Abortion is murder.

Introduction To start off, I’m going to go ahead and knock down the first definition given by PRO. Barring the fact that I have already offered* a definition for “murder”, PRO’s first definition would actually seal the debate for me. If murder is the unlawful killing of a human being, abortion cannot be murder because it is legal. Thus, by PRO’s own definition of the term, abortion cannot be murder, because abortion is legal. Thus, abortion is not murder, and PRO has refuted the resolution for me. Killing vs Murder PRO’s second definition of “murder” is problematic as well. It seems to clash with common usage of the term, as well as self-defense and accidental deaths. When “murder” is used, it generally refers to the intentional killing of another human being. When someone talks about hunting, for instance, they do not say “I murdered a few deer”, they say “I killed a few deer”. When someone is being attacked, and their choice to defend themselves lead directly to the assailant’s death, this is not considered murder. The defender killed the assailant. Also, consider a death via accident. If I were to hit someone with my car by accident, and they died, this would be not be considered murder, assuming I immediately notified someone, and didn’t flee when authorities arrived. However, if I were to walk up to someone and shoot them, it would be considered murder. What are the key differences? Well, first, there is the issue of premeditation [D3]. I have chosen to walk around with a gun, aim it at someone and pull the trigger. Further, there is the fact that I am a human, and the other being that I have killed is human. So, based on what we use the terms to refer to, we can arrive at an edited version of Oxford Dictionaries definition [D2]. “Murder” is the intentional (or premeditated) killing of another human being. If PRO wants us to consider as “murder” the killing of other animals as well, this argument will have to be presented, as that is a move from the status quo. What is a “Human Being”? A fetus is necessarily dependent on its mother for life. There is a point where a fetus becomes viable outside of the womb, which is considered to be roughly 24 weeks [1]. This is, roughly, at the end of the second (2nd) trimester. A. Human Beings are autonomous creatures. Prior to this point, a fetus is identical to a parasite [D5] (note this is not meant as disrespect or belittlement, but rather as comparison). A fetus lives inside of its mother, and cannot exist without the nutrients provided by her. While the genetic code of a fetus is that of a human being, it would seem that there is a crucial difference between a fetus under 24 weeks, and a baby. While a baby might need to be fed and nursed, it does not get these nutrients from a host, to the detriment of said host. A mother must eat more than normal, deal with “morning sickness”, fatigue, cramping, nausea, and bloating, to mention a few things, when she is pregnant [2]. While these are not guaranteed symptoms, they are quite common, and are to be generally expected. In order for an entity with the genetic code of a homo sapien to be considered a human being, it must have this autonomous nature. A baby might be entirely vulnerable to the world without someone else to provide for it, but at the very least, it has internal systems to sustain itself, unlike a fetus, which must rely upon the systems of another being to survive, at least prior to the point of viability. This is what I mean by the term “autonomous”. It should be taken to mean this any time I refer to it, unless otherwise specified. B. Human beings are sentient creatures. Along with this, there is the issue of brain activity and ability to feel pain. It is estimated that a fetus can feel pain as early as 18 weeks [4]. So, at 18 weeks a baby is what we consider “sentient” [D4]. Prior to this point, while we can consider the fetus as a living entity, it is not a sentient being. Rather, it is similar to a plant or fungi, in that it is living, but it does not feel pain, at least not noticeably so. It does grow, and does take in nutrients, but it is non-sentient. Such things as warm-bloodedness or upright walking are too narrow to describe animal life. Prior to the 18 week mark, fetuses do not count as animals at all. Further characteristics include self-awareness and what I shall term “drive to survive”. A person is capable of recognizing that they are separate from their environment. A person also has a desire to maintain their life. A fetus is not capable of either of these things. A fetus thus cannot be a person, thus when a pregnancy is terminated, it does not qualify as murder, as they are not human beings. A baby gains a certain level of leeway on this point, as there exist people, who are directly involved with the baby, who have what I shall term a “drive to protect”. The baby does qualify as an autonomous creature. Additionally, there is a certain level of respect given to those who do love the baby. The same respect that is given to such animals as cats, dogs, chimpanzees, and lizards, to name a few. Essentially, this level of respect has to do with the wishes of the being involved. Affirming the resolution PRO’s arguments rest on the assumption that fetuses are human beings. Until PRO can make this very crucial link, the resolution cannot be affirmed. The only way abortion can become murder is if fetuses are, in fact, human beings. Human beings are autonomous, sentient creatures. Fetuses do not exhibit the characteristics of sentience, nor do they exhibit the characteristics of autonomy. As I have explained, autonomy as I mean it here mainly refers to the internal systems which are key to a human beings survival. Fetuses after 24 weeks do have this characteristic. The argument is as follows: P1. For all x, if x is a human, then x is autonomous and sentient (Analysis of “Human Being”). P2. Fetuses, prior to 24 weeks, are not autonomous (A) P3 Fetuses, prior to 24 weeks, are not sentient. (B) C1. Fetuses, prior to 24 weeks, are not humans (P1, (P2&P3) MP) P4. Murder is the intentional killing of a human being, not in self-defense or defense of others (def. of murder). P5. Abortion causes the death of a fetus. C2. Abortion causes the death of non-humans (C1, P5) C3. Abortion is not murder. (P5, C2) Do note that the resolution is a Universal Claim. PRO must show it to be the case that abortion, regardless of when it occurs, is murder. Unfortunately, I think I have given strong reasons to believe that abortion prior to the point of viability (24 weeks) is not (the intentional killing of a human being, where the intent is NOT self-defense or defense of others). With that, I’ll pass things back over to PRO to begin Round 3. * Definitions are to be established by the instigator before the debate officially begins. Not only this, but PRO’s definition is specifically geared toward their arguments. That is to say, the definition is biased. Being that I offered a definition prior to this round, and PRO has not presented a valid objection to it, I take severe issue with the redefinition of terms. I think it is disingenuous to begin a debate, but not make your opponent aware of the definitions you will choose to use, and then present those definition after the debate has begun. Sources [1] http://miscarriage.about.com... [2] http://www.whattoexpect.com... [3] http://news.discovery.com... Definitions [D1] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com... [D2] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com... [D3] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com... [D4] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com... [D5] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com... [D6] http://www.oxforddictionaries.com...