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From: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.politics,net.legal
Subject: Re: Re: Vet kills his baby.
Message-ID: <365@cybvax0.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 20-Feb-85 12:43:12 EST
Article-I.D.: cybvax0.365
Posted: Wed Feb 20 12:43:12 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 22-Feb-85 20:29:01 EST
References: <319@cadre.ARPA> <361@cybvax0.UUCP> <353@enmasse.UUCP>
Reply-To: mrh@cybvax0.UUCP (Mike Huybensz)
Organization: Cybermation, Inc., Cambridge, MA
Lines: 34
Xref: watmath net.religion:5681 net.politics:7706 net.legal:1427
Summary: 

In article <353@enmasse.UUCP> mike@enmasse.UUCP (Mike Schloss) writes:
> SAY WHAT??? If the child is deformed and is going to live painfuly or die
> soon then "destroying" (mercy killing) him is one thing but to suggest
> that a healthy child (not fetus, abortion arguments to net.abortion or
> better yet /dev/null) should be killed if they arent adopted within a set
> time frame (2 weeks -> 17 years and 364 days) is SICK.  If you are only
> suggesting this (adoption or else ...) for deformed infants, where do you
> draw the line?

It is not sick.  As any anthropologist could tell you, killing infants has
not been an uncommon practice in a large number of societies.  Some American
indian cultures were supposed to have exposed one of a pair of twins;
one Indian caste (until recently) consisted only of men, always married out
of caste, and destroyed female offspring; and exposure of unwanted children
has been widespread in Europe (such as ancient Greece and Rome.)  In China
today, there is widespread killing of female infants in the countryside
(strong political disincentives for multiple child families and strong
traditions for male heirs combine to produce this trend.)

In some cultures under some conditions, infanticide may be considered sick.
In others, it may be viewed as normal, practical, pragmatic, and important.

I do not draw a line between deformed and normal newborns.  If they are
unwanted by anybody, then let them be destroyed after a reasonable period
(say two weeks.)  This policy would not rule out orphanages run by religious
groups (or perhaps adoptionages.)  Just as animal lovers who sponsor the
ASPCA accept humane destruction of unwanted pets, we should accept humane
destruction of unwanted newborns.  (However, I wouldn't go so far in my
analogy as to say they should be sterilized upon adoption.  That thought
is repulsive to me.)  Proclamation of humanity by the parents or by
adoption would confer all the rights that children normally enjoy today.
-- 

Mike Huybensz		...decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!cybvax0!mrh