If we have rights simply for being human and not for any other arbitrary condition or attribute, preborn humans should also have rights. What species are we discussing in abortion? Human. Once we can agree on that basic biological fact, we can move on to the next one... when does life begin?

Once we can agree on the basic biology that we are discussing human fetuses in an abortion, now we need to decide if we should value humans simply for being alive. Are humans alive during an abortion? Well, science tells us that life begins at fertilization- when sperm meets egg- and a new, unique, organism comes into being. This is true in other species, as well, and is an undisputed scientific reality. In fact, 96% of biologists agree on this. So, now we know that in this abortion discussion, we're talking about humans and that they're alive. If a preborn human is alive before abortion, doesn't that mean abortion is taking their life? Now let's talk morality...

Alright, so we know abortion is dealing with humans and that they're alive. You might say, "Just because something is human doesn't mean it's valuable." Certainly there's a difference between the human skin cell you can peel off of your finger or the strand of hair that sheds when you run a brush over your scalp. But in an abortion, we're not talking about a few clumps of human cells being tossed out. When fertilization occurs, an entire new and whole human is formed and begins self-directed growth. If we value humans simply for being human, we need to value them in their earliest stages of development. We have all of our unique DNA that determines who we are at the moment of conception. You were you in your mother's womb. You were worthy of protection then, just as you are now.

If we can agree that abortion involves a living human person and that the procedure directly ends that person's life; yes, abortion is morally wrong. Look at many other examples of moral ills in our society that any sane person will agree is wrong - murder of born people, stealing, assault - our laws and common understanding reflect how we see moral issues. You might say, "Maybe abortion kills a baby, but it's still the woman's choice because it's in her body." Now let's talk about bodily autonomy...

Let's say we've gotten this far and can agree that abortion is morally wrong and kills a preborn person, but the hold-up is what you may see as "compassion" for the mother. Even if abortion is wrong, should a mother "be forced" to remain pregnant and give birth? Even if she doesn't want to? Think about moral obligation. If you neglect a newborn and they die, you will be charged for murder. How is abortion different? Well, it involves the direct killing of the child and it occurs inside the mother's body. Our location should not determine whether we should be protected. Simply because the preborn baby is inside the woman and relies on her body to survive does not mean she should have the right to end a separate person's life. The baby has bodily autonomy, as well, and that would be severely infringed if he or she is violently removed via abortion.

Rape is a despicable crime and a grave evil in our society. It's disgusting how often perpetrators get away with these types of crimes and their sentences do not always reflect the gravity of their actions. One of the most common questions in the abortion debate is on whether or not a woman who becomes pregnant through an assault should "be forced" to carry the baby. A problem with this line of questioning is that it predetermines that killing a person should even be viewed as a viable option. It's not that we should want a woman to be "forced" to carry a baby, it's that a baby exists and we shouldn't be allowed to kill them simply for how they were conceived. We need to acknowledge the devastating reality of rape while also not supporting a second violent act to take place: abortion. Abortion is extremely harmful to women and a high percentage of women who abort their children go on to experience mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical declines. Abortion is not the solution, real support is.