jay@npois.UUCP (Anton Winteroak) (02/27/85)
To answer the original question, I vote to acquit. Personally I don't thinkthat I'd have done the same in his case, and I think that by the letter and perhaps even the spirit of the law he is technically guilty. But I vote to acquit the man. He is not a criminal, or a threat to me, my neighbors, my property, or my family. I feel a great sympathy for his situation, and on this issue take exception to the letter of the law. All in all, I fear the financial penalty of having such a child. That is, a child that will live for 3 meaningless painful months, and in the end leave only a 100,000 dollar hospital bill, which I have no hope of ever paying. Someone asked "What is the value of Life?". My life is worth a lot to me, but I can't see that this baby's life could be worth the pain and damage that it will certainly cause those around it enroute to the grave. Some have extrapolated this issue to the edge, and suggested that infanticide of all unclaimed infants may be a reasonable approach. This seems rather extreme, but if they are legitimately unwanted, why should anyone be forced to take care of them? Many have suggested that those who feel very strongly about these issues would naturally be the people to take care of these unwanted children, but they can't be forced into it any more than you or I. There is something appealing about this system. It would enforce population control and survival of the fittest by economic means. But I am too tied up in our old system of ethics to try to put such a system in place. Anton Winteroak.