Once more, the issue of abortion has reared its head, with the church in front imposing its beliefs on the lives of others yet again. Abortion is defined as the expelling of the foetus from the w**** before it is able to survive effectively outside.

Abortion has been an ethical issue for many years due primarily to the differences in views on when life really begins, whether in the w**** or after birth. To use a simple analogy, we all can agree that acorns eventually will become pine trees, if given the right conditions, but we cannot say that acorns are pine trees, thus showing how ludicrous the idea of calling a foetus a baby.

Aside from this, I strongly believe a woman should have the right to decide what happens in and to her body. Therefore, abortion should be a decision made by her without fear of being prosecuted. If a situation is right in one instance and wrong in another it stands as a direct contradiction to the laws of logic. How can we approve abortion for cases of rape and incest or risk to the mother's health, but forbid it if a woman decides she does not want to carry the foetus to full term?

Even if I choose to be promiscuous, get pregnant, then decide to terminate the pregnancy, shouldn't that be my right? Or should I live with the con-sequences of my actions thus making my pregnancy a form of punishment and the child a penalty? Is this what Jamaica really needs?

I am tired of seeing unwanted children wreaking havoc on the society costing way more money to taxpayers than a doctor would have charged for an abortion, why not make this available for those who think it is their best option.

The Church argues that if legalised, we will see a rise in abortion cases and people will become less conscious with respect to safe-sex practices, yet we have not seen this in any other state which has legalised this act. We would not have this problem as abortion carries a stigma in Jamaica that not many people are willing to live with.

Cigarettes and alcohol are legal but we don't see everyone going around and smoking or drinking, so why do we think abortion would have that special allure? We have allowed our beliefs and value systems to be dictated to us by a group of hypocrites and have blindly followed their self-righteous ranting. It's noteworthy that those who oppose abortion are usually advocates for the death penalty.