From: Larry Margolis <margoli@watson.ibm.com>
Subject: Re: pro-choice == pro-(womens' only) choice?
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 19:40:13 GMT
Reply-To: margoli@watson.ibm.com
Disclaimer: This posting represents the poster's views, not necessarily those of IBM
Organization: The Village Waterbed

In  <1992Apr16.063554.10977@rotag.mi.org>  kevin@rotag.mi.org (Kevin Darcy) writes:
> In article <1992Apr14.234409.14637@watson.ibm.com> margoli@watson.ibm.com writes
> >In  <1992Apr13.234221.17114@cfctech.cfc.com>  kevin@cfctech.cfc.com (Kevin Darc
> >> In article <1992Apr13.072108.10596@watson.ibm.com> margoli@watson.IBM.com wri
> >> >In  <1992Apr11.160950.8203@rotag.mi.org>  kevin@rotag.mi.org (Kevin Darcy) w
> >> >> In article <1992Apr06.151018.19614@sdd.hp.com> regard@hpsdde.sdd.hp.com (A
> >> >> >
> >> >> >The man *is* uninvolved in the physical aspects of pregnancy, Kevin, his
> >> >> >best wishes and sympathy create no rights stream.
> >> >>
> >> >> You seem to conveniently forget that conception is ALSO a physical aspect
> >> >> pregnancy.
> >> >
> >> >My dictionary says "pregnant" means "having a fetus or fetuses growing in
> >> >the uterus", so conception is a precursor to, not an aspect of, pregnancy.
> >>
> >> Well, since you have it out (the dictionary, that is) why don't you look up
> >> "physical" and "aspect" as well, Larry? Conception is a physical event, and,
> >> in its capacity as a strict prerequisite for pregnancy, certainly qualifies
> >> as an "aspect" of pregnancy, does it not?
> >
> >   aspect (n)
> >   DEFINITIONS:
> >   1a  the position of planets or stars with
> >       respect to one another held by
> >       astrologers to influence human affairs
> >   1b  a position facing a particular direction
> >       : EXPOSURE the manner of presentation of
> >       a plane to a fluid through which it is
> >       moving or to a current
> >   2a  a particular status or phase in which
> >       something appears or may be regarded
> >       <studied every ^ of the question>
> >   2b  MIEN, AIR
> >   3   (archaic) an act of looking : GAZE
> >   4a  the nature of the action of a verb as to
> >       its beginning, duration, completion, or
> >       repetition and without reference to its
> >       position in time
> >   4b  a set of inflected verb forms that
> >       indicate aspect
> >   aspectual (aj)
> >   (c) G. & C. Merriam
> >
> >I assume we're talking 2a, which is the only definition which would seem
> >to apply.  A prerequisite of something is not a phase of something.
>
> You need a better dictionary.

Yes, I'd love to have an OED at home.  However, you're the one that asked
me to look it up.  If you didn't like the above, how about:
aspect n 1 C lit appearance, esp. an
   expression of the face: We became afraid
   of the angry aspect of the man 2 C a
   particular side of a many-sided state of
   affairs, idea, plan, etc.: You have only
   considered one aspect of the difficulty,
   but there are many 3 C9 the direction in
   which a window, room, front of a building,
   etc., faces: The house has a south-facing
   aspect -see VIEW (USAGE) 4 C the
   position of the stars in regard to each
   other, seen by some as influencing the
   affairs of man 5 U; C the form a verb
   takes to mark the difference in time, as
   between a continuing action (as in is
   singing) and a completed action (as in
   sang)
(c) Longman

> An "aspect" is the way a particular thing is "presented to the mind".

I'm only going to bother including definitions from on-line dictionaries,
but I've checked a number of others, and they all agree with me.  Care to
tell me what dictionary you got the above definition from?  Or would you
rather just agree that using the dictionary definitions, we were right and
you were wrong, but you got confused because you have your own personal
definition for the word and were using that?

> Under that abstract definition,

Weren't you complaining earlier about someone using an abstract
definition for "rape"?  (I know *someone* was.)

> >For example, registering for a class is a prerequisite for taking a
> >class, but it's not an *aspect* of the class.
>
> Sure, whatever, Larry...
>
> Would it make you happier if I said that the man was involved in the physical
> aspects of GESTATION, where "gestation" encompasses conception + pregnancy?

Absolutely, since then you're not using words incorrectly.

Larry Margolis, MARGOLI@YKTVMV (Bitnet), margoli@watson.IBM.com (Internet)
Newsgroups: talk.abortion