From: bskendig@netcom.com (Brian Kendig)
Subject: Re: Post Natal Abortion (couldn't find original)
Organization: Starfleet Headquarters: San Francisco
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 20:00:42 GMT

I got quoted.  I'm flattered, I think.

dsholtsi@csl36h.csl.ncsu.edu (Doug Holtsinger) writes:
>spinoza@next06wor.wam.umd.edu (Yon Bonnie Laird of Cairn Robbing) writes:
>>nyikos@math.scarolina.edu (Peter Nyikos) writes:
>
>>> Doug has been around longer than I, maybe he knows some more examples of 
>>> people posting on talk.abortion expressing support for legalized 
>>> infanticide.
>
>> UNlikely. Then again, it seems to me that a lack of actual statements of  
>> support for infanticide would stop DODie from alleging the same, so I'll  
>> guess that you are right, and that DoDie will indeed produce said list.
>
>Here are some pro-choice posters commenting on the
>personhood status of newborn infants.  Please note
>that while most of these posters believe that newborn
>infants may not be "persons", they should nevertheless
>be protected under the law.  I don't really understand
>their reasoning. 

It's been explained to you before, but let me explain it to you again:

(1) My opinion on when 'personhood' starts is only that: an opinion,
based on my definition of 'person' and my own philosophy.  It's not
something which can be scientifically pinned down.  Therefore, it
ought not be relevant to any laws.  Why say 'person' when you can use
more specific terms?

(2) Let's go to the extreme and say that an infant is most definitely
certainly unquestionably a person.  Does this now mean that a woman
isn't allowed to kill it?  Of course not!  If it's inside her, using
her body against her will, then she ought to have permission and
support to do whatever's necessary to stop this use quickly and safely.
If this means the fetus will die in the proccess, then that's unfortunate.
I'd feel the same no matter _what_ was using her body against her will.

(3) What's the most important difference between a fetus and a baby?
One's inside the woman's womb; the other isn't.

Interesting that you quoted me without grasping the significance of
what I said:

>  "Perhaps the answer is that infanticide really is permissible?  After
>   all, plenty of other cultures practice it.  (e.g. cultures that value
>   male heirs more than female ones, so parents will kill every baby they
>   have until they have a son.)"

If you were in feudal Japan, or some other strict culture that had
infanticide as part of its ritual, your defense of infants would be
laughed at, just as someone who started a crusade to keep 'sacred'
cows from being slaughtered wouldn't be taken seriously in many parts
of this country.

Instead of acting shocked that anyone would dare to suggest
infanticide here, maybe you ought to give us reasons for why you feel
it's wrong?

(Note that I do NOT support legalized infanticide in this country.)

-- 
_/_/_/  Brian Kendig                             Je ne suis fait comme aucun
/_/_/  bskendig@netcom.com                de ceux que j'ai vus; j'ose croire
_/_/                            n'etre fait comme aucun de ceux qui existent.
  /  Nolite te bastardes     Si je ne vaux pas mieux, au moins je suis autre.
 /  carborundorum.                                               -- Rousseau
Newsgroups: talk.abortion