Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 exptools 1/6/84; site ihuxq.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!ihnp4!ihuxq!ken From: ken@ihuxq.UUCP (ken perlow) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: Abortion Message-ID: <712@ihuxq.UUCP> Date: Mon, 27-Feb-84 11:21:40 EST Article-I.D.: ihuxq.712 Posted: Mon Feb 27 11:21:40 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 28-Feb-84 07:00:04 EST References: <5823@decwrl.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL Lines: 30 -- Decwrl!lipman argues that human life begins at conception because the fertilized egg is, at this point, a human cell. Maybe it is, but so is a teratoma. (A teratoma is a kind of cancer which has the cell differentiation that occurs in embryos, but it is wild and disorganized.) Should the "right to life" apply to teratomas? They are potential human beings, too. Well, this is the sort of logic you can get into if you don't consider viability of the fetus. It's pretty well established that during the 1st trimester the fetus has not evolved (remember "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny"?) past a reptilian stage. Thus, abortion during the 1st trimester can be compared to killing a snake. A snake with the potential to be a human being, to be sure. But if you get into this "potential" nonsense, then birth control becomes murder. As a man, I can't really understand what it means to get pregnant. I have to make an analogy to cancer (I am told there is some bio- chemical similarity). I like having the right to remove a cancer, even a benign one that might for some strange reason do me good. This is the only posting I'll do on this subject, in the interest of sanity, but I'll continue by mail with anyone who feels the need to. I'm pro-choice AND I VOTE! -- *** *** JE MAINTIENDRAI ***** ***** ****** ****** 27 Feb 84 [8 Ventose An CXCII] ken perlow ***** ***** (312)979-7261 ** ** ** ** ..ihnp4!ihuxq!ken *** ***