regard@ttidcc.UUCP (Adrienne Regard) (07/16/85)
Well, we've gone round and round the mulberry bush again, and I'm beginning to get dizzy. Seems to me the question is not what abortion is or is not, in and of itself. The question is what part does the government play in the question of abortion (which may depend on the idea of what abortion is or is not). In effect, what is _done_ about it, not what _is_ it. After all, instead of abortion, if we were speaking of homosexual activity (to choose a behaviour that has recently been rescued from condemnation), we would have the situations of : is this behaviour o.k., and if so, are there limitations? as well as: should there be an official government position on this behaviour and should it include legally imposed limitations? Used to be, the government had a say in homosexual behaviour -- it was "bad" and "against the laws of nature and of man" and was punishable by imprison- ment. Person B was allowed (expected?) to have an opinion about a behaviour they may not practice, and was also allowed (expected?) to do something about the behaviour by supporting laws and enforcement (which cost money). The counter argument of course was that there was nothing specifically "bad" in the behaviour, it wasn't "catching", it wasn't against any natural laws, that is was "private" and the government shouldn't have anything to do with what people do in the privacy of their own homes. (Hell, even Roe vs. Wade was decided on the basis of who could _choose_ not on the question of what is right vs. wrong.) This is the crux of the "pro-life" vs. "pro-choice" argument. Just look at the labels (which weren't chosen by accident). We just keep arguing apples and mulberries. Pro-life does not preclude choice (birth control is _one_ example). Pro- choice does not preclude life (one chooses between yes and no in abortion). What is the government's role? What should be the government's role? (government here meaning various attempts at control beyond that of the persons directly involved -- local, state, etc -- as well as federal). We can take the extremes: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Government force all | | Government prohibits all to have abortions | | from having abortions ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- But, dang it if that doesn't leave a middle ground.