In this paper I will argue that abortion services should be more available to women in our country because America is an ideally egalitarian society. A nation like America cannot allow its own citizens to subject themselves to evil alternative methods of treatment. The actions that women must take to go against their own government, taking the law into their own hands, is appalling. A country that allows these actions to go on under its nose is a country that does not believe in equality. I do not believe America wants these women to do anything to harm themselves and I also think America wants to help these women. From segregation to prohibition, America has always fixed the major problems it has had in time. I believe that greater availability to abortion services is the next big fix in America.
The major inequality that pregnant women fall victim to is gender inequality, and many shortcomings for women arise from this. Using one account of Messer and May's writings in "The Bad Old Days" one can plainly see that our American women have not been equal to men (Messer, May 1993). Heather, a young women who was going through an abortion process was given ineffective birth control pills and was subsequently treated inhumanly when she was going though her abortion process all by the same, male doctor. After being the reason that this woman had gotten pregnant in the first place, this doctor during a follow up exam refers to himself as a "glorified plumber" (Messer, May) in front of this young girl, truly showing the way this accomplished man viewed a helpless women in this situation. .
I use this example as a generic occurrence that shows to which situation a pregnancy can lead. Abortion restrictions deprive women of control over the timing of their motherhood so it interferes with crucial parts of their lives such as education and economic standings compared to men. Heather was a "young kid in her twenties" (Messer, May) when this ordeal took place and that age is typical for pregnancy to occur.