[net.abortion] if abortion is murder, then...

ark@rabbit.UUCP (Andrew Koenig) (04/06/84)

I suspect that many of the people who claim that abortion is murder
do not go along with many of what I see as the forced consequences of
that view.  For instance, if abortion is murder, than any action
that accidentally induces a miscarriage is clearly manslaughter,

Further, any action that might imp}iair the health of the future
child is clearly child abuse.

In short, if you claim that abortion is murder, then to be consistent
you must claim that an awful lot of everyday actions on the part of
pregnant women are felonies, such as smoking, drinking, riding in
airplanes, and so on.

rlr@pyuxn.UUCP (Rich Rosen) (04/06/84)

> I suspect that many of the people who claim that abortion is murder
> do not go along with many of what I see as the forced consequences of
> that view.  For instance, if abortion is murder, than any action
> that accidentally induces a miscarriage is clearly manslaughter,
> Further, any action that might imp}iair the health of the future
> child is clearly child abuse.
> In short, if you claim that abortion is murder, then to be consistent
> you must claim that an awful lot of everyday actions on the part of
> pregnant women are felonies, such as smoking, drinking, riding in
> airplanes, and so on.

Maybe I hold an unusual viewpoint, but while I concur with those who want
to see abortion as a matter of personal choice regarding one's own body,
if one chooses to carry a fetus to term knowing of her pregnancy, then
any such action should be punishable in some way.  Once you've made the
choice (yes, choice) to allow a fetus in the womb to grow to the point where
it will eventually become an independent life, you take on a responsibility,
and shirking that responsibility to another (eventual) form of life by causing
it chemical damage is wrongful.  Of course, I wish there was a way of enforcing
similar action on someone who damages (chemically or otherwise) a *living*
child.  It would seem that those who choose to (or feel they must) bear a
child have no concept of the responsibility involved.
-- 
You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.
				Rich Rosen    pyuxn!rlr