Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site h-sc1.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!h-sc1!desjardins From: desjardins@h-sc1.UUCP (marie desjardins) Newsgroups: net.abortion Subject: Re: Human beings and their Rights Message-ID: <506@h-sc1.UUCP> Date: Tue, 6-Aug-85 20:25:52 EDT Article-I.D.: h-sc1.506 Posted: Tue Aug 6 20:25:52 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 9-Aug-85 02:29:09 EDT References: <392@cmu-cs-spice.ARPA> <1259@pyuxd.UUCP> <113@brl-tgr.ARPA> <1310@pyuxd.UUCP> <269@brl-tgr.ARPA> <1373@pyuxd.UUCP> <447@brl-tgr7 Aug 85 00:25:52 GMT Organization: Harvard Univ. Science Center Lines: 35 Matthew Rosenblatt: > QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION: > > Is it legal for a man to hire a surgeon to amputate a perfectly good arm > or leg? (My answer: No, removing a healthy limb is mayhem, a crime not > against the amputee but against the Queen's peace (or the state, in the USA), > and the amputee's consent to, or even procurement of, deliberate mayhem > will be no defense for the surgeon in a criminal trial for mayhem.) > > Should it be legal for a man to hire a surgeon to amputate a healthy limb? > Maybe the man can make more money in a circus if he has only one arm or leg. > Maybe the person is in love with an "amputee fetishist" who will relate only > to an amputee. Should it be his decision, since it's his own body? Or do > we as a society feel that such a thing (as Fantine's selling her good teeth > to a dentist in Hugo's "Les Miserables") should not be allowed to happen? Assuming that this was not a rhetorical question: Yes, it should be legal for a man (or, gee, maybe even a woman... :-) ) to have a healthy limb amputated. And to take drugs, if no harm is caused to others. And to sell one's body for sexual purposes. And to commit suicide, for that matter. Certainly we should try to convince people not to do at least some of these things, or at least try to help them realize why they are doing this thing and perhaps that they do not have to do this thing. But no, I don't think any of these things should be legislated. And you apparently do, so you and I differ on a very fundamental issue. By the way, I do not advocate legalizing heroin only because the use of heroin almost inevitably leads to injuring others (stealing money for one's habit or doing something else illegal while under the influence of heroin), nor legalizing sex for ten-year-olds for reasons that I don't think need to be brought up here. I would like to know why you think prostitution, suicide, or amputation of a healthy limb should be illegal. (Seriously.) marie desjardins park