twiss@stolaf.UUCP (Thomas S. Twiss) (11/28/84)
>> This "story" was outageously sensationalistic. I am not denying >>that it was very disturbing, but to posit the intelligence and cognition >>of a ten week old fetus is really stretching it. This was a blatant >>attempt to emotionalize the whole thing and ignore any facts that may be >>pertinent. This method of indoctrination is very indicative of most >>conservative (i.e. Ronnie) methods of advertising, informing, etc. Please >>note: I am NOT saying that this was not a very disturbing story. In fact >>no pro-choicer (of which I am one) can convince me that pro-lifers don't >>have some serious and legitimate concerns. But NIETHER can ANYONE >>convince me that this emotionalistic attempt at illegitimate personification >>has ANY bearing on EITHER side of the argument. Leave this narrative >>for the uneducated who can only respond emotionally rather than rationally. >> >>Tom Twiss @ St. Olaf College > >Although I am pro-choice myself, I do take exception to the attitude above. >Please tell me what is wrong with involving emotions in discussions. Where >is the rule saying a position is invalid because it is based on emotions? >why pretend that abortion is NOT an emotional issue when it so obviously is, >since motherhood (parenting) love, life and death are emotional issues. You misunderstand me, Sophie. I am not saying that this is an unemotional issue. Far from it! My point is that this "story" has only attempted to take the emotional side FROM A VERY SUBJECTIVE STANDPOINT!!!! I didn't save the original article, but there were phrases like, "silent scream", "aware of its immenent death", "retreating from the instrument of death", etc. This is all mere extrapolation. Yes, the images are indeed horrible! I almost got sick when reading the story. But just because some person wants to take all these elements and exagerate them, put the events in their own words, and ignore any facts of the issue, it is not going to effect me. Just as when Ronnie talks in his inevitably well practiced manner about the atrocities the Soviets commit, etc, I won't listened without doing some VERY careful analysis and criticism. Sure the abortion issue involves emotions just as any other issue does (or at least almost any issue), but if we rely solely on others interpretations of emotions and the way they try and force them on others, we are really in for it. >As far as abortion is considered, there are emotional arguments to both >sides of the issue, and we cannot ignore them. However their interactions >are so complex and their implications so far-reaching that I am afraid it >is impossible to choose one as being the only important one, and this is >why I am pro-choice. I couldn't agree more. >Sophie Quigley >...!{clyde,ihnp4,decvax}!watmath!saquigley -- Tom Twiss @ St. Olaf College {decvax,ihnp4}!stolaf!twiss "If the Paradox and the Reason come together in a mutual understanding of their unlikeliness their encounter will be happy..." -Soren Kierkegaard