Argumentative Essay Sample about Texas Senate Bill 8

Many controversial topics circle through our nation’s politics today, which are either accompanied by a law or bill that currently exists or a law or bill that does not yet exist. Since 1948, the time of the Women’s Rights Movement, the female species has faced many challenges to gain control in her own life, as well as her body. The Abortion Law is a prime example of a controversial subject that governs Women’s Rights yet again. In order to gain a crucial right back for Women, this paper moves to persuade and argue why the Texas Senate Bill 8 should be discouraged and changed for the freedom of choice for all women and their bodies.

Why should someone care about this law if they don’t live in Texas? While this general population does not reside in Texas, this law should appeal to at least half the faculty, staff, and student body due to the fact that it impacts 84.4% of the women’s population in America who are of fertile age, between fifteen and forty years (Population of Women 15-44).  Since the movement of Women’s Rights, they have still been confronted with inequality of the sexes, particularly when it comes to the rights of their bodies. This law is just one example of how Women’s Rights are still being rejected.

The current law is the; Texas Senate Bill 8 which states in mundane terms that a woman cannot have an abortion past a certain point in her pregnancy. Taking a further look at the diction of the bill, it explains, “Except as provided by Section 171.205, a physician may not knowingly perform or induce an abortion on a pregnant woman unless the physician has determined, in accordance with this section, whether the woman’s unborn child has a detectable fetal heartbeat.” Texas Senate Bill 8). Continuing, the bill adds in contrast, “Sections 171.203 and 171.204 do not apply if a physician believes a medical emergency exists that prevents compliance with this subchapter.” (Texas Senate Bill 8). 

In an effort to format this bill in a way the general public can be educated, the bill states that a woman does not have the right to an abortion after a doctor has heard the fetal heartbeat. Note that the fetal heartbeat can be heard four to seven weeks into pregnancy, which is often sooner than a woman discovers that she is pregnant, according to Planned Parenthood. 

 It also lists an exception to the law which is in favor of abortion only if it poses an emergent medical threat to the unborn fetus and/or the mother. While the Texas Senate Bill 8 has made an effort to offer abortion services before the point of fetal heartbeat detection, it still deprives a woman of her basic right to have the choice to do what she wants with her body. The goal, however, of this bill is not to take away the right of choice but rather to recognize life and give it the same rights as a born child due to the detection of a heartbeat.

What is lacking with the Texas Senate Bill 8? This bill devastates human rights as a whole by attacking Women’s Rights by way of governing what they can or cannot do with their bodies. In argument of that point, some who would be in favor of this bill could say, “Abortions assures that 750,000 females each year do not have control over their bodies” (Alcorn, R. C, page 85). While that statement is valid, what some individuals may overlook is the fact that while abortion procedures are not done by the woman directly, she has still made the choice to allow that procedure to be done to her body and assumed the risks.

Another argument that could try to persuade the audience to appeal to the Texas Senate 8 Bill is, “Nearly fifteen million females have died from abortion since it was legalized” (Alcorn, R. C. page 86). However, in conducting further mathematical research the audience may find that of the 358,011% increase of fertile women in the United States from the time that abortion was legalized in 1973 to now, that only 10.66% have lost their lives due to this procedure. In recognition that this value is still greater than zero, the audience can see the pathos of the counterargument presented explaining that lives still have been lost. However, what this data leaves out is the statistics on the number of women who lose their lives due to unsafe or safe abortions. “In countries that ban abortion completely or allow it only to save a woman’s life or preserve her health, only about one-quarter of the procedures are safe. In countries that allow abortion on request without restriction as to reason, nearly 9 in 10 abortions are safe” (Abortion Scorebord). Based on the data presented, another crucial argument for why the Texas Senate 8 Bill should be altered is a woman’s safety. It stands to be inferred that if abortion is legalized then the percent of safe abortions will increase, therefore, causing the percent of women who die from unsafe abortions to decrease. 

How can the Texas Senate 8 Bill be changed to positively impact Women’s Rights? The movement of this paper suggests that in order to gain back a fundamental area of human rights, the current law surrounding this issue should be dismantled. By removing the law from the Senate it would ensure that women would once again have the right to do what she wants with her body, as well as allow more safe abortions to take place, decreasing the risk of death to the woman due to an unsafe procedure. Some who oppose this viewpoint may argue that denying or accepting this law takes away a human right no matter what the decision is. “The pro choice position always overlooks the victims' right to choose. Women didn’t choose rape… And the babies didn’t choose abortion” (Alcorn, R. C. page 85). Individuals who identify with this side may agree that an unborn child has just as many human rights as the woman who chooses whether to keep them or not. However, “the child acquires legal rights with birth and starts life in the environment of the delivery room when the umbilical cord is tied and survival becomes dependent on the quality of relationships between the infant and the persons in its social space” (Crum, G., & McCormack, Thelma. page 137). Based on this fact, the only right that is affected by the abolishment of the Texas Senate Bill 8 is the Women's Rights.

In addition, the new bill to contradict the current one should address funding for women who wouldn’t otherwise be financially able to make the decision they either want or need to be able to take care of themselves. “The women who need help to find funding are primarily those of limited needs financially… they are often single parents and women who are struggling to make ends meet… Many women wait to have an abortion because either they are not aware that funding exists or they are trying to raise the funds themselves… every week a woman waits, she is aware the pregnancy is growing and developing, which adds to her emotional stress” (Needle, R. B., & Walker, Lenore E. page 3). This is a prime example of another way that Women’s Rights and mental health could be positively impacted by the alteration of this law. This paper moves to require every clinic that offers abortion services to have separate funding for those who are in need, or informational services which can educate women on how to get help for a procedure that they need. While at first glance, an opposing viewpoint may interject saying that demanding education and support for women with financial need may cost the state and/or country more money than it has to spare, this paper offers two solutions to that potential issue presented. One, education does not cost the state's government or the country’s government anything but time. Two, funding can come from a multitude of sources either through; insurance, grants, or scholarships. 

Throughout the course of this paper, the audience is intended to have an abundance of facts brought forth to compel them as a whole to see the advantages of reconstructing this law. While this does not change or fix further argumentation on the subject, it does ensure that a Woman’s Rights and mental health, related to her body, are protected. “Whatever the reason, it is the pregnant woman herself who is in the best position to judge whether abortion is the appropriate response in her given circumstances” (Schwarz, S. D., & Latimer, Kiki. page 15). Furthermore, in recognition that this law doesn’t pertain to the population of Oregon, this paper urges the audience to look past state lines and recognize that it impacts over 80% of half of America’s population. If you were faced with a future that you didn’t think you were ready for, wouldn’t you want the ability to choose?