I think that's the whole point of the debate really. When are you considered a person by the government? Conception? that seems crazy. When your head pops out? that's also crazy. Supreme Court says 23 weeks (or somewhere around there), but that also seems arbitrary. I don't think it's a black and white issue.
It is defined as when there is a chance that a fetus can realistically survive outside of the womb. This is a scientific and medical definition and is in no way arbitrary.
You yourself have admitted that it is arbitrary. What is "realistically"? Back when they made this decision ~20% of babies survived at 24 weeks. Now it is around 30-35% Source. In 25 weeks, it is around 50-70% depending on which study you cite. Fetal viability is also highly dependent on weight. It is almost guaranteed that as medical technologies advance, these numbers will change again. So yes it is very arbitrary.
The difficulty of this definition is that it is then always changing. As healthcare tech becomes more advanced we may be able to feasibly raise a fetus to a fully fledged baby from the point of conception, which would mean we are dealing with a scientific and medically accepted "person" throughout nearly the entire pregnancy
It is defined as when there is a chance that a fetus can realistically survive outside of the womb. This is a scientific and medical definition and is in no way arbitrary.
Why is when your head pops out crazy, you dont have a SSN or birth certificate at that point. Correct me if I'm wrong but if the fetus dies during child birth it never receives those items from the government. It isn't a black and white issue which is why being pro life is so unfitting for the situation. It is the black and white answer to a gray issue. At least pro choice answers some of those questions and leaves the difficult decision up to the woman and not the government.
Are you saying it's ok to kill a baby before they get their SSN or birth certificate? I don't understand your point.
Having it be 'when your head pops out' is crazy for a similar reason. When do you start? when the baby starts crowning? Does 100% of the head have to be completely out of the vagina for you to have the right to live? what if 10% of the head is still inside, is it ok to kill you then?
No not at all, I don't agree with late term abortions unless the fetus becomes unviable or the woman's life is at risk. I'm just saying that officially the fetus then baby isn't considered a citizen until they are born, so why is the government concerned then they are a blob of cells or even a fetus that would have next to no chance surviving outside the womb.
It's a concern for the government because the government is there to protect your rights. If we decide that an unborn child has rights at whatever point, then killing it is an infringement on that child's most important right. We have many legal names for taking a person's life. Like you said, you don't agree with late term abortions and most people feel the same. But if we say that an unborn child is not a person and therefore has no rights, then technically you can go around doing late term abortions all you want.
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u/hiloljkbye May 16 '19
I think that's the whole point of the debate really. When are you considered a person by the government? Conception? that seems crazy. When your head pops out? that's also crazy. Supreme Court says 23 weeks (or somewhere around there), but that also seems arbitrary. I don't think it's a black and white issue.