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From: garys@bunker.UUCP (Gary M. Samuelson)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: A simple question
Message-ID: <646@bunker.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Jan-85 17:06:51 EST
Article-I.D.: bunker.646
Posted: Thu Jan  3 17:06:51 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 4-Jan-85 08:11:38 EST
References: <3189@alice.UUCP>
Organization: Bunker Ramo, Trumbull Ct
Lines: 32

> Some people believe abortion is murder.  Others do not.
> Some of those that do so think that abortion should
> be illegal, for the same reasons that murder is illegal,
> even though they know many people disagree with them.
> 
> Some people believe killing animals for food is murder.
> Others do not.  Some of those that do so think that
> killing animals for food should be illegal, for the same
> reasons that murder is illegal, even though they know
> many people disagree with them.
> 
> Can someone please explain to me why abortion should
> have a different legal status than killing animals?

Certainly.  The fetus is not an animal.  (If you really think
that it is a simple question, that is the simple answer you
deserve.)

The problem with analogies such as the above is that they
can work both ways.  E.g., start out a paragraph with the
above paradigm, "Some people believe killing convicted felons
is murder..."  So why should capital punishment have a
different legal status than abortion?  Answer: Because they
are different actions.

Which brings up another problem with analogies.  Some people
would say, yes, killing fetuses and killing animals and killing
felons should all have the same legal status; they should all
be illegal.

Gary Samuelson
ittvax!bunker!garys