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From: owens@gatech.UUCP (Gerald R. Owens)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: abortion decisions
Message-ID: <6351@gatech.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Apr-84 09:07:36 EST
Article-I.D.: gatech.6351
Posted: Fri Apr 20 09:07:36 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Apr-84 07:28:32 EST
References: <2339@tektronix.UUCP>
Organization: Georgia Tech School of ICS, Atlanta
Lines: 38

Reply to moira:

> So abortion should be illegal because *some* teenagers are not
> mature enough to make an informed decision?  There is obviously nothing
> in their belief systems that tell them it is WRONG, so "it must be ok"
> for them.  

    I thought that that was the purpose for making laws.  To restrain
    those who do not know better to not behave in a way that more mature
    people know is counterproductive.  Southerners merrily violated
    the civil rights of the blacks merely because there were no
    "laws" against doing that.  We know that is counterproductive, although
    at the time it was being done, it was quite profitable for southerners
    to do what they did.



> In support of Alan Silverstein, I agree that the right answer (if there
> is one) is not clear.  But I disagree that it is not a clear cut issue.
> The majority of American adults (~80%) believe that this is a matter
> which should not be legislated by the government.  It is a political 
> issue merely because the remaining minority seems determined, via the
> political process, to force their system of values on the rest of us.


   So was slavery at one time.  If the fetus is not human, then granted,
   it should be a personal decision, but if it is, then abortion is
   murder and the state has every right to step in and preserve
   the civil rights of the fetus.  Remember, there have been times
   and places where the majority was quite wrong.  Please address
   the status of the fetus explicity, rather than doing it implicitly
   by advocating positions that imply that the question of whether
   it is human or not has already been answered to the negative
   (i.e. don't beg the question).

				Gerald Owens
				Owens@gatech