Opinions on abortion?

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A fetus would have the right to use my biological systems to its own advantage. Born people don't have that right. And "negligence" can be a broad category, especially for a lawyer.

A female carrying a fetus is a mature adult human by biological standards, a fetus is not since it requires an incubator to survive (could be a womb or an actual incubator). In my opinion, until the fetus can survive on it's own it's not granted any human rights because it's not actually human at that point, it's merely a *possible* human in the future. Therefore I defer all judgments to the actual living human, whether it be a pregnant mother or the doctor overseeing the incubator.

I'm against abortion.

I'm not sure they don't, though it would have to be very bizarre set of circumstances for a "born" human to be in the same situation. You never did reply to my organ donation parallels a few pages ago. Is it right to take back an organ you've already donated (whether you chose to donate in the first place or not)?



Yeah don't get me started on lawyers, but practicalities of the law should not allow its principles or spirit to be discarded.

That's a matter of opinion. The birth control pill hasn't left my wife down after we had our daughter.
People have children all the time, whether they can afford them or not. I'm sure just about everyone on this forum are the descendants of people who couldn't afford to have kids, but did. That's going to go on, and on, and on for as long as there are humans.

I'm prochoice. I don't care what other people do with their bodies, and I don't want other people telling me what I can and can't do with mine.

There's the problem. People who find abortion distasteful aren't being forced to abort against their will, the problem is these people want to force their tastes onto everyone.

If these people dislike abortion, they don't have to get one. Yet they think they have the right to make that choice for you as well as for themselves.

This thinking never disappears does it? Do they teach it in schools now?

People who find drink driving distasteful aren't being forced to drink drive against their will, the problem is these people want to force their tastes onto everyone.

If these people dislike drink driving, they don't have to do it. Yet they think they have the right to make that choice for you as well as for themselves.

Those anti-drink driving bigots, when will their tyranny end?

The difference is drink driving kills people. Abortion doesn't kill anyone.

In your next post you will unsuccessfully argue that a fetus is a person.

It isn't. It is, however, the decision to engage in an activity which carries known consequences, one of which is becoming pregnant.



I don't believe that's representative of anyone's position. In fact, I would wager most people here who are arguing in favour of greater fetal rights would accept abortion or enforced removal on the grounds of maternal endangerment - just as they would likely agree with any reasonable force element in an instance of self-defence.



If you're not pregnant and you trip, fall on another person and accidentally crush their windpipe, should you be charged with homicide? It falls under accidental killing or homicide by misadventure:

"A death caused by a lawful act done under the reasonable belief that no harm was likely to result."



It would look pretty similar to how it does presently in the UK (where a medical professional can refuse to carry out an abortion or refer someone to a clinic on moral grounds and the signatures of three doctors are required), only the criterion for an abortion would be more restrictive so we'd definitely lose the two underlined clauses, and the fourth may require a higher standard or degree of threat:

- That the pregnancy has not exceeded 24 weeks (current age of viability)
- The continuation of the pregnancy would involve risk to the life of the pregnant woman, more so than a termination
- There is a substantial risk that if the child is born they would suffer mental or physical abnormalities
- That the abortion is necessary to prevent permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman

If you're interested in my position, you are free to read my posts. I don't argue fetuses are persons, I argue they are human beings. Even if you believe abortion is not killing, it doesn't make the "don't like abortion, don't get one" dismissal any less stupid - something that was covered earlier in this thread, with other examples.

People is not necessarily analogous to "person" in the legal sense.

Human, however, is directly applicable to any being that can be considered part of the genus "Homo".

Your argument is also the same as that used to justify the killing of slaves "They're not people, they're my property". Laws are subject to change, and those regarding abortion have done so multiple times in response to medical advances, activism and lobbying.

In addition, you're arguing against the specific example Mikah used, rather than the principle he was demonstrating, focusing solely on the death of a "person" aspect. Apply it to every single existing law which governs behaviour - the wearing of seat belts, legally required insurance, etc. Law consists of both principles and rules, the latter being subject to change in response to the needs and demands of society.

Well said, though it may be effort wasted. When I tried to explain this to another poster earlier in the thread, his response was to post a personal attack, then delete it a minute later.

As I've already stated, the decision to have sex is not the decision to have a baby.

People shouldn't be compelled to donate organs in the fist place. They especially shouldn't be compelled to donate their body to a "person" who doesn't even have a functioning brain.

The decision to have sex is not the same as a decision to have a baby.

And if we accept that a fetus is a full, legal human being, than we must be prepared to treat it as such. If a person dies under mysterious circumstances, an investigation by law enforcement ensues. Should women be subject to such investigation if they have a miscarriage?

I never said people should be compelled to donate organs, my question asks what is right once the donation has already been made. Again, you avoid my question. It's ok though. It's the most difficult thing in the world to change your mind.