Beeson & Singer/ prenatal diagnosis

Gordon Fitch gcf at panix.com
Wed Aug 8 11:44:16 PDT 2001


Jim Farmelant:
>>>> ...
>>>> And I remain puzzled how Marta can still regard
>>>> herself to be pro-choice in regards to abortion,
>>>> since she apparently thinks that many if not most
>>>> abortions are done for trivial or otherwise morally
>>>> and politically unacceptable reasons. And Nat Hentoff
>>>> as I recall does call himself "pro-life" on the abortion
>>>> issue.

Gordon Fitch wrote:
>>> She probably distinguishes between the right or freedom to
>>> do something, and the value of doing it. This seems to me
>>> like an almost primordial intellectual move for non-
>>> totalitarians, so I am puzzled at your puzzlement.

kelley:
> this, of course, doesn't address the fact that marta thinks that many
> abortions are performed for trivial reasons. i really don't see how you can
> escape the fact that it's also the case the anti abortionists think the
> same thing. this is absurd. going through a late term abortion, for
> example, is excruciatingly painful and takes days. i really don't think
> people go through this for trivial reasons and it's a slap in the face to
> the people who do to suggest such an outrageous thing.
>
> it's truly absurd to suggest that anyone has abortions for trivial reasons.
> futhermore, if i want to have one because my method of daily birth control
> doesn't work, tough titties. abortion IS a form of birth control.

I most _strongly_ advise one and all to not allow anti- abortionists to make the question of the value of abortion impinge in _any_ way on the right of controlling one's own body and thus obtaining an abortion if one so desires for any reason whatever, "trivial" or not.

Abortions may well be performed for trivial reasons -- people certainly have babies for trivial reasons, indeed, seemingly for no reason at all, and that's more dangerous and difficult than having an abortion. But it doesn't matter.



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