marco@andromeda.RUTGERS.EDU (the wharf rat) (08/14/86)
In article <893@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>, rat@tybalt.caltech.edu.Caltech.Edu (Ray Trent) writes: > answer my question: why should I vote for a law that makes it unlawful > to interfere with people's freedom to move in and out of abortion clinics? You're right. I have absolutely no answer to a man who believes that it is acceptable to use violence to control other people's actions because of his own unsubstantiated personal beliefs. I can only say that dis-allowing this sort of might-makes-right violence in society is not a moral decision, but in fact based on logic. This is true because were it to be allowed, our society would degnerate into a series of armed camps, ala' Lebanon. Terrorism of any kind by any person is wrong, not on some vague moral grounds, but because society must be based on peaceful co-operation. By refusing to legislate that it is acceptable to bomb abortion clinics, you are not legislating the opinion that fetuses are not human beings; you are legislating my right to control my own life without fear of violence from those who do not agree with my actions. A ridiculous question : If anti-abortion violence is acceptable because it merely expresses your opinion, is anti-anti-abortion violence also acceptable ? Will the abortion question be solved by which side has the best marksmen ? "I cannot share your answers, ship of fools", (the real) rat ps- I'm going to be long in responding to followups/e-mail, because we're doing major work in the machine room, and then I'm going to a different job.