Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsrgv.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!peterr 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