From: chrisl@stpaul.gov (Chris A Lyman)
Newsgroups: alt.rush-limbaugh,alt.activism.d,alt.politics.elections,alt.politics.bush,alt.politics.clinton,talk.politics.misc,talk.abortion
Subject: Re: Walking down to the student center last night
Date: 13 Oct 92 20:43:43 GMT
Organization: City of Saint Paul Public Works

(My sincere apologies for the long Newsgroup: line; I have no idea
where this reactionary whacko is posting from.)

William.A.Hall.Jr.@dartmouth.edu (William A. Hall Jr.) writes:
> regard@hpsdde.sdd.hp.com (Adrienne Regard) writes:

>> And if my mother, when she was pregnant with me, decided that pregnancy
>> and childraising was too much of a burden, and was FORCED to have me,
>> I'd have a lifetime of apologizing to do.

> This is why all of you liberals are so whacked-out. Allow me to give
> y'all a lesson in Biology 101. When a baby is conceived, his/her
> genetic blueprint is formed. He (or she) is unique, and so are his/her
> characteristics -- big feet, blue eyes, brown hair, pug nose, et cetera.

Not all _that_ unique, Willie.  Did you know that there is nothing in our
genetic blueprints relating to higher brain function?  Professor Edward
Manier of the University of Notre Dame writes:

	Genes do not determine human individuality.  The phenotypic
	(structural, functional, behavioral) variance in human
	populations is explained by genes and two crucially significant
	additional classes of variables:  environment, and interaction
	of genes and environment.  Development does not occur unless
	genes and environment interact: read beyond the warning labels
	on alcoholic beverages or the latest news about smoking and fetal
	development.  Human chromosomes specifically lack information
	necessary for the development of the human brain.  Inference of
	the presence of a specific and unique human being from evidence
	that the fertilized human egg has a full complement of human
	chromosomes (preformationism) has utterly no influence  in current
	biological thought.


> Before conception, that doesn't exist. Millions of sperm with millions of
> blueprints and millions of ovums with millions of blueprints are floating
> in their respective ovaries and vesicles.

You're contradicting yourself.  First you say that 'genetic blueprints don't
exist', then you say that there's millions of sperm and ova with genetic
blueprints.  Which is it?

A blueprint isn't a building, btw.

> When the two are brought together, they form the blueprint for an
> INDIVIDUAL. When that individual is aborted, that blueprint for life is
> terminated. A baby that may have been a genius. The baby that may have
> the found the cure for AIDS, or the cure for cancer ...

That old, creaky argument.  Willie, any given baby is not predisposed to find
cures for diseases or write symphonies or memorize baseball statistics purely
on the basis of his/her genetics.  Nuturance plays a big role in determining
the intellectual capacity and self-image of a child.  Just ask my mother. :-)

> ... now lying in a dumpster outside an abortion clinic. No, excuse me...
> following in the words of others on the net, that PARASITE is in the dumpster.
> Sorry.  Excuse me.

No, excuse me; following the efforts of certain pro-lifers in Minneapolis, it
was _planted_ in a dumpster in order to discredit the pro-choice movement.
Sorry.  Excuse me.

> When you PREVENT pregnancy, an individual blueprint for life is not
> terminated... because one was never made in the first place!

Here's a mild dose of reality, Willie.  We men 'make' millions of spermatozoa.
Women 'make' thousands of ova.  According to Dr. Len Howard, a pro-life
obstetrician who keeps us up to speed with useful medical info from time to
time, almost 2/3 of fertilized ova either fail to implant on the uterine wall
or later spontaneously abort.  Despite having devised methods of preventing
conception and pregnancy, we seem to be in no danger of dying out as a species
because of infertility.

In the words of the tortilla chip commercial, "keep crunching; we can always
make more."

> Geez. I don't know how people can't understand simple logic.

Because, Willie, in this instance you didn't write any.

> "Abortion is advocated only by persons that have themselves been born."
> -- Ronald Reagan

Anti-abortion legislation is advocated only by persons that have themselves
been born.

-- 
Chris Lyman  /  email: chrisl@pwcs.stpaul.gov  /  #include <std.disclaimers.h>
BULLWINKLE: "You just leave that to my pal.  He's the brains of the outfit."
GENERAL:    "What does that make YOU?"
BULLWINKLE: "What else?  An executive..." -- Jay Ward
Newsgroups: alt.rush-limbaugh,talk.abortion