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From: kjm@ut-ngp.UUCP (Ken Montgomery)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: Birth control by ABORTION
Message-ID: <1052@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Oct-84 19:14:29 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.1052
Posted: Mon Oct 29 19:14:29 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 2-Nov-84 02:46:27 EST
References: <1038@ut-ngp.UUCP> <667@oliven.UUCP>
Organization: U.Texas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
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[I'm posting this response to hawk@oliven for my girlfriend.  -- KJM]

>>Are you aware, sir, that in countries where abortion is illegal,
>>many thousands of women die or are permanently maimed each year
>>from botched abortions?
>
>Are you aware, maam, that in countries where abortion is illegal,
>many millions of fetuses die (with a couple maimed) each year
>from successful abortions.

Reductio ad absurdum.

>>You seem to think that the life of the fetus is of higher value
>>than that of its mother.
>
>And you seem to think that the life of the fetus is of less value than the
>conveinence of the mother.
>
>rick

Wise up, abortions are *never* convenient for anyone.  Even in the East  
European countries which have a very high abortion rate, it is because 
birth control technology is inadequate.  Chinese women have no choice 
as to how many children they can bear and must undergo forced abortion.
This is as tragic as the situation of the women who cannot undergo an
abortion even if they need one because of its illegality.  The women of
East Europe probably do not enjoy having an abortion any more than 
American or Western European women do.  What this is all about is choice: 
individual control over one's own body.  A fetus is a part of the woman's
body, pure and simple, until such time as it can carry on biological 
processes on its own.  A six-month fetus can.  An eight-week fetus
could never do so (until such time as we have in vitro gestation).  

The women in America who opt for abortion make a *conscious, considered,
and painful* choice.  Many are teenagers whose bodies are not mature enough
to carry the fetus to term.  Even if it were possible for them to do so,
the child would probably be unhealthy (unless the girl got good prenatal
care, which is unlikely in many cases).  The  girl stands an excellent
chance of dying in childbirth also.  Other women have an abortion because
they simply cannot support another child.  Not all of these women are
single, and not all of them have careers or healthy incomes.


(If T. C. Wheeler can get personal, so can I!!!)

It is pointless, however, to argue with a person who (ostensibly) has
made up his mind as to what women should do and what they should be.
There have been people like you around since the bishops in the
Church (several centuries ago) debated whether women had, or had not
a soul.  This same sort of people blame women for seducing men, yet
ogle the girls on the street and pinch the secretaries on the behind.

Leave the question of abortion to be decided by women, for you neither
have the ability to have a child, nor will you ever incur the risk
to life or livelihood because of an unwanted pregnancy.


(Of course, you may flame me at the net address below.)

AJA

--
"Shredder-of-hapless-smurfs"
Ken Montgomery
...!{ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!ut-ngp!kjm  [Usenet, when working]
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