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From: woods@hao.UUCP (Greg Woods)
Newsgroups: net.suicide,net.religion,net.abortion
Subject: Re: A modest proposal
Message-ID: <1863@hao.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 18-Nov-85 18:45:33 EST
Article-I.D.: hao.1863
Posted: Mon Nov 18 18:45:33 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 21-Nov-85 21:10:51 EST
References: <925@utcs.uucp> <1117@mtx5a.UUCP>
Organization: High Altitude Obs./NCAR, Boulder CO
Lines: 80
Xref: linus net.suicide:737 net.religion:7874 net.abortion:2185

> 	As far a a fetus being a ``potential life'', it is exactly the
> point of most of the anti-abortion movement that it IS a life.  The
> modifier ``potential'' is irrelevant.  

  On the contrary, that modifier is the entire issue. If you consider
a fetus to be life from the moment of conception, and I or someone
else happens to disagree, what on earth goves *you* the right to
impose YOUR belief on everyone else? What GALL! What an ego! You
think you can determine morality for everyone. Your way is best for
everyone. People like that make me want to puke.

> The belief that a person, by choosing
> to be a danger to others, may force the community to decide between his life
> and those of his victims is not the same as the belief that an innocent child
> ahould not be murdered in its mother's womb.  We're talking what people 
> BELIEVE.

  Exactly the point. YOU see abortion as murder, many others don't. The pro-
choice people are not FOR abortion. Many of them would not choose to have
an abortion themselves. What pro-choice means is simply the right for
each individual to determine their own morality. It is CLEAR that this is
not so clear-cut an issue as, say, murder. I don't think ANYONE would
argue for the right of someone to take my life because their morality says
it is OK to do so. Abortion is much more controversial. You say abortion
is murder; I say that is your BELIEF, which you state as though it were
a fact. You really have an inflated sense of self-worth.

> 	As far as the prevention of suicide ... is THAT why the Catholic
> Church, which seems to end up spearheading the anti-abortion movement,
> operates at least a half-a-dozen Covenant House centers for runaway or
> abandoned kids in various cities?  

  This is a much better answer to the problem of abortion. If people
had a reasonable alternative they'd be less likely to have abortions.
But no, we have to solve all our problems by making them illegal. What
a crock. Experience shows it doesn't work, so why not try a different
approach? Why are these so-called "pro-lifers" bombing abortion clinics
and killing people instead of offering to take on the 18-year+
responsibility that they want to force these women to take?

> 	As far as being pro-war ... there are always ideologues in every
> crowd who feel that someone or another would do better with a different
> government.  Many times they are right.  

  ...and many more times many people die so they can try and PROVE they are
right. An awfully high price to pay for being right.

> A few of those ideologues get to
> thinking that they could not possibly make things worse, and try to go
> to war.

  Oh, so killing people is better than the current reality. Is that what
you're saying? Sounds like the Organians talking to Captain Kirk (if anyone
is familiar with that Star Trek episode), where Kirk is protesting
the Organians using their powers to stop a war, and the Organian says
"the right to destroy life, kill millions of people. Is that what
you're defending?" Is it?

> we are denying
> the right of people to live their lives according to their beliefs.  

  Couldn't have said it better myself. Even worse, you want them to live
according to YOUR beliefs. How conceited. Barf.

> 	Most of rhetoric I have heard from the anti-``pro-life'' folk concerns
> how it is unfair to subject people to responsibility of carrying a child. 

  And most of the rhetoric I hear from the anti-choice crowd is how
they all know the "right" way for everyone. Bull. All they know is the
right way FOR THEM. And they are all so damned righteous, they make me sick.

  Sorry for the flame, folks, but people like this really make me ill.
Especially when one of them is president.

--Greg
--
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       		        !hao!woods

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