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From: peterr@utcsrgv.UUCP (Peter Rowley)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: The myth of humanity (social view)
Message-ID: <3436@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 4-Mar-84 04:18:47 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.3436
Posted: Sun Mar  4 04:18:47 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 4-Mar-84 07:03:59 EST
Organization: CSRG, University of Toronto
Lines: 46

The either/or nature of "Is a fetus a human life?" leaves me rather cold.
Society balances off opposing forces all the time, particularly in civil
lawsuits.  It is instructive to take an opposing-forces view of abortion.

I think the staunchest pro-choice advocate will admit that there is the
possibility that a fetus will, given good pre-natal care and supportive,
loving parents, possibly contribute a great deal to society at some time.
You don't want to prevent the birth of another Einstein, do you?

On the other hand, I think the staunchest pro-life advocate will admit there is
the possibility that a fetus will grow up into a common criminal, a Hitler, or
worse.  You don't want to bring someone into the world who will rob your
parents and kill your sister, do you?

For any given fetus, we just don't know how matters will turn out; we have
to use our best judgement, and create a legal and social situation such that
making the "right" decision is facilitated.  Is abortion EVER the right
decision?  I suggest that if we know the fetus is to grow up into a mass
murderer, who will kill a dozen people, then, all other things being equal,
an abortion is the right decision, even if only from the child's view (I
don't think there are many happy criminals).

Growing up as a wanted child and living next door to a child who was almost
completely unwanted, I think the degree to which a child is wanted is a good
predictor of how pro- or anti-social the child will become (though I know of
no references to this-- it is purely anecdotal).

Abortion on demand would, I think, lower the number of unwanted children
born.  One would think this would be a positive development; I do.
Positive enough to warrant public funding, with the hope that it would,
in the long term, result in less money having to be spent on pursuing and
punishing criminals.  "Every child a wanted child" is a slogan I sympathize
with.

There are many other considerations, however.  The personal autonomy of
the pregnant woman is very important.  The possibility that a fetus may
grow up into a happy adult, even if raised as an unwanted child, must be
considered.  The possibility that a child unwanted by his/her mother might
be very dearly wanted by a couple not able to have children is very very
important.  More considerations than I want to go into.  But I believe
the argument presented here, though it does not reflect my complete
opinion on the matter, does add to the debate and possibly awaken some
to the dangers of letting a pregnancy go to term if the child so born
is to be raised unwanted.

p. rowley, U. Toronto