Abortion and Women's Rights

[John V]

Actually, infants do "think" as do animals. The thoughts may be simple (I'm tired, I'm hungry, I'm wet, etc.) but they are "thoughts".

There's no evidence that a fetus thinks prior to week 21. It's after week 21 when brain development begins. It's also after this point that the fetus shows signs of awareness, such as reactions to loud noises. After week 21, there is some question as to when thinking and self-awareness begins. I'll leave the specifics to biologists but I use week 21 as a conservative placement of a benchmark.

Getting to my take on the abortion issue, the anti-abortion crowd can talk about fingerprints and heartbeats all they like. Without the brain, as we say in Kentucky, "there's no there there". 91% of abortions happen during the 1st trimester, well before week 21. The laws we have on the book now make it next to impossible to get an abortion after week 21. The mother's life has to be in danger.

Your opinion that life begins with brain activity is noted. IMO, we consider DNA as an identifier of a person, and DNA is determined at conception. Without DNA, there's no there there either. Same with a heartbeat.

When I was "pro-life", I advocated getting religion, sex and gender out of the discussion as distractions and focus on the core issue of "person A's right to life vs. person B's right to choice". At the time, I concluded that person A's right to life trumps person B's right to choice. Since I have studied fetal development, I've discovered there is no "person A". Left only with person B's right to choice, which was never in dispute as far as I was concerned, I've been pro-choice ever since.

You act as if you made a discovery of an objective fact. You didn't. The factors that determine personhood are a matter of opinion.

A bit debatable. If you claim you are against abortion except in cases of rape but in reality your objective is to ban ALL abortions whether the fetus was conceived during rape or no, it's a bit dishonest.

I didn't claim I'm against abortion except in cases of rape. I clearly noted that the rape exception is for me a practical concession or compromise.

Now, if you're saying that your objective is to ban all abortions even in cases of rape, then you'd be fully honest.

No, that wouldn't be honest, as I don't have an objective. I have a moral position.

Advocating for the execution of all children conceived in rape strikes me as genocidal.

Maybe...but I haven't advocated the execution of all children conceived in rape.

Rampant AI commented how sex education and birth control are the most effective ways of decreasing abortion. Do you advocate for these things?

I have no problems with sex education and birth control.