In 1997, there were 1,184,758 legal abortions. That's more than a million lives unlived. Imagine; these babies could have been lawyers, doctors, presidents... These babies could have found the cure for cancer. Merle Hoffman, an abortion provider, says “abortion is as American as apple pie.” But that's not the case. For anyone, regardless of their beliefs, this comment should be troubling. Abortion destroys our culture by causing society to devalue the sanctity of life. It is murder and can have lasting physical and emotional side effects on women who have abortions. Abortion, at any stage of pregnancy, must become an illegal procedure. Abortion may play an important role in the decline of moral values ​​in society, but it is certainly responsible for the deterioration of respect for life in society. An example of this occurred during the Conan O'Brien broadcast on October 2, 2012. Celebrity Chelsea Handler repeatedly laughed at the idea of ​​having a twenty-year-old daughter, which she aborted at the age of sixteen. The lack of respect for life has gotten to the point that when a random group of individuals were asked to sign a petition to legalize fourth trimester abortion, many agreed. Abortion in the fourth trimester would mean the death of the baby after birth. Additionally, when babies are born alive after an abortion, many abortionists leave them to die or kill them themselves. It's not uncommon either. According to the NY Daily News, Dr. Kermit Gosnell will be tried on eight counts of murder, after killing babies born alive. Often, abortion is performed after medical personnel have declared that the baby will be born with a malformation. This “deformity” ranges from spinal bifida to Down syndrome. Prochoice ac...... middle of paper ......med on an adult, then it should be no different from an unborn baby. Sometimes babies are born alive from abortion. These babies then end up dying painfully and alone after seeing the world for such a short time. Even pro-choice advocates seem to recognize that abortion is murder. Pro-choice woman Merle Hoffman says, “You don't need to pretend that abortion stops the heart beating. It is. If the opposing party notices it, what is it? An unborn baby is not a potential life form; an unborn baby is a life full of potential. In conclusion, abortion should be as American as bombing or genocide, not as American as apple pie. Abortion is infanticide. This causes people to devalue life and the procedure is unsafe, both physically and mentally. Over time, more and more people will understand the other side of the debate and understand that abortion must become illegal..