betsy@dartvax.UUCP (Betsy Hanes Perry) (08/13/85)
Here are some lines from a George Orwell essay which seem peculiarly
apropos to net.abortion:
"... The Catholic and the Communist are alike in assuming that an
opponent cannot be both honest and intelligent. Each of them
tacitly claims that "the truth" has already been revealed, and
that the heretic, if he is not simply a fool, is secretly aware
of "the truth" and merely resists it out of selfish motives."
My experience with Catholics has been far different from Mr. Orwell's,
but the principle remains the same: It's difficult (and unpleasant)
to argue with people who won't admit that honest and wise men may come
to different conclusions from the same premises.
It is *not* obvious that a fetus is human, or that a woman's rights
outweigh those of her child. If either of these points were obvious,
there wouldn't be so many of us arguing about them.
If you only state your 'obvious' position, you're not likely to convince
anybody. If you prove it, you might yet open some well-shut mind. Whether
you prove your point or not, you will at least have struck a blow for
rational discourse on this network.
The essay, for those who care, is "The Prevention of Literature", from
the collection "Shooting an Elephant and Other Essays."
--
Elizabeth Hanes Perry
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