From: jsp@uts.amdahl.com (James Preston)
Newsgroups: ba.politics
Subject: Re: Abortion Rights = Self Determination
Date: 27 Jul 92 20:51:03 GMT
Reply-To: jsp@pls.amdahl.com
Distribution: ba
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

mikea@zorba.gvg.tek.com (Michael P. Anderson) writes:

}In article <athos-170792113154@athos.apple.com> athos@apple.com (Rick Eames) writes:

}>What about the best decision for the father or, better yet, the baby?  Even
}>if you discount the baby, you cannot discount the father.

}The father is not growing the baby in his womb. Where he puts his sperm
}has nothing to do with what that sperm creates. He has no more rights to
}that baby than to free ice cream for life.

There is a truly unfortunate double standard extant in our society in that
the father has no rights when it comes to deciding the fate of the unborn
child, but he can be forced to bear the financial responsibility for that
child once it is born.

}>Fine, but abortion is not, contrary to whatever the Supreme Court says, a
}>fundamental right set out in the constitution.  I have a copy right here in
}>front of me, and it is simply not in there.  Period.

}Right to privacy.

There is no right to privacy mentioned in the U.S. Constitution.

}>This is what bothers me: pro-choicers do not seem to realize that we view
}>that "thing" you are aborting as a full human life: as much of one as a
}>baby.  I would stop you from killing a baby too!  Why?  Because it angers
}>me in the same manner.  It's not "forcing a morality."  Don't you
}>understand that when we hear about an abortion, it's like telling us "I
}>just shot my baby."  That's how we feel.  I think the debate makes more
}>sense when you understand that thinking.

I, for one, understand that pro-lifers believe that the fetus is a full
human life and that therefore abortion is the same as murder to them.

But do you understand that I believe differently?  I do not view the
fetus as a "full human being", and therefore abortion is NOT murder in
my eyes.  I think the debate would make more sense if you understood that.

It is perfectly valid for me to say that you are trying to force your morality
on me.  By the very fact that our views as stated above differ and that
your side is trying to get your view codified into law thus giving no one
a choice but to abide by YOUR moral outlook, you are trying to force your
views on everyone.  I believe that you firmly believe that your views are
correct and right and that therefore it is your duty to work for getting
abortion outlawed, but let's be honest enough to just admit that you are
indeed trying to force everyone to abide by your moral standard.

The difference between the two "sides" is this:  If the pro-lifers have
their way, everyone is force to abide by the pro-lifers morality whether
they agree with it or not (that is, if a woman gets pregnant and believes
that abortion is NOT murder, she still must abide by the view that it IS
murder).  Whereas in the current situation, each person is allowed to
abide by their own morality.  If you get pregnant and you believe that
abortion IS murder, you can carry the baby to term unfettered.  If a
woman believes that abortion is not murder, she is allowed to act according
to that believe.

--James Preston
Newsgroups: ba.politics