NO. A foetus is not a polyp. It IS a moral decision albeit one that a woman must make.
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Yes, I think this is precisely right.
For now, at this stage of our social development, the abortion debate (argument – shouting match – war – what have you) centers mostly around the issue of women’s right to control their situations without interference from men.
But because the decision to abort or not is indeed a moral choice – one that can properly only be made by the woman involved, without societal, family or other forms of coercion – we can imagine a future in which although the oppression of women has disappeared (remember now, I used the word “imagine”) the debate over abortion, exclusively between women of differing circumstance and opinion, would continue with almost as much fervor as we witness today.
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When making an argument, there is always the temptation to move towards excess and so it is with abortion.
Pro-lifers assert the fetus’ absolute right to be born – above any consideration of the potential mother’s opinion of the matter. This is, at heart, a religious belief, founded on the idea of souls and similar mysteries. Even pro-lifers who are not particularly or conventionally religious are dipping from the theocratic well for their arguments’ sustenance. Cut loose from the heavenly tether, their pronouncements often sound merely cranky or misogynist (which, of course, they often are, but the source is obscured by veils labeled “responsibility for your actions” and “you’ve had your fun but you don’t want to face the consequences” and similar old man with shotgun on porch style statements). The self-consciously religious at least have the origin of their ideas straight in their heads and the good manners to openly declare them (and now, someone will point out how religious people do not have good manners – yes, okay, thanks).
Pro-choicers, to counter the other-worldly basis of the pro-choice argument, often fall into the easy trap of moving with heedless speed to the opposite side of the room – towards total materialism and instrumentality. There is no moral choice – the fetus is only a meaningless growth – there’s nothing to debate or fret over. Or, the moral element is acknowledged but placed in the back pocket while the more immediate problem of patriarchy is discussed.
There is a middle ground though considering the limited reality and complexity processing capabilities of the human mind - as expressed through culture trained personality - it’s not likely we’ll see it universally or even widely accepted.
The middle ground is as Joanna stated: the choice is a heavy moral one, but it can only fairly be made by a woman.
Not by me, sympathetic though I may be. Not by the state, that rusty old ocean liner so obviously headed towards the rocks. Not by your family – both help and hindrance, often in the same moment. And not by god, who, even if it exists in some form (let’s say, for fun, an immense cosmic goat wearing a lab coat and a quizzical expression) probably couldn’t give a rat’s ass about human affairs (big universe and all that).
.d.