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From: bch@unc.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women,net.politics
Subject: Re: CHOICE and the Senate
Message-ID: <5482@unc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Jun-83 15:07:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: unc.5482
Posted: Thu Jun 30 15:07:10 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 1-Jul-83 20:25:59 EDT
Lines: 42


>>1. Is a newly born child a human being?

Yes, provided it does not have birth defects which preclude thought.

>>2. Is a fertilized human egg a human being?

Absolutely not.

>>3. If a fertilized human egg is not a human being, when does the
>>   developing fetus/child become a human being?  What is it that
>>   turns a "non-human fetus" into a "human being"?

If you will permit, I will replace your scenario with one that is
less emotionally loaded in order to answer your question:

There is currently a minor move afoot to allow children to vote.
Your questions, moved to that scenario become:

1.  Is an adult (18 years or older these days) old enough to vote?
2.  Is a newly born infant old enough to vote?
3.  If a newly born infant is not old enough to vote, when does the
    developing child become old enough to vote?  What is it that
    turns a child into an adult.

The answer is a number of events, none of which by itself is indicative
but all of which can be summarized by "time."   We pick a particular
age arbitrarily and say that a person can be considered responsible
enough to be an adult when they reach that demarcation point.  The age
is decided by the courts with the advice and counsel of experts.  This
is thoroughly in line with recent court decisions on abortion which
specify a term of pregnancy beyond which abortion is illegal.

>>4. Under what circumstances, if any, does the convenience of one
>>   human being override the right to live of another human being?

None that I know of.  As to what constitutes a human being, that is
a matter of personal choice within the constraints of our legal system.


				Byron Howes
				UNC - Chapel Hill