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From: pmd@cbscc.UUCP (Paul Dubuc)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: Whose life anyway?
Message-ID: <5423@cbscc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 11-Jun-85 08:22:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: cbscc.5423
Posted: Tue Jun 11 08:22:08 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 12-Jun-85 20:15:15 EDT
References: <545@bgsuvax.UUCP>, <239@azure.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories <SCCS>, Columbus
Lines: 45

>>      Interesting case to "bring to life" - so to speak:
>> I have a close friend, who has the right to speak up in this area of 
>> understandable naivety. He is the first born of 3 brothers. Under 
>> reverent advice, his mother was advised strongly to "have an abortion",
>> soon before the date of expectancy. The doctor, in this case, basically
>> had a genuine concern for his mother, who because of extreem medical
>> dificulty will allways bear children under life threatening circumstances.
>> (That is only to her own life unless an abortion is carried out)  
>> Concerned basically for the life inside her body more than her own life,
>> she went aginst strong "medical advice" (3 times). I know I'm thankfull
>> she did , I know she is, and without a doubt I'm sure Chris (my friend)
>> is also! I realize this is one individual case , with it's own unique
>> set of factors and circumstance, and is diferent from thousands - millions
>> of abortions in question. But what if in any case you were the life in 
>> question or (1 of the 3 brothers)?
>
>	First, and most importantly, I wasn't aborted [need I point this out?].
>Therefore this question is kind of pointless.
>
>	Second, if I had been aborted, I wouldn't be around to wonder about
>whether I should have been aborted or not.  So again, the question is kind of
>pointless.
>
>	Since I can either be aborted or not aborted, the obvious conclusion is
>that the question IS pointless.
>
>						Chris Andersen

Its not pointless for those who have been helped by others who might
have been aborted.  If you had been aborted, the lives of others you
have influenced (or will influence) would be much different.  Would
you like to think that they would be better off?  Whould they think so?
I'm glad my wife wasn't aborted.  For all I know, I may never have met
another like her.

There's no way to tell the influence that one person would have on another.
I don't think we are justified in considering the "what if so-and-so were
aborted" question so lightly by assuming that that person's life would have
be detrimental to others or make no difference whatsoever.

Is your life pointless now?  If not, why is the question of whether or
not you had ever lived pointless?
-- 

Paul Dubuc 	cbscc!pmd