[net.abortion] First trimester fetus

rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Dinsdale Piranha) (02/07/85)

> A first trimester fetus is not alive in any reasonable sense of the word
> and has not been alive.  It is incapable of life on its own and has no
> right to the use of its mother's body for external life support. [PREECE]

The key word here is "right".  Some people indeed want to have the entity
within their wombs grow into a living child, nurtured within their own
bodies.  It is their right.  Others might not want to do so.  They would
simply like the entity parasitically making use of their bodies removed.
This is *their* right.  The fact that such entities cannot sustain themselves
after being so removed answers questions about their being called "living
organisms".  What Scott Preece describes above is an accurate accounting
of the actions of such a fetus.  If you *want* it to grow into your child,
you let it do so.  If you don't, if you don't want your body used as an
external "life" support system, then you don't let it do so.
-- 
Now I've lost my train of thought. I'll have to catch the bus of thought.
			Rich Rosen    pyuxd!rlr