Hi Tim, I assume that your meaning is that abortion is the killing of a human being and therefore the gvnmnt is justified in protecting that person (the fetus) from his his potential attacker (his mother and her agents) by outlawing abortion.
This is an important point. I disagree with the assumption of personhood for the fetus. The fetus is, imo, a part of the woman until birth. But I can appreciate that others might see it differently.
While I think you have a right to believe whatever you want, I don't believe you have a right to force your belief on others by law or any other means. Especially when you intend to impose you views into other individuals' bodies and families.
The examples of slavery and rape which you use are not germane to the abortion question, imo, but the example of child abuse is very relevant. The difference being the relationship between the persons involved. Imo gvnmnt has no business intruding into anyone's body or family.
Govnmnt intrusion in family and individual matters is a very dangerous thing. There are numerous examples of children being abused in various horrible ways in gvnmnt sponsered foster care / group homes / institutions after being taken from their parents because some gvnmnt agent decided he/she didn't like the way the kids were being raised by their parents. I hate to see children mistreated, and I agree that parents are sometimes guilty of this. But those who think gvnmnt can be trusted to insure the safety and proper treatment of children it takes as wards are sadly mistaken.
Gvnmnt is unavoidably clumsy and inept.
People are, by far, generally the best caretakers for their own children. There are exceptions, of course. But when we start using gvnmnt to poke into families and have gvnmnt clerks making decisions about children's best interests which override the parents' decisions, then we will surely have a solution that is many times worse than the original problem.
Likewise abortion. It is rightly a personal and a family matter. Not for gvnmnt intrusion. Mind your own family's morality and let others do the same.
The same mindset that wants to intrude in private family matters in this way made, in prior times, laws restricting all sorts of personal conduct. Laws providing punishments for failure to attend church; for disagreeing with the heads of churches and gvnmnts; etc etc etc
One of the unfortunate facts of human nature is that people think they know what other people ought to do and are willing to go to great lengths to make them do it. Imo we need to guard against these tendencies in ourselves and cultivate tolerance of all those wrong-headed other people.
I'll promise not to 'protect' your children against you if you'll allow me to conduct my family in my own way as well.
regards,
diana
(who doesn't really have any children who need protecting from her, so you can rest easy <G>) |
