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From: tan@ihlpg.UUCP (Bill Tanenbaum)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Now we can get somewhere, I hope!
Message-ID: <1247@ihlpg.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Sep-85 19:16:48 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihlpg.1247
Posted: Fri Sep 13 19:16:48 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Sep-85 07:33:16 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 39

I was heartened to hear the response to my comment that abortion
is a question of values, not just facts.  Perhaps we can now get somewhere.
How about some ground rules for a new discussion?  I would suggest the
following, and hope that some of the pro-lifers will take me up.

1) No arguments about whether the fetus is human, alive, a person,
a non-person, etc.  I will agree ahead of time that the fetus is
alive.  I will also agree that a human fetus is human.  Discussion
about whether the fetus is a human being or merely a potential human
being is purely semantic and pointless.  We all know what a fetus
really is. The labels don't matter.
We can avoid the above by rephrasing the question of the legality
of abortion as follows.
"What legal rights should a human embryo or fetus have at each state
of development?"

2) No arguments based on God or religious faith.  VALUES stemming
from religion are O.K. as long as argued on their own merits.  As
a confirmed skeptic, I will toss all "God says X, therefore we
must do X" arguments into the wastebasket.

3) Discussion of special cases, such as rape victims and
fetuses with incurable fatal diseases, is permitted.

4) An agreement that what happens to the aborted fetus AFTER it is dead is
irrelevant.  Arguments about what the fetus goes through DURING an abortion
while it is still alive are O.K.

5) No name calling or ad-hominem attacks.  If you MUST use words like stupid,
say "That's a stupid idea" and then explain why.  Don't say "You're stupid."

I will follow this shortly with some arguments presenting my pro-choice
case within the above guidelines.  I promise that I will not define
away the problem by defining the fetus to be worthless.  I hope I get some
pro-lifers to answer my forthcoming questions to them within the above
guidelines.  Come on, Matt Rosenblatt, etc.  Who likes the above
guidelines?  Pro-choicers are welcome too. I may need help!
-- 
Bill Tanenbaum - AT&T Bell Labs - Naperville IL  ihnp4!ihlpg!tan