Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site gcc-bill.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!harvard!gcc-bill!bird
From: bird@gcc-bill.ARPA (Brian Wells)
Newsgroups: net.abortion
Subject: Re: The Status of the Fetus and Its Rights
Message-ID: <322@gcc-bill.ARPA>
Date: Wed, 18-Sep-85 15:04:31 EDT
Article-I.D.: gcc-bill.322
Posted: Wed Sep 18 15:04:31 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Sep-85 11:20:21 EDT
References: <429@cmu-cs-spice.ARPA> <1546@pyuxd.UUCP>
Reply-To: bird@gcc-bill.UUCP (Brian Wells)
Organization: General Computer Company, Cambridge Ma (Home of the HyperDrive)
Lines: 33
Summary: 

In article <1674@pyuxd.UUCP> rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen) writes:
>First, there's a big difference between being tied to a machine for
>a small subset of life functions and being tied to A HUMAN BEING for
>all life support.  Are the machine's rights in violation because the
>person is "using" it?  Of course not.  Are the woman's rights in violation
>if an entity is "using" her without her consent?

	Her rights are not in violation if she put the entity there.

>The fact was that if they had been using a serious scientific investigation
>(which shows that we are all of the same species) rather than ancient
>superstitions and prejudices, the definition would have been obvious.
>Furhtermore, the criterion of autonomy is an important one is determining
>whether an organism is a living organism or not.  Spermatozoa and ova
>are alive and independent in the context of their environment (the testes
>and the ovaries).  Are they human?  Of course not.  Partly because even
>if we reproduced parthenogenetically, the entity at that point is not
>capable of independent life in an environment appropriate for humans:
>"the open air", so to speak.  Neither is the fetus until very late in
>the pregnancy.
>-- 
>"to be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best night and day
> to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human
> being can fight and never stop fighting."  - e. e. cummings
>	Rich Rosen	ihnp4!pyuxd!rlr

	Why is autonomy so important in determining if it is alive?  I have
never heard this before reading your postings.  And when I use scientific 
reasoning I come to the conclusion that the fetus is alive.  I would like
to see some source references to back you up because I have only seen you
make these claims.
							Brian Wells
James 1:5


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com