortion and women's rights is exactly that, a spectrum and I'm here to discuss the gray area in between the two.

I'm Pro-Life.

I sincerely believe that most people could say the same. No one likes the idea of death or dying, especially when it comes to children. However, the issue of Pro-Life versus Pro-Choice boils down to two definitions that we have not defined yet. The definition of life, and the rights a woman has over this other life. However, to understand the definition of life, we must first understand it's counterpart, death. MedicineNet.com says "The common law standard for determining death is the cessation of all vital functions, traditionally demonstrated by an absence of spontaneous respiratory and cardiac functions." When someone passes away, medical examiners pronounce them dead when a pulse can no longer be detected. So if a lack of pulse is the medical definition of death, and life and death are direct opposites, then the exact opposite of the heart stopping (death) would be the heart starting (life). Because of this belief, I do truly believe that after the heart begins beating, that fetus is a living being with its own rights to live that even the mother cannot take away. At this point, I believe having an abortion is truly terminating another life and is essentially wrong.

I'm Pro-Choice.

While I hold my own personal beliefs, I understand that I cannot tell other people what to do. I support a woman's right to make her own decisions about her body and life for herself. I do not believe it is within my rights to tell another woman that she must carry on with an unwanted pregnancy. Let's face it, we all make mistakes. We all have regrets. I know that at 17 I was not ready to bring a child into this world, so how can I look down on a teen mother struggling with such a hard decision? How can I look a rape victim in the eye and force her to carry her monster's offspring within her womb for 9 months and then force her to look into his eyes every day as she raises the child that only brings back traumatic memories? I personally would like to believe that if something like this happened to me, that I could move past the trauma to see the innocence of the child, but I in no way can expect another woman to react the same. This is where I am Pro-Choice. I may react one way, but I can never force another woman to react or feel the same.

The Gray Area Of Compromise.

So how can there possibly be an in-between for these two very different beliefs? My own belief is that there is a way to be both Pro-Life and Pro-Choice. By terminating a pregnancy before the heart starts beating (anywhere from 5-8 weeks) I believe you are not taking a true life. At this point, there is no heartbeat, just a random assortment of cells that have not yet formed another human life. You are still, technically, having an abortion (Pro-Choice) but you are also respecting the value of life (Pro-Life). There are many options for women who wish to terminate a pregnancy at this point in time, a few being non-invasive and similar to a natural miscarriage. If you are on top of your reproductive health, it should not be hard to notice that you are pregnant in plenty of time to terminate the pregnancy before the heart starts beating. This is the gray area that falls under both categories, and this is where my own personal opinion lies on the matter.

In the end, no matter what area of the spectrum you fall under, remember that we are all in this together. Instead of trying to tear others down for their opinions or beliefs, remember to try to understand and support one another. We don't know each other's challenges or struggles and we all need to work together to reach a better future for all.

"If we could look into each other’s hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.”

- Marvin J. Ashton

Links:

Definition of Pro-Life:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pro%E2%80%93life

Definition of Pro-Choice:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pro%E2%80%93choice

Definition of Death:

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=33438