The 1972 passage of Roe v. Wade has made abortion the greatest moral
             flashpoint in the United States today. For abortion supporters, the issue
             is often framed as a question of women's rights and privacy. This
             argument, however, ignores the reality that abortion - particularly late-
             term of partial birth abortion - involves the rights of another human being
             as well. This paper further argues that a fetus is a human life, and
             entitled is therefore entitled to the same protections as any person who
             has been born. It further argues that the termination of a fetus's life
             involves violent and painful procedures that would be akin to murder and
             torture. Because of these factors, this paper states that federal courts
             should uphold the current ban on partial-birth abortions, ensuring the same
             basic protections to the most helpless and innocent segments of American
             The issue of reproductive rights is a crucial part of the feminist
             movement, which believes that the right to control one's body is central to
             a person's dignity and independence. For many feminists, the abortion
             issue boils down to a question of women's rights. The agitation against
             abortion is thus an agitation against change. Removing a woman's option to
             terminate her own pregnancy harks back to the time when women were limited
             to traditional sex roles. Roe vs. Wade has done much more than making
             abortions legal. The decision has also affected traditional roles and
             values and has thus eroded the old moral order. Abortion is a contentious
             issue precisely because it has challenged prevailing standards and caused a
             fundamental shift in the societal power structures.
             Scientific and ethical definitions of "personhood"
             Pro-abortion activists often liken the fetus to a "blob" that is not
             distinct from the mother. However, this ignores the significant
             distinction the embryo and fetus enjoys from the mother ...