Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/17/84; site mhuxr.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mfs
From: mfs@mhuxr.UUCP (SIMON)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: "rights" to life, and a question
Message-ID: <396@mhuxr.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 17-Aug-85 09:32:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxr.396
Posted: Sat Aug 17 09:32:46 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 20-Aug-85 05:23:51 EDT
References: <661@ttidcc.UUCP> <14939@mgwess.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 29

> 	Assuming, as you suggest, that it is the MAN that this risk and
> obligation applied to and he knew of this risk BEFORE HAND, I would say
> "Have a nice trip - see you when you get back!". If you're going to gamble,
> you know you're going to lose sometime.
> 	As applying to women, and as I mentioned in a previous article, if
> YOU are the one that the risk applies to, I would think that you would take
> every precaution known to humankind to AVOID the consequences - keeping in
> mind that these precautions also are subject to not working 100% of the
> time.

Ah yes, the "responsibility" argument. But why should not women have the
right to reproductive freedom *and* guilt-free pleasurable sex. Men have
the option to walk away after sex, never to be heard from again (some do.)
The woman,of course, has no such alternative. So your argument, in effect,
reduces to: the slut knew what she was getting into (or vice versa :-)
so let her live with the results. How dehumanizing. Would you also establish
the father's legal responsibility to this child? Would you spend the
dollars necessary to enforce such a responsibility.

The essence of the abortion debate is tied to a feminist issue: are women
going to have the control of their bodies and equal to sexual pleasure
or is a male dominated society going to retain that control? Much of
the argument against abortion is of the "greater good" variety, in
which the woman becomes a mere instrument for the fetus. Again, subordination.
I see that as nonsense.

> 	Pete Wilson

Marcel Simon