----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nick Arnett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, May 16, 2005 9:09 PM
Subject: Re: Abortion and Liberal Democrats Re: The American
PoliticalLandscape Today


> On Mon, 16 May 2005 20:23:09 -0400, JDG wrote
>
> > If the standard liberal Democratic position is to oppose every one
> > of those restrictions on abortion, then isn't it true that they are
> > defending all abortions from any legalized restriction?
>
> I suppose it does.  But that is dramatically different from "defending
> abortion."  One can defend the legality of abortion without endorsing it.

Which is what I was referring to by saying defend abortions.  It is amazing
how close our language is on this. .  I would have used endorsing abortion
for saying it was inherently a good thing.

Also, by talking about aborition as "reproductive rights" one does defend
it as a fundamental human right....which actually goes beyond simply
defending the legality of it.

Finally, given the fact that I was specifically referring to polls on the
legality of abortion, I still don't see why it was such a stretch to see
that this is what I meant.  I'm always happy to clarify, but I'm not sure
why calling my ideas radical is considered a reasonable way to ask for such
a clarification.  All I did was look at the data and drew a conclusion from
the numbers...while giving others a chance to draw their own conclusion.

>The  fact that something is wrong and undesirable, even horrible, cannot
imply that
> it must be made illegal.

It must not also be the least worse option.  Killing in self defense is
legal for this reason, even for private citizens.

>Otherwise, wouldn't we have to make war illegal, for  example?

Well, if there were an international constitution for a Federated Republic
of the World that supported rights for all and that was backed by the World
Police Force which was backed by the International Guard, then that would
be a reasonable thing to do. In the absence of the ability to enforce such
a law fairly, it is merely words on paper, as WWII showed.

Dan M.


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