[net.abortion] to Ken A. re To Steve Smith

regard@ttidcc.UUCP (Adrienne Regard) (08/07/85)

>I agree with most of your posting about the flame content on this net.
>However, the argument turns EXACTLY upon the issue of whether or not
>the act of abortion IS murder!!!  The actual taking of a human life for
>reasons not having to do with another life in balance (vs the quality - a
>phoney issue - of another life).

Ken, I don't think you can make this claim.  My stand on the issue may
include having examined the question of whether or not abortion is
murder, but it isn't central to the issue (as I see it).  To insist
that you know what the issue is, and those of us (who disagree with
you) are wrong seems rather inflexible, don't you think?  "I not only
know the answer, but I truly understand the question!!"?

If we take away the murder question in abortion, we still have the
questions of parental rights, spousal rights, rights of "ownership" of
one's own body, religious dogmas that disagree with the present rulings
(for whatever reason), educational interests, societal interests, etc.  It
doesn't all go away once we clearly decide yes or no on your central issue.
Wait, strike that -- maybe it all goes away for you.  It doesn't all go
away for me.  My reading of the net is that it doesn't all go away for a
number of others, either.

Adrienne Regard