First, I would like to say that I find the "prochoice" label obnoxious and a clearly intentional political ploy, as was the claim that "rape is not a sexual crime." I also thought that the Google business and not-so-veiled personal attack on Al was entirely unwarranted.
That said, I cannot understand why, after all these years it is still being concluded that "the true issue at stake is whether that mass of cells is in fact a "life" deserving of protection. If it's not, you ought to be able to choose to do whatever you wish to it. If it is, you shouldn't have the right." The point is not whether or not the fetus is a life. The fetus might well be a life that women ought to be legally permitted to terminate anyway for any number of reasons--self-defense, for example, or the greater good of society (as is the case for deaths taken in war, which are not considered to be murder). I abhor abortion, but I would not want laws passed against it because I think the consequences of such a decision would be severe. It is possible to view abortion as an evil that has resulted inevitably from the way that modern society has evolved--for example, lack of social support to parents--to realize that it is not going to go away, and therefore to not want to create additional problems by making it illegal. This is similar to the strategy of legalizing even dangerous recreational drugs such as tobacco and alcohol which kill millions of people annually, and it is similar to legalizing capital punishment (which I also abhor) and war (which I also abhor). The point is whether abortion should or should not be legal, not whether or not the fetus is a life. We kill people and other sentient beings all the time, and only under certain circumstances do we call it murder. Paul Okami ----- Original Message ----- From: "Al Shealy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, February 25, 2005 6:07 PM Subject: Re: TV/VCR Alert > Karen wrote: > Furthermore, I teach in California and haven't heard of Al Shealy at CSU. > I Googled his name and did not find a direct reference to him or to any > affiliation with CSU. > > Al responds: > Let the witch hunt begin! Have you heard the news? 49 other states have > been admitted to the union. It was in all the papers. I've posted an > affiliation on TIPS before. Since you like googling, I'll let you keep > going. The fact that my affiliation matters to you reveals a lot. > > Then she wrote: > Finally, although I'm strongly prochoice and teach human sexuality, I am > concerned about how to appropriately handle this topic in a general > education class. I'm also wondering how this new National Geographic video > will be received by the public. > > Al responds again: > The reason you are "concerned about how to appropriately handle this > topic" is because you have a conscience. You decide whether you use it. > > Finally she wrote: > The ANTI CHOICE advocates have successfully framed the debate by > repeatedly using the term "antiabortion" instead of antichoice," > > And Al responds: > If you honestly believe this, you are insane. They use the term > "antiabortion" because they are against abortion. I wish I could remember > the book I read a few years ago (written by a prochoice leader). They > explained that the use of the word "choice" was a very carefully planned > strategic move. "Pro choice" sounds good. Any one who is not "pro choice" > must be "anti choice" and therefore evil. It was the "pro choice" crowd > that framed the entire debate. In fact, the true issue at stake is whether > that mass of cells is in fact a "life" deserving of protection. If it's > not, you ought to be able to choose to do whatever you wish to it. If it > is, you shouldn't have the right. So the heart of the issue is not choice, > it's the definition of life. But even college professors with Ph.D.s have > been infected by the framing of the "pro choice" crowd. > > Al > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
