The USFG Should Ban Abortion.

I hope for a good challenge. Premise I: Human Rights. Con has, by accepting the debate, accepted the definition of Human Rights as given by the US Constitution and the UN Declaration of Human Rights. [1] The US Constitution: . http://tinyurl.com...[2] The Bill of Rights: . http://tinyurl.com...[3] The UNDHR: . http://tinyurl.com...Premise II: Limitation of Rights. Of all criteria for limiting human rights, the most common, and most reasonable, is when it invades on more important rights. This is in line with popular beliefs such as those of a Libertarianism, Utilitarianism, and Egalitarianism. Argument I: Living Human. Sub-argument I: Living. The ultimate issue at the heart of the debate is whether or not the fetus is a living human being. The criteria needed to be considered 'living' is known as the Characteristics of Life. The following are the twelve characteristics of life, as defined by scientist. Homeostasis / Metabolism / Organization / Genes / Feeding / Growth / Response / Adaption / Reproduction / Excretion / Movement / Respiration. A simple review of basic embryological studies show that the fetus fulfills each of the twelve characteristics by week two (if not sooner): The fetus will fulfill each criteria with a hundred percent certainty by the time the placenta has formed. Through the placenta, the fetus can maintain homeostasis [4], metabolism [5], feeding [6], adaption [7], excretion [8], and respiration [9]. The fetus removes waste through the placenta, while also taking in nutrients, hormones, and oxygen through it. The placenta (part of the fetus, and not the mother) also adapts the level of each nutrient and hormone the fetus intakes to control stress and growth. The fetus has organization [10], genes [11], growth [12], movement [13], and can respond to stimuli (which is how it knows to move down the Fallopian Tube and to grow the placenta. ) As a zygote, it has reproduction (cell-division) [14]. Even if we looked past cell-division, the Fetus is capable of reproduction much like a 1 year old is. It's not that it can't, but that it'll develop the means to in time. The Zygote is defined by scientists as an eukaryotic cell [14]. Biologically speaking, all eukaryotic cells are living. To sum this up in a syllogism:P1) All eukaryotic cells are living. P2) All zygotes are eukaryotic cells. C) All zygote are living. [4] . http://tinyurl.com...[5] . http://tinyurl.com...[6] . http://tinyurl.com...[7] . http://tinyurl.com...[8] . http://tinyurl.com...[9] . http://tinyurl.com...[10] . http://tinyurl.com...[11] . http://tinyurl.com...[12] . http://tinyurl.com...[13] . http://tinyurl.com...[14] . http://tinyurl.com...Sub-argument I: Human. There is no question over whether or not the fetus is human among scientists and biologists. Only philosophers and those with no experience with embryology question the humanity of the unborn. .. As the famous embryology book, Human Embryology & Teratology [15], said:"Although life is a continuous process, fertilization is a critical landmark because, under ordinary circumstances, a new, genetically distinct human organism is thereby formed. " - O'Rahilly. Kieth Moore wrote in his popular embryology book, Essentials of Human Embryology, that the fetus is the beginning of a human being:". .. This fertilized ovum, known as a zygote, is a large diploid cell that is the beginning, or primordium, of a human being. " - Moore. But to address philosophical methods of evading science. .. Performance Based Criteria (PBC) says that the criteria include such functions as conscience, independence, ability to feel emotion, sentience. .. On what grounds are these the criteria of being Human? Correlation. Con and many others assume being human means being conscience, for example, because every human seems to have that. .. It's also faulty cause and effect. .. All humans have A, therefore they are human because they have A. However, a comatose patient can not fulfill any of the four characteristics listed above. Nor could a sleeping person. Nor can a person born with Alexithymia feel emotion [17], nor can a person with Congenital Analgesia feel pain [18]. Are either of them inhuman? If someone is born blind, deaf, mute, and unable to feel anything at all, would they not be human still? These criteria fall short of describing a human being. The only trait that all humans share. .. The only thing that makes one human, is their genetics [19]. [15] O'Rahilly, Ronan and Muller, Fabiola. Human Embryology & Teratology. 2nd edition. New York: Wiley-Liss, 1996, pp. 8, 29[16] Moore, Keith L. Essentials of Human Embryology. Toronto: B. C. Decker Inc, 1988, p.2[17] . http://tinyurl.com...[18] . http://tinyurl.com...[19] . http://tinyurl.com...Argument II: Human Rights. Now that we have established that the fetus is a living human, we should discuss the law. The fourteen amendment of the US Constitution claims that all persons get the right to life. Many believe this only applies to citizens, but a review of the text prove otherwise. The text starts by defining Citizen as a person born or naturalized in the US. It then says that the states may not abridge on the privileges or immunities of a citizen. .. But when describing who the states can't deprive of the right to life, the amendment only says 'person'. Not 'person born or naturalized' or 'citizen'. .. Just person. This is why you can't kill or steal from an illegal immigrant [2]. The UNDHR equally reaffirms this. A review of Article II, III, and VI, show that the unborn has the right to life and liberty, and therefore abortion is a violation of these rights and liberties. Article IIEveryone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. .. Article VIEveryone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. Article IIIEveryone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. The UNDHR states, in Article II, that all humans have the rights listed in the Declaration without distinction of any kind. Article VI says that the Government must recognize all humans as persons. Article III says everyone has the right to Life. Argument III: Conflict of Rights. Bodily Autonomy is the argument most quoted in defense of Abortion. However, the fetus equally has the right of bodily autonomy. The fetus's DNA is entirely separate of the Mothers, as is the unborn's body. The fetus also, as a living human, has the right to life. The child's Bodily Autonomy and Right to Life outweighs the singular Bodily Autonomy of the mother. Even in cases of rape and incest, the fetus's right to life is relevant. The mother's right of mental security or comfort does not outweigh the Fetus's life. If we establish that the Mother’s right to happiness were more important, then we must allow her to have an 'abortion' after birth. In reality, mental trauma can be cured or at least relieved through medical aid and therapy. Death can not be. Abortion, if anything, often causes more trauma. Within 8 weeks, 55% of women expressed guilt, with over 40% reporting nervous disorders. Over a tenth had been prescribed psychotropic medicine by their family doctor. This makes abortion a terrible cure for the trauma of women. [20] Most women find relief after giving birth. [20] . http://tinyurl.com...Argument IV: The Reverse Violinist. The Violinist is perhaps the second most common Pro-choice argument. However, it's a bad comparison. It uses a stranger-stranger relationship, which isn't legally similar to a mother-child relationship. Take, for example, a missing child. If a stranger doesn't report a missing child, the law does nothing. A mother would be prosecuted, as she has a legal responsibility to her children. The Violinist also uses a situation that doesn't represent pregnancy. The woman wakes up without knowledge of how she got into the situation, and without having done anything to cause this to happen. The analogy also makes the unborn appear like an abusive bad guy. The unborn isn't a famous violinist who chose to be attached to the woman to save his own life. Therefore, I propose 'The Client' in it's place. As the analogy goes, a women goes to a scientist for a drug to make her high. Every time she goes there, she knows she risks the high causing her to faint. She is aware that when she wakes up, the scientist will have hooked her up to random stranger for his experiments. The stranger is unaware of how he got there. The scientist will make his body reliant on her body for nine months for his experiments. .. The women goes there over and over again, until one day she ends up in this situation. She has two choices, kill him, or keep him alive. She choices to kill him, saying "I know my choices put you here, but it's my body, and I wish to continue doing these drugs. I am under no obligation to keep you alive, since you're infringing upon my bodily rights. "The first half better represents pregnancy, and the second half represents the abortion. We can better see the issues with abortion. Summary: The fetus is a living human, and is therefore given the right of life from the Constitution. Abortion is a violation of human rights as defined by both the Constitution and the UNDHR. Therefore, unless the mother's life is in danger, Abortion should be illegal.