Call to Action

As we approach the year two thousand and ten, we approach the year of the Personhood Amendment. With activity in 32 states, at least one is likely to pass, but fight vigorously anyway to make sure.

But don't let this very important issue mak e you loose track of the bigger picture. Fight for the unborn, yes, but also fight for the poor, the young, the old, the gay, women, et cetera. Fight for free speech, freedom of religion, for the separation of church and state, for school reform, for a more reasonable language (Esperanto), for a more reasonable numeral system (dozenal), and for logical arguments.

Fight against euphemisms, restrictions on freedom, and unequal treatment.

Lighting a fire under the anti-abortion movement

I've always been opposed to abortion intellectually, but things like the Grantham Collection and Justice [f]or All exhibit have really got me invested emotionally.

WARNING: Graphic images. But remember that this is common, completely legal, and defended vigorously by many well-meaning people.

Holy ****!

A loophole in state law is preventing Campbell County investigators from charging a woman they say killed her newborn baby.

Deputies were called to a home in the 1200 block of Lone Jack Road in Rustburg around 11:00a.m. Friday. The caller said a woman in her early 20s was in labor. When deputies arrived, they discovered the baby had actually been born around 1:00a.m., about ten hours earlier. Investigators say the baby was already dead when deputies got there.

Investigators tell WSLS the baby's airway was still blocked. They say the baby was under bedding and had been suffocated by her mother. Investigators say because the mother and baby were still connected by the umbilical cord and placenta, state law does not consider the baby to be a separate life. Therefore, the mother cannot be charged.

"In the state of Virginia as long as the umbilical cord is attached and the placenta is still in the mother, if the baby comes out alive the mother can do whatever she wants to with that baby to kill it.", says Investigator Tracy Emerson. "She could shoot the baby, stab the baby. As long as it's still
attached to her in some form by umbilical cord or something it's no crime in the state of Virginia."

The Campbell County Sheriff's Office and Commonwealth's Attorney's office worked unsuccessfully to get the law changed after another baby died in the county in a similar case. Emerson says they asked two delegates and one state senator to take the issue up in the General Assembly. He says the three lawmakers refused because they felt the issue was too close to the abortion issue.

Emerson tells us there's a double standard with the law. If someone other than the mother harms a baby still attached to the mother, that person can be charged.

The baby's grandmother was home and was the one who called 911. Police say she will not be charged because the baby was born in the middle of the night and the grandmother did not know until late morning. Investigators tell us the baby's father was upset when he showed up at the home after deputies.

"He was very upset. I think the grandparents were upset. I believe everyone was upset, except for the person who should have been upset, the mother.", says Emerson.

Emerson tells us the woman knew she was pregnant and had received prenatal care. He says the baby was full-term, due Tuesday. The medical examiner says the baby was born healthy. An autopsy is being performed. The baby's body will then be released to the family.

Link

Volition

I'd embed it here, but it's too wide, so here's the link.

Socialist Stupidity? Say it ain't so!

Zygotes are not eggs, and I clarified this in my first post, but this is the first time I have ever seen an embryo or fetus called an "egg".

They then go on to commit the sperm fallacy and quote a stupid argument debunked a thousand times.

Seriously, I think that five halves of my braincells died wen me reed funee articpdsalkfcdkddfffffffvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv...

Amendment XXVIII

This was pretty verbose, so I give you...

1. Within the United States, and any place subject to their jurisdiction, membership in the human species shall be deemed a necessary and sufficient qualification for the status of personhood.

2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

"Wait, there's a debate over ______?": prenaticide

I've explained why abortion is not a reproductive right, why it's not a privacy right, why "the right to choose" is meaningless, what abortion actually is, and why prenatal rights do not mean female slavery. I have dissected the "tubesock holocaust" absurdity. I have explained how the unborn cannot be blamed. I have answered rhetorical questions. I have debunked Roebotic propaganda.

Abortion is not a medical procedure because medicine is the art and science of healing, and thus abortion is antithetical to health care.

I've grappled with the dumbest. I've debunked numerous fallacious arguments. I've gotten very mad. I've called upon you.

Now, as we reach the end of this experiment and into the year two thousand and ten, I hope I've changed at least one person's mind, or inspired one person to action. Because if this blog saves a single life and spares a single set of parents from grief, it was all worth it.

Opposition to justice for Baby Velez

This kind of thing makes me struggle to not call the pro-abortion camp "anti-life". When they fight tooth-and-nail against things like the Unborn Victims of Violence Act or expanding health care to the unborn or even allowing pregnant mothers to use deadly force in defense of their unborn children, they loose a lot of credibility.

Correction

The Personhood Movement is active in 32 states, not 37. Sorry.

True and sad.

Baby Velez

Read this article then come back.

Now, instead of addressing the humanity of the unborn, the author tries to go on a red herring tangent and address the logistical problems of listing an unborn child in a list of victims. Because the sex of the child is unknown, and the child lacks a name, Malusinka argues, he or she is not a person.

Anybody with half a brain can see why that doesn't make sense, but I know that an entire half brain is too much to expect from some people, so I will go into detail.

First of all, parents are typically given a number of days after birth to decide on a name for their baby. Does an unnamed newborn not have any rights? Of course (s)he does.

We know nothing about many casualties of war. Were those incinerated by atomic bombs never persons because we don't know their sexes? Does the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier house the remains of non-persons? Were their deaths meaningless? Of course not.

Now, on to the issue of the deaths of people not counted in the population. Again, registration of infants doesn't always happen at the instant of birth. And what about someone the census didn't count for some other reason, whether they be homeless or immigrants or visitors? Historically, was the death of a slave only three fifths of a tragedy?

...or, you could just list the names of the victims and add "and Velez's unborn child".

EDIT: The victim of the Virginia infanticide case had no name and was not yet registered. Does that mean it was okay?

Post-viability

Some people believe abortion should be allowed until the moment of birth. I would like a justification, in the comments section, of why a 35-week fetus in the womb has less rights than a 30-week premature baby.

EDIT: Having chatted with some people, I have gotten an answer. They say it's so she doesn't have to give birth.

The problem with this is (unless she's gonna stay pregnant forever) that the only thing left to decide is if the baby will be born dead or alive.

Essentially, the baby can be killed to make birth easier.

:facepalm:

Fluffy Language

Any position can be made to sound good by dressing it up and dancing around the issue and insulting the opposition.

Those against gay rights speak of "defending marriage" and "protecting children" and "supporting traditional marriage".

Those against youth rights speak of "for their own good" and "parental rights" and "protecting children".

Those against prenatal rights speak of "women's reproductive rights" and "no forced parenthood" and "every child a wanted child" and "deciding whether and when to reproduce" and "Get your laws off my body!" and "Against abortion? Don't have one!".

Those in favor of slavery spoke of "property rights" and "privacy" and "constitutional protections" and "legislating morality".

Those in favor of rape speak of "men's sexual rights" and "no forced celibacy" and "opposing rape is telling those conceived of rape they should not exist" and "the right to one's own penis" and "Get your laws off my body!" and "Do not force your morality upon others!" and "If you are against rape, you are free not to rape anyone.".

Okay, I made that last one up but you get the point. I believe that the personhood movement will ultimately succeed because it forces people to look at the essential issue: Do all human beings deserve human rights?

Amnesty International

In September, the Dominican Republic just enshrined the right to life in its constitution.

Wanna know how "human rights group" Amnesty International responded?

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DELIVERS "HUGE BLOW" TO WOMEN'S RIGHT TO LIFE

Yes, they said that it violated itself.

I'm thankful for...

Today's issue on NationStates.

Nulono Decides: Much Ado About Abortion

The Issue

A monstrous debate between pro-life and pro-choice groups has erupted after a high-profile case of a pregnant woman aborting her foetus because she 'didn't feel like it' hit the tabloids.

The Debate

1. Johann Mombota, lawyer for the woman known only as Miss X, says, "It is Miss X's right to choose! It's her body; she can do whatever she wants with it. In the interest of women's rights, abortion MUST be legal throughout the country!"
   
   
   
2. "I most vehemently disagree," says Miranda Shiomi, a pro-life activist. "I'm all for women's rights in general, but what about the child? Does it have no rights either? Abortion is totally immoral and I insist that it be outlawed except in cases of rape, or when the mother's life is in danger."
   
   
   
3. "You're not going far enough! Abortion is murder!" shouts Reverend Zeke Wall, waving a placard with a picture of a foetus on it. "God decides which babies live and which will die, not us! The government must maintain a stern anti-abortion stance to preserve the morality of Nulono!"
   
   This is the position your government is preparing to adopt.
   
   
4. "Abortion has to be legal if we're going to last as a nation," says Fleur Broadside, President of the Society of Bitter Old People. "Have you ever thought that with Nulono's growing population of 563 million, we soon aren't going to be able to squeeze any more people within our borders? If we use abortion to control the population, we'll make great savings and can spend the money elsewhere. One child per family should just about do it I think. Extraneous ones can be sold to other countries."
   

The Government Position

The government has indicated its intention to follow the recommendations of Option 3.

If you wish, you may:

Personhood Movement

Go here to find out how to protect human rights in your state. PersonhoodUSA may be a Christian organization, but personhood is a secular cause. Dr. King was a reverend. The abolitionists used religion in their arguments.

Hypocrisy

This isn't a substantial argument, and it's sort of overused, but it's something that's been bothering me.

In a normal pregnancy, you hear things like "How's the baby?", "The baby's due on July 8th.", "She's kicking!", or "He's very healthy.". If someone kills a "wanted" prenate, you hear "He killed the baby!". (Though some people in the hardcore pro-abortion camp won't do this).

But if we're pondering prenaticide, there's a huge switch to the abstract. There's talk about "terminating the pregnancy", or "removing the products of conception", or, in the case of multiples, "reducing the fetuses".

There's a huge attempt to dance around the issue. There's references to "choice", and "reproductive rights", and "controlling one's fertility".

Just sayin'.

A Little Perspective

☹=15000 deaths per year

Lack of health insurance:
☹☹☹

Abortion:
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Twitter

PersonhoodUSA is going beyond its mission on Twitter and has become the illegitimate child of ALL and the Libertarian Party. I'll be giving them a talking to.

Thanks, ALL!

I've always seen the American Life League as the PETA of the anti-abortion movement, with their anti-sex agenda, but they actually saved me some trouble by fisking a video I'd been meaning to get to.