![]() ![]() Neither a sperm and egg separately, nor a fertilized egg, is more than a potential baby or a potential adult. Development into a baby is by no means guaranteed. But most fertilized eggs are spontaneously miscarried. ![]() Under certain circumstances, after fertilization, they can develop into a baby. A sperm and an unfertilized egg jointly comprise the full genetic blueprint for a human being. But not, so far as we know, among humans. In some animals, an egg develops into a healthy adult without benefit of a sperm cell. ![]() However, it could be argued that neither is a fertilized egg. Every human sperm and egg is, beyond the shadow of a doubt, alive. Nor does human life begin at conception: It is an unbroken chain dating back to the origin of our species, hundreds of thousands of years ago. So they too, like pro-choicers, must decide what distinguishes a human being from other animals and when, during gestation, the uniquely human qualities-whatever they are-emerge.ĭespite many claims to the contrary, life does not begin at conception: It is an unbroken chain that stretches back nearly to the origin of the Earth, 4.6 billion years ago. Those who assert a "right to life" are for (at most) not just any kind of life, but for-particularly and uniquely-human life. What is (allegedly) protected is not life, but human life.Īnd even with that protection, casual murder is an urban commonplace, and we wage “conventional” wars with tolls so terrible that we are, most of us, afraid to consider them very deeply… That protection, that right to life, eludes the 40,000 children under five who die on our planet each day from preventable starvation, dehydration, disease, and neglect. ![]() All these beasts and vegetables are as alive as we. There is no right to life in any society on Earth today, nor has there been at any former time… : We raise farm animals for slaughter destroy forests pollute rivers and lakes until no fish can live there kill deer and elk for sport, leopards for the pelts, and whales for fertilizer entrap dolphins, gasping and writhing, in great tuna nets club seal pups to death and render a species extinct every day. For the complete text, including illustrations, introductory quote, footnotes, and commentary on the reaction to the originally published article see Billions and Billions. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |