On Sun, 15 Nov 1998, Max asked a highly loaded question:
> What is the difference between a baby less than
> 30 days old, and one whose head is still inside
> the mother?
Ack! While I am obviously in favor of a woman's absolute right to choose, I am not in favor of eugenics. The following two statements are different, "I do *not* want this baby." and "I do not want *this* baby." The former is not about the fetus. It is about not wanting to have a child. The second statement is directed towards a particular fetus or baby. As such, I think it's directed towards a *person*. Now, if I get pregnant and I don't want a baby, I abort it. No problem. My action is not directed towards another self (broadly understood). It has nothing to do with that fetus *in particular*. Now, if I get pregnant, and I want a baby, but I find out that tests show the child will have some kind of disability, and then I abort it, I think that's different. My actions are aimed towards another. Now, I suppose you could make an argument that the baby is not yet an Other until it has some sense of self. In that case, let me ask if the 35 year old man with an IQ of 12 (yes I know IQ is problematic) who sits in a wheelchair wearing depends, unable to speak or feed himself. Is *he* a person?
frances