"Third , the violinist illustration is not parallel to pregnancy because it equates a stranger/stranger relationship with a mother/child relationship . This is a key point and brings into focus the most dangerous presumption of the violinist illustration , also echoed in McDonagh 's thesis . Both presume it is unreasonable to expect a mother to have any obligations towards her own child . The violinist analogy suggests that a mother has no more responsibility for the welfare of her child than she has to a total stranger . McDonagh 's view is even worse . She argues the child is not merely a stranger , but a violent assailant the mother needs to ward off in self-defense . This error becomes immediately evident if we amend Thompson 's illustration . What if the mother woke up from an accident to find herself surgically connected to her own child ? What kind of mother would willingly cut the life-support system to her two-year-old in a situation like that ? And what would we think of her if she did ? Blood relationships are never based on choice , yet they entail moral obligations , nonetheless . This is why the courts prosecute negligent parents . They have consistently ruled , for example , that fathers have an obligation to support their children even if they are unplanned and unwanted . If it is moral for a mother to deny her child the necessities of life ( through abortion ) before it is born , how can she be obligated to provide the same necessities after he 's born ? Remember , Thompson concedes that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception . If her argument works to justify abortion , it works just as well to justify killing any dependent child . After all , a two-year-old makes a much greater demand on a woman than a developing unborn ."
"This seems to be the central argument : the article continues to give many examples of moral disapproval of neglecting or murdering your children . However , it ignores the fact that parenthood is a relationship which is not defined simplistically by genetic relation or by being in the womb ( it is unclear if he thinks surrogate mothers should be able to have abortions ) . We can be prosecuted for neglecting an adopted child or step-child , or anyone we have parental responsibility for . On the other hand , if a person gives their child up for adoption then they can not be charged with negligence if the child is deserted by its new parents . One interesting part :"
"courts prosecute negligent parents . fathers have an obligation to support their children even if they are unplanned and unwanted ."
"the article continues to give many examples of moral disapproval of neglecting or murdering your children"