As provided in the Declaration of Independence, every person has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Let's start with the first and most fundamental of these rights: life. When women have abortions, children are deprived of their most basic right to life, which in turn deprives them of all other inherent rights of human beings. In a society that prizes equality and freedom for all, abortions are not too dissimilar from that ideal. Although abortions have been legal for over forty years, they should be illegal because the fetus is not part of the woman's body, abortions are harmful to all parties involved, and unplanned pregnancies can be avoided through more proactive methods. Contrary to popular belief, the fetus is not part of the woman's body, but is actually a separate human being. A woman has the right to do what she wants with her body; it belongs to her. The fetus, however, is actually a child with a unique and different DNA from that of the mother. The instant an egg is fertilized, the resulting zygote is a human being distinct from both the individual sperm and the egg (The Truth About). Therefore, the fetus is not part of the woman's body and she has no right to choose whether her child lives or dies. No one has the right to kill another human being and abortion does just that. Disputes often arise when a woman is in danger due to pregnancy. Even if pregnancy or childbirth puts a woman's life at stake, it is impossible to place a greater value on one life over another. Who are the mere human beings for whom we should decide who lives or dies? Abortion is the choice to end the life of a child, and no one has the right to make that choice... middle of paper... how does it make sense that we are legally exterminating people? in an attempt to avoid the consequences of our actions? As Gunnarson says: “The well-being of mother and child should never be in conflict. Both mother and child are helped by preserving life, not perpetuating violence. " Works Cited Gunnarson, Camilla. “Abortion Has Its Trauma.” The Hamilton Spectator May 22, 2010: WR08. Badgerlink. EBSCOhost. Network. March 1, 2012. The Truth About the Morning-After Pill. “How It Works. "The Truth About the Morning-After Pill." American League for Life. nd Web.1 March 2012. Mota, Natalie, Margaret Burnett, and Jitender Sareen. "Associations Between Abortion, Mental Disorders, and Suicidal Behavior in a Nationally Representative Sample ". The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry 55.4April 2010: 239-247. Badgerlink. EBSCOhost. Network. March 1. 2012.