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From: carnes@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Richard Carnes)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Convenience of abortion
Message-ID: <395@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 30-Mar-85 17:55:24 EST
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.395
Posted: Sat Mar 30 17:55:24 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 31-Mar-85 04:39:22 EST
Organization: U. Chicago - Computer Science
Lines: 23

T. C. Wheeler writes:
> Convenience is the heart
> and soul of the abortion issue.  If it weren't for the
> self-centered, egotistical attitudes which prevail amoung
> our most vocal pro-choice people, the abortion rate would
> drop by 90%.   All I hear is "What's in it for me?"  

This is paranoid thinking.  Note that TC is not saying, "I disagree
with your moral principles or your ethical reasoning."  He's saying,
"You're morally worse than we are because you're selfish,
egotistical, etc., but we're not."  The word for a person who sees
himself as surrounded by a sea of evil, self-centered people who are
up to no good, is "paranoid."  This is the mentality that underlies
prejudice of all kinds and leads to the persecution of the "bad"
people.  

A person who takes the point of view expressed by Wheeler, all too
common in the pro-life camp, has conceded the debate and cut himself
off from civilized debate and discussion.  Such persons should be
ignored.  It is futile to argue with paranoids; the more you argue,
the more they are convinced that you're evil.

Richard Carnes