By Eric Zanzucchi (@ericzanzucchi)

Todd Akin made his comments on Sunday about how “legitimate rape” can not produce a pregnancy. His Senate campaign is now probably hopeless, but once again the abortion debate has been reignited.

A lot of prochoicers argue in favor of abortion on the basis of women’s rights, and it most certainly is a women’s rights issue. However, I feel like the issue of societal functionality is another valid understated perspective in relation to abortion.

I believe that life begins at conception; however I’m still prochoice because of the societal problems that having no abortions would create. As a society we shouldn’t want mothers who don’t have the means to support children having him. In a lot of cases the fathers don’t have the interest or means to raise a child. Without abortion these children would be doomed to an orphanage or a broken home. It’s naïve to think if abortion didn’t exist people would get their acts together and be good parents. An unplanned pregnancy itself is indicative of immaturity and poor planning. If these children are born people like me are going to be paying to raise them. I’m paying the mother’s welfare and when these unwanted children spend time in institutions, I’ll be paying for their bills there too. I’m not saying that abortion is an ideal solution. I would love it if there were no unwanted pregnancies, but sometimes we as a society just have to make the best of a bad situation.