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From: barry@ames.UUCP (Kenn Barry)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: Abortion and Capital Punishment
Message-ID: <642@ames.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 16-Nov-84 23:07:33 EST
Article-I.D.: ames.642
Posted: Fri Nov 16 23:07:33 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 19-Nov-84 02:45:51 EST
References: <1782@burdvax.UUCP> <779@ariel.UUCP> <359@klipper.UUCP>
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 31

[]
>	Human fetuses are no humans, and may be aborted. Since birth does
>	not miraculously brew "humans", the only logical limit is when
>	it becomes clear that a child is reasonable. So I think parents
>	should have the right to "kill" their children till something
>	like the age of 12. In fact in Japan this is already an accepted
>	point of view.

	I'd love to see some references for this statement about Japan;
why am I so sure I'll never see them?

>       Why would it suddenly be murder t " kill" a baby
>	that two days ago still was a "fetus" and so possible subject to
>	abortion? The natural limit would be this: At the moment a child
>	would be able to live after being rejected by its parents, it
>	could. Being removed from a womb is such a form of rejection.
>	(In fact, this is also a [Ll]ibertarian idea: nobody has the duty
>	to care for someone else, and children are held responsible for
>	themselves)

	If you agree that killing is wrong once the child/fetus is no
longer dependent on the parents, then clearly this dividing line is at
birth. Once a child is born it can be adequately cared for by persons
not its parents. So what is this nonsense about "when it becomes clear
that a child is reasonable" and "age of 12"?

-  From the Crow's Nest  -                      Kenn Barry
                                                NASA-Ames Research Center
                                                Moffett Field, CA
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