Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!matt
From: matt@brl-tgr.ARPA (Matthew Rosenblatt )
Newsgroups: net.abortion,net.legal,net.women
Subject: Re: Is Abortion Murder? yes and no.
Message-ID: <253@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 29-Jul-85 10:57:54 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.253
Posted: Mon Jul 29 10:57:54 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 31-Jul-85 04:18:31 EDT
References: <251@SCIRTP.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Ballistic Research Lab
Lines: 36
Xref: watmath net.abortion:1743 net.legal:1930 net.women:6730

> While no reasonable argument could contend that a post-birth
> homo-sapiens is human,

Huh??
>			 endless, and unproveable, discussion
> about the humanity of in utero homo-sapiens will always exist.
> I contend the determination of the "humanity" of a fetus and
> its separation (as a human entity) from the mother are issues
> that are basically, spiritual (read religious) and therefore
> are not subject to governmental ruling. Each individual considering
> an abortion must come to grips with their

Don't you mean, "her"?  Using "their" with a singular antecedent
("individual") is a giveaway that the writer is a feminist.

>     					    own concept of fetal
> humanity and their decision to elect or refuse an abortion
> should be respected by ALL persons regardless of their personal
> views. (TODD JONES)

"I have also said that anyone who doesn't feel sure whether we are
 talking about a second human life should clearly give life the
 benefit of the doubt.  If you don't know whether a body is alive
 or dead, you would never bury it.  I think this consideration itself
 should be enough for all of us to insist on protecting the unborn."
 (RONALD REAGAN, "Abortion and the Conscience of the Nation", Nashville, 
 Nelson, 1984, p.21)

Maybe Mr. Jones lives and works in a circle where no one he knows
supported Mr. Reagan, and all Mr. Jones's friends think terrible
things about the President.  But Mr. Reagan's statement about
giving life the benefit of the doubt sounds more humane to me than
Mr. Jones's statement about respecting the individual's decision
to terminate the life of a being whose humanity Mr. Jones admits
is "unproveable."
				-- Matt Rosenblatt