Charlie’s House

No Right Answer

Someday, I might run for political office. If I ever do, one of the questions I’m dreading is: am I pro-choice or pro-life.

First, I’m a guy so I feel that I’m completely unqualified to answer the pro-choice/pro-life argument. I’ll never have to deal with either being pregnant or getting an abortion. Unfortunately, if I go into politics I won’t have the option of bowing out.

If I’m ever asked this question, maybe I’ll answer: “Do you mean am I in favor of killing babies or in favor or restricting a woman’s right to medical treatment?” It’s a sad state when your only options are “bad” and “worse.” We, as thinking rational adults should never have let the argument get framed this way. The right answer is to never get yourself in a situation where you have to choose between evil and evil-er. But it is far too late for that. Politicians can only chose one polarizing, evil option or the other.

The reason the question is framed this way is because it really isn’t about a medical procedure called “abortion.” The question is really: “when is a human being a human being.”

If a fetus is a person at conception, then the mother is legally responsible for any action she takes that affects the fetus. In our legal system she is legally responsible for the un-intended consequences of her choices. A woman could therefore be convicted of manslaughter for going drinking with her friends, even if she doesn’t know she’s pregnant. At a minimum she could be held responsible for child abuse/neglect.

If a fetus is not a person, when does the fetus become a person with human rights? At birth? At 18? At 21? No matter where the line is drawn, it’s going to be arbitrary and people are going to be unhappy.

If forced to choose, I’d have to go with a fetus is a minor person after 3 months of gestation. Many fetuses are aborted naturally prior to this point. The mother should have an idea that she might be pregnant at this point too. My understanding is that brain wave activity has started in the fetus at this point too. After 3 months gestation the child has the same rights as a minor citizen and the mother becomes responsible for the care of her child, and any criminal action taken against the mother also applies to the child. Ergo: battering a pregnant woman = two counts of battery. After birth, both parents are responsible for the care of the child.

Of course, such an opinion would never pass muster with either camp and would be perceived as waffling by both sides.

I guess that means I’ll never be elected to public office. Whew!