The July 11 letter arguing that abortion is not murder because “a human does not come into being until it is independent of that from which it came” is lacking in understanding of logic, law and science.
The letter invokes the “viability” argument used in Roe v. Wade, a criterion recognized by many as intrinsically flawed. For example, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor wrote in her dissent to the Arkon Supreme Court case:
“In Roe, the Court held that … although the State had an important and legitimate interest in protecting potential life, that interest could not become compelling until the point at which the fetus was viable. The difficulty with this analysis is clear: potential life is no less potential in the first weeks of pregnancy than it is at viability or afterward. At any stage in pregnancy, there is the potential for human life. …The choice of viability as the point at which the state interest in potential life becomes compelling is no less arbitrary than choosing any point before viability or any point afterward. Accordingly, I believe that the State’s interest in protecting potential human life exists throughout the pregnancy.”
Viability is a measure of technology. When Roe was decided, “viability” was 24-28 weeks. It is now 20-25 weeks. Fetal development has not changed. Rather, technology has advanced. What happens if we achieve a “Brave New World” capability to grow children outside the womb completely?
The womb is the natural environment for all nascent mammalian life. To state that something cannot “come into being” because it cannot live outside its natural environment is logically absurd. Any adult human suddenly placed in an unnatural environment (say one without air), would quickly become nonviable, but no less human.
“You are you” from the moment of fertilization. The fact that a human is at a very early stage of physical development does not negate his or her intrinsic value.
Charles D. Dern lives in Plumstead.
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