Flame — HabitableZone

Flame » in reply to So, where do you draw the line?

Simple: I draw it for me. And nobody else.
Davin L. — (archived)

Again: it comes down to the lack of an objective scientifically establishable basis for judgement prior to viability of the fetus. Before that point- the ultimate decision to terminate or not, and the moral consequences of such should be left entirely to the people involved (I think the father should have more rights than he is ascribed).

Partial-birth (a made-up faery land term for late-term abortion procedures- check your etymology) abortions are generally performed only in cases where the courts have ruled late-term abortions can apply: health/life of the mother etc. Here its not a question about the personhood and rights of the fetus- but what we have decided to do when the very existence of person 'a' (fetus) threatens the life and helath of person 'b' (mother). Its a unique and tough case- it is NOT an argument about willy-nilly and on-demand abotrtions in the third trimester. That is, based on my understanding of the subject, a lie propagated by the pro-life movement.

Beyond that [the personhood of the fetus]- as a society we can ascribe the pre-third-trimester fetus certain rights and protections that don't impinge upon the rights of the mother. I'm all for that- like cleaning up fetal mutagens or abortatives in the environment and the like. Just because its not a human life qua human life does not mean we can't ascribe it value and protections. Pets, property, national treasures etc can be protected in ways that do not impinge upon the rights of (provably) living individuals- so can fetuses.

In this land, if you can't define it as a fact and can only define it as a moral issue, it is the arena of the right of the individual. Not the states, not the federal government- the individiual.

Davin L.

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