The Hijacking Of Science And The Abortion Debate - 1597 Words

The Hijacking of Science in the Abortion Debate There are few issues in America as emotionally-charged as abortion. Although abortion became legal in 1973, very few American women have access to terminating an unwanted pregnancy. Abortion or abortion repeal is a major platform issue for modern American politicians. That politicians, rather than doctors or scientists, determine American abortion policies shows clearly how science has been hijacked by vote-hungry politicians. For these politicians, getting votes is far more important than learning the truth about women’s welfare, genetics and fetal development. The abortion phobia has become so strong in American politics that in July of 2014, a Supreme Court ruling upheld the business Hobby†¦show more content†¦A fetus does not develop a fully functional nervous system until the second trimester. However, despite this fact, pro-lifers are against first trimester abortions just as firmly as they are for third-trimester abortions. Even the language of conception and gestation have been hijacked by politics and religious fundamentalists. All unborn are called â€Å"fetuses.† This clearly shows the ignorance of basic human biology. The newly fertilized egg is a zygote --- not a fetus and not a human being. It is a few cells with potential but no distinguishing characteristics and no ability to feel anything. A zygote becomes a blastocyst, which is a zygote that has reached a certain number of cells but has not yet stuck to the uterine walls. Five weeks after conception, snug in the uterine tissue it becomes an embryo. It does not become a fetus until it is ten weeks old and has ears and some facial features. Society laughs at people who call zebras â€Å"horses† and yet tolerates the word fetus for zygote, blastocyst and embryo. Getting the language right can help laypeople realize that a zygote or blastocyst is not a baby. Fear of abortion has gone to ridiculous levels. In some states like North Dakota and Colorado, voters will decide on November 4, 2014 if human eggs should been given the legal status of â€Å"personhood† even though they are eggs and not people. (Gray, 2014.) Science shows that human eggs only contain half the DNA necessary to kick start a baby. Sperm