From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!wbux5!wb2!houxz!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsovax!hamilton Newsgroups: net.women Title: Re: pro-choice groups - (nf) Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.1641 Posted: Fri Mar 11 22:36:19 1983 Received: Sun Mar 13 12:28:37 1983 #R:tekmdp:-180000:uicsovax:22800004:000:1172 uicsovax!hamilton Mar 11 18:47:00 1983 `The question then is: What can we say about these people who want abortion "limited to certain cases"? These people clearly believe the fetus is not human, or they could not justify abortion in cases of rape, mother's life in danger (versus certain death for the fetus), etc.' (Graeme Hirst) ---- it's not impossible to simultaneously favor abortion and consider it murder (or at least, homicide; my dictionary distinguishes the two with the qualification that "murder" is "unlawful"). there are many circumstances where some/many/most Americans would consider homicide acceptable, if perhaps regrettable (self defense, criminal execution, war, etc). we don't have to deny humanity to justify it (it's harder to deny the humanity of a 19-year-old soldier); we just resolve that it must be done, even if we don't like it. how is pre-natal infanticide any different? if you think it's right and/or necessary, just say so; you've got plenty of precedents. that you feel compelled to rationalize with the inhumanity argument just shows the power of the taboo you're up against, and suggests that you feel it too. wayne ({decvax,ucbvax}!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsovax!)hamilton