Abortion Speech (written in 10th grade)

Abortion (Silent Killing)

What if I told you that, at this very moment, someone was deciding whether you would live or die? What if I told you that not for a single second, were you given the right to determine your own future or even given the choice to live? And what if I told you, you were powerless to change anything? My fellow classmates and Teacher, I stand before you today, to inform you that thousands of children all around the world are right now in that very situation. Someone is choosing, without even knowing them, whether they are going to live or die. That someone is their beloved mother. And that choice…is ABORTION. Every single day, the lives of a hundred and fifty thousand children are destroyed through abortion. This means that five thousand precious lives are lost every hour. All those treasured souls…gone. All those dreams and wishes…gone. And all that hope in the future…gone; in just the click of a finger.

Abortion is one of the most controversial issues that exist today in our society. Did you know that there are about 3,700 abortions a day in the US and about 190,000 abortions take place in England and Wales every year? Did you know that this year there has been a total of over 18 million abortions worldwide? Shocking, isn’t it? Some people may think, “Oh, it’s not really killing. After all, a foetus isn’t human…right?” That is in fact, incorrect. Just because a foetus does not have the ability to talk or do the things we do, does not mean it isn’t considered human. The word “foetus” comes from the Latin, word meaning “young one” or “young child”.  So why do people still insist in believing a “foetus” is not a human, or a living thing? It was scientifically proven that children while in the uterus, start perceiving things at an early stage. On the sixth week, their heart starts beating, and their brain begins to function. No matter how a child looks like in a womb, no matter how undeveloped its consciousness and nervous system is, a child is a child and to us, a child is a human being.  

I know some people may say that the mother has the right to abort her child. After all, her life is dramatically impacted by having a baby. But I'm asking you to think about the child’s rights that were never considered. No matter what rights the mother has, it doesn't mean we can deny the rights of the foetus? After all, it was the mother’s choice to do things that resulted in her pregnancy. However, we must remember that with our rights and our choices, come responsibilities, and we can’t take someone else' rights away to avoid it.

Most women think that abortion is the easiest way out. But is it really? Abortion does not progress without affecting the women’s health. Most people don’t know that although the child is the one being affected most, going through something as painful and difficult as abortion, can also effect the mother negatively. According to recent research, abortions cause a significant risk of ectopic pregnancy; this is the process in which the foetus develops outside the mother’s womb. This type of pregnancy is life-threatening for the mother. Abortion can also cause other diseases such as infertility (the inability to produce an offspring) and can, in addition, develop a greater risk of breast cancer. Statistics show that the risk of ectopic pregnancy can increase by 30% after a single abortion and will greatly increase to 160% after two or more.

But perhaps the worst effects aren’t the physical damages, but the emotional ones. Although an abortion may seem to be an option for underage mothers, or victims of rape, killing the baby does not free a woman. Did you know that women who’ve had an abortion tend to have more mood disorders that are substantial enough to provoke them to harm themselves? Study shows that within the first weeks after abortion, 40- 60% of women were reported showing negative reactions such as guilt, nervous disorders, sleeping disturbances and regret. In addition, women who’ve had an abortion are five times more likely to have problems with drug and alcohol abuse. Abortion leaves a woman feeling lost and uncertain about their future. Research shows that almost one-third of all women who had an abortion are dissatisfied with their decision. So, is abortion really the “cure” every woman is looking for?

I have read a story on a website called Silent No More Awareness. This story is about a woman named Sharon Osbourne who, like many other millions of women around the world, has undergone the agonizing and strenuous process of abortion. The following is what she has quoted about her experience:

“I had an abortion at 17 and it was the worst thing I ever did. I would never recommend it to anyone because it comes back to haunt you. When I tried to have children, I lost three - I think it was because something had happened to my cervix during the abortion.”

Sharon’s story is just one of the many heart-wrenching stories that needs to be heard, because most stories like these, aren’t heard at all.

My fellow classmates and teacher, I conclude this speech by saying that, as a former foetus, I strongly oppose the act of abortion. As I stated before, abortion is just another form of murder; a crime that is thought to be wrong in so many ways but are still performed by millions of women around the world each year. Abortion does not only affect the child’s life heavily, but also affects the mother’s health physically and emotionally. So to answer my previous question, no, abortion is definitely not a cure.

I know that for some of you, as soon as you walk out that door or as soon as this speech is over, everything I have just said will either be forgotten or it won’t matter anymore. After all, we are just a bunch of 14 and 15 years-olds right? All we mostly care about now is school, homework, Facebook, music, celebrities and fashion. However, if you all walk away with anything after this speech, walk away with the words of Horton. You know him. The elephant who risked his life for a tiny little speck in the movie Horton Hears a Who? Remember him and his famous words:

“Even though you can’t see them or hear them at all, a person’s a person…no matter how small.”