If one believes that society should look the other way and permit an unborn baby to be deliberately killed for the sole reason that she has a disability (or for the sole reason that she is female), so be it. But that person should know that their stance tends to diminish anything else they may want to say about human rights or protecting the vulnerable.

You’re the one who thinks a zygote is a person.

Why do women have to suffer for your beliefs about a zygote? We can talk when no man ever forces himself on a woman and when every man who doesn’t wish to father a child either uses contraception or has a vasectomy. Or, medical science can arrange for the man to carry the child for nine months, give birth to it through his penis, suckle it for months or years, and generally be responsible for it for at least 18 years.

Everyone thinks a woman who abandons her child is a monster. Thousands of men abandon their children every day, then complain about paying to look after them because the mother is getting the money. As with so much, there’s a double standard.

Abortion is legal, not compulsory. No one has to have an abortion. Not everyone believes as you do. If you and your wife/partner choose not to have an abortion whatever the circumstances, that’s fine. It’s not up to you to make that decision for others. You act like every woman who has an abortion does it easily. They do not. It is an extremely difficult decision.

Further, using contraception does not mean that you won’t get pregnant. Sometimes it doesn’t work even though the couple concerned is being responsible. They should have the option to have an abortion if they choose.

“You think [the right to life] begins at conception because you think a zygote has a soul…”

No, you don’t have to believe in a soul. The development of every unique individual living person begins at the beginning, at conception, so that’s as logical a starting point as any. If one is going to propose that the right to life should begin at a later stage of development, it’s reasonable to ask on what basis.

“How do you explain all those miscarriages…”

Natural death occurs at all stages of life. We’re not talking about natural death, but rather a direct, intentional, and avoidable taking of life.

“And you are prepared to make an exception for rape and incest…”

If a hundred people are trapped in a burning building, and only 99 can be rescued, it is better to rescue the 99 than let everyone perish.

“The faster you realize this is all about controlling women, the better.”

Or the sooner we can have honest dialog, the better.

Having said that, there is still an attitude that poor people deserve it amongst many. I’ve heard some pretty hateful attitudes expressed, especially from conservative Libertarians.

Sorry I got the quote wrong.

I beg you, I beseech you, I implore you: Please get the facts straight and resist the temptation to pass along hateful disinformation from fake media.

Sen. Hatch is an original author of the CHIP program. Here’s what he actually said:

“Nobody believes in the CHIP program more than I. I invented it….I happen to think CHIP has done a terrific job for for people who really needed the help. I have taken the position around here my whole Senate service. I believe in helping those who cannot help themselves but would if they could….We’re going to get CHIP through. There is no question about that. I’m going to see that it gets through.”

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2017/dec/05/context-orrin-hatchs-comments-about-chip-people-wh/

It’s about where the right to life begins. My opinion is that the right begins at birth. You think it begins at conception because you think a zygote has a soul, which is something completely made up by religion.

How do you explain all those miscarriages that happened before women even knew they were pregnant, and women don’t even know are miscarriages? God changing his mind? And you are prepared to make an exception for rape and incest – are you happy to override God’s bad decision in those circumstances?

The faster you realize this is all about controlling women, the better.

And I find the GOP platform on this subject disgusting. It is anti-choice in ALL circumstances, including rape and incest. However, once a baby is born, most of the current crop support nothing that will help the baby live. That complete a$$hole Orin Hatch evrn made a speech a few days ago saying letting the CHP funding expire was the right thing to do because why should they help people who won’t help themselves. FFS! How callous can you get? This attitude that people are poor because they deserve to be comes straight from religion and is possibly the #1 thing wrong with your country.

@MarkR: “Only technology has allowed a premature baby to live”
-Same is true in many situations, e.g., victims of accident or heart attack.

“And babies aren’t self-conscious until 18-24 months of life. What are the implications of that?”
-More evidence that personal development is one continuous process.

“no religious tenet needed”
-You don’t need to agree on religious tenets in order to define and defend the right to life.

“Some idiots actually think women should be punished for a miscarriage.”
-Rubbish. Source?

Only technology has allowed a premature baby to live without the mother, even if the baby is not sharing the mother’s blood and organ function. Lungs are the biggest problem…not needed until born, even if the baby is independent of the mother’s functions. Among many other problems is the lack of the sucking/swallowing reflex. This is only mitigated by modern technology. So again, mankind is responsible for the success of premature babies; no god needed, thus no religious tenet needed. And babies aren’t self-conscious until 18-24 months of life. What are the implications of that?

This is also important to know for those who would ban abortions.

Among women who know they are pregnant, the miscarriage rate is roughly 10% to 20%, while rates among all fertilized zygotes are around 30% to 50%. The precise rate is not known because a large number of miscarriages occur before pregnancies become established and before the woman is aware they are pregnant.

Some idiots actually think women should be punished for a miscarriage. Another stark example of how reality does’t mesh with religion.

Linda, I read your reply a couple of times and I don’t find an actual rebuttal of the proposition that if “we as a society [should] not abandon people in need”, then we as a society should prevent direct, intentional, and avoidable killing, even of the disabled.