posted on Oct, 6 2004 @ 09:50 AM
So if abortions are declared to be murder, are laws going to be enacted so that pregnant women are then held liable for any activities that result in
harming the unborn fetus?
What happens if she stupidly slips down the steps and murders the baby?! There is always a risk of falling down the steps--she should know better
than walking down the steps when she is pregnant! Murderer!
What happens if she has a hormonal imbalance and has a miscarriage? Woman with hormonal imbalances shouldn't try to get pregnant because the risk of
fetal death is high--she should know better. Murderer!!
What happens if her birth control pills fail and the woman, not knowing that she is pregnant, continues to take them, causing the fetus to abort? The
woman should know better than to have sex other than for procreative purposes AND taking birth control pills is even more of a high risk activity!!
Homicidal maniac!!!
Okay, perhaps it is a bit harsh to call these women murders. But if a fetus is declared a person, some of these women are at least guilty of
involuntary manslaughter, which carries a minimum prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum of 27 years. Look at the standard definition:
--In order for a person to be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter the government must prove that someone was killed as a result of an act by the
person;
--Second, in the circumstances existing at the time, the person's act either was by its nature dangerous to human life or was done with reckless
disregard for human life; and
--Third, the person either knew that such conduct was a threat to the lives of others or knew of circumstances that would reasonably cause the person
to foresee that such conduct might be a threat to the lives of others.
It can be argued that a pregnant woman that loses her baby from falling down steps, slipping while walking on noticibly icy street, or even getting in
a car accident where she is responsible, she could be charged with involuntary manslaughter and be thrown in jail. Even beyond manslaughter--if an
unborn fetus is declared to be a person, I foresee all kinds of frivolous lawsuits brought by hysterical families that sue the mother of the lost
child for punitive damages if they feel she is responsible. Are we prepared for these consequences?
Do you see how problematic it is to declare the unborn fetus a person? There is a point when the fetus does begin to take on human characteristics,
but to call a fetus a person is not accurate. A potential person, perhaps, but not a person.
Everyone has the right to their own beliefs, and if you don't believe in sex for reasons other than procreation, birth control, or abortions, you are
not forced to engage in these activities. However, people that do not hold those same beliefs should not be subject to them.
There are a variety of reasons why women have abortions--no one but these women should have the right to determine whether or not they are necessary.
Everybody can cite anecdotal examples of women who need them for medical reasons to women who are told that their child will be born with severe
genetic deformities and chose to end the pregnancy to women who use them as a form of birth control--but to outlaw them will only have serious
consequences for everyone.