Critique please!

Would anyone mind critiquing this paper for me? I have an English teacher who grades really tough, and I could use the extra opinions. Thanks!

Shouldn’t We Have a Choice?

Throughout the short history of our country, Americans have fought for various civil rights. Although our forward-thinking country has improved its stance on civil rights, there is one glaring issue that is constantly under fire: the right to choose. Many conservative and religious groups are disputing the right to choose, or the right to have an abortion, by calling abortion immoral. The right to choose is not about one’s moral objection to abortion, it is about one’s ability to make a personal and private choice without interference from the government. One does not have to agree with abortion to agree with the civil right of choice. Abortion should continue to be a legal option for women, because the government should not be able to make medical and personal choices for women, nor should abortion be made into a moral issue.

The most basic argument in this debate is simply that women should be able to make their own choices about issues that deal with their own bodies. Being pro-choice means supporting every woman's right to make private, personal decisions about pregnancy and childbearing. It is not which choice she makes, but rather that she is free to make the choice that is right for her. Margaret Sanger, who campaigned to legalize birth control and founded what would eventually become Planned Parenthood, hit the nail on the head by saying, “No woman can call herself free who does not own and control her own body.”

Furthermore, outlawing abortion will not stop them from happening; it will only stop abortions from being safe. Prior to the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, which granted abortion rights to women, thousands of women died or were seriously injured because of so-called back alley abortions. Criminalizing abortion would reduce women to seeking the procedure from unqualified doctors or other people willing to perform abortions in unsanitary conditions. From a medical aspect, this would be a devastating blow to women’s health.

Another point in the pro-life argument is that life begins at conception, which would make abortion murder. The idea that personhood begins at conception is a religious belief and is neither supported, nor proven, by biological science. The pro-life movement is seeking to force their own moral and philosophical beliefs on others, which is a violation of the Constitution. As Americans, we are afforded the right of religious freedom, but we are also afforded the right to not have religion imposed upon us. The anti-abortion movement is a cause for great concern among pro-choice activists, who see anti-abortion laws as a violation of religious liberty. If we are to maintain a separation of church and state, then we cannot have a few citizens’ religious beliefs forced upon the rest of the country.

Abortion is and will continue to be one of America’s most controversial topics. The debates, protests, and campaigns may never end. Outlawing abortion will neither end the debate nor will it stop abortions from happening. Providing adequate funding for better sex education and available and affordable contraception, however, will help reduce the amount of abortions needed. The bottom line is that the right to make a personal choice should be left up to the individual not politicians. In order to uphold one of the basic rights to which all American citizens are entitled, abortion must remain a legal option for women.