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From: preece@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Abortion - (nf)
Message-ID: <5907@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 27-Feb-84 22:48:15 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.5907
Posted: Mon Feb 27 22:48:15 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 29-Feb-84 07:27:42 EST
Lines: 31

#R:decwrl:-582300:uicsl:16400047:000:1580
uicsl!preece    Feb 27 08:09:00 1984

	I can't at the moment think of an argument in FAVOR of abortion that 
	would not also apply to a three year old or a thirty three year old.
----------
I don't argue anything that doesn't apply equally to the fetus and the
three year old.  I argue against giving the fetus SPECIAL rights that
the three year old doesn't have.  A three year old in need of a kidney
transplant or a blood transfusion cannot compel its mother to provide
it, even if her failure to do so will lead to the child's death.  We have
an absolute right to control the use of our bodies.  The fetus has no
special right to the use of its mother's uterus.

Suppose, for a moment, it were discovered that drinking three ounces of
substance X would lead to shutting down the mother's end of the fetal
oxygenation system.  Would you ban consumption of X?  I would argue
that the individual has the right to decide what she wants to put
into her body regardless of its effect on the fetus temporarily
drawing on her facilities.  If you abrogate that right you throw the
door open for offspring to sue parents on the grounds they were injured
by the mother's use of caffeine, tobacco, cannabis, aspirin, or whatever.

If court or Congress could order a mother to provide space in her
womb for her fetus, why could it not order another woman to provide space
for someone else's fetus? Why could it not order a man to provide an
arm to someone unfortunately born without one?  The physical control of our
bodies has got to be about as central a right as our system provides.

scott preece
ihnp4!uiucdcs!uicsl!preece