At what point does a fetus deserve basic human rights?

Question

I'm curious what pro-choicers feel about this. I've heard the argument made that the mother has the right to decide whether to end her pregnancy because its her body.

1. Does the pro-choicer believe that a fetus is a human? Does it depend on the stage of development? What about once the fetus has its own brain waves at around 40 days?

2. If the pro-choicer does believe the fetus is human at some point in the pregnancy, why is the mantra "the mother's right to choose because its her body" totally ignore the fetus' body?

3. Does the pro-choicer believe because the fetus is totally dependent on and inside of the mother's body, she has the right to end his/her (the fetus') life?

4. If so, where do we draw the line? Would it be the mother's right to choose to kill an infant while it is still totally dependent on the mother, with the only difference being that it is now able to be seen since it is now outside of the mother?

The notion of choice is elevated to such a level that pro-choicers rarely address the issue of what's at stake unless the issue is forced upon them. If you're busy in the kitchen and your child comes to you and says, "can I kill this?" probably your first question is going to be, "well, what is it?". You don't consider the child's importance of freedom of choice to supercede what it is the child is wanting to kill. So why don't we drop the whole thing about "the right to choose" and focus our energies on what's being terminated; a human or a non-human. Law always, and rightly so, restricts our choices to what is appropriate and to what does not harm others.

Answer 1

My opinion after 10 weeks ( approx 3 months).

I live in Portugal and the abortion time is until 3 months because doctors say it's when they start do feel.

I think that by the time they do it they're already one of us, because they start to develop themselves and we can feel their moves.

Answer 2

"its my body" may be true. but this irresponsible self-centred selfish so called mother doesn't understand that there's something innocent in all this. it may  just be a fetus or a "few cells" but they are ending the EXISTENCE of somebody, all because they made the stupid mistake at doing something they had not planned on happening. the reason why i'm against this is because women seem to think that Abortion is the back up plan, "OOPS i'm pregnant, its abortion time!!!" they just go to the clinic as if its no big deal. there are dozens of women who WISH!!!!!! they could give birth and then you got these crazy women who would rather stick needles and hangers up their body just to get the easy way out instead of taking FULL responsibility for their actions like a GROWN adult SHOULD do.

Answer 3

well this is a hard question

cause when the human infant is born it is sort of  helpless already even though it's alive, it relies on its mama to feed it and cloth it etc

but after a couple of weeks the embryo does have a heart beat

i really don't like abortion at all!  but if someone told me they got an abortion i wouldn't like bite their head off about it because it's not my life nor is it any of my business

but i know that if i were to ever get pregnant i would never get an abortion i would keep the baby cause a life is a gift!

so technically if you get an abortion your not giving the baby a chance to live.

but i say as soon as the heart starts beating the baby should be given some justice

Answer 4

When it can live on its own.

Whether that be 7 months, or 9 months.

But when it can't, it doesn't live.

Pro-choice and pro-life supports are too black in white.

What if your baby had a terminal illness? Down's Syndrome?

Would you LET your child suffer?

And why would I be in the kitchen? Just curious...

Answer 5

I am pro choice. I do not LIKE the thought of abortion, and I do believe that a fetus is human. However, when something is living inside another person (a parasite), the person should ultimately have the choice as to whether or not to remove it. I look at it as termination of a pregnancy, rather than murder, per se. You have to also look at exactly what you are asking a woman to do by being pregnant and giving birth. Babies are not like trees, something you can just water once a day and walk away from.

Now, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable by saying this but I was sexually abused when I was 15 years old. Due to this, I am unable to have any medical procedures that require me to expose myself, for example a pap smear. The emotional pain is far to great, and I ended up reliving the event for a month almost non stop (the one time I tried). Can you imagine what it would do to my mind to have my genitals torn open infront of a group of stangers, because I do not have rights enough to my own body to end the existance of a parasite that lived within it? And my example is just one of many, so I hope this answer gives you some insight.