Roe v. Wade: Freedom to define one’s path by Amy Williams
Posted By Amy Williams on January 22, 2010
For me, it is a gut instinct that a woman, and those she chooses to include in the decision, should determine whether she carries an embryo through to birth. Does life start at conception? Maybe it does, but that life is not more important than the one that carries it. The life that chooses whether to carry it has already established goals, felt fear, started to know who she is. She should retain the right to determine, to the extent she can, her own path.
I have heard the argument that women who abort often regret their decision. I wonder how many who have not aborted regret theirs. Regrets are a part of the freedom to make a decision. Just because some have regrets is not justification to eliminate the chance to decide.
…but that life is not more important than the one that carries it.
What’s your criteria for ranking some lives more important than others?
I cannot determine which life is more important. Each individual pregnant women must rely on her own wisdom to determine whether to continue to carry. It is not up to a third party’s criteria–yours or mine.
Cop out
How should a mother decide? Genetic tests? This child good? this one not? If your willing to tell people they can rank life, you better offer them some help sorting it out.
Otherwise best remain silent than offer such a dreadful system.
Your question presupposes that there can exist a set of considerations that should be applied to each individual. I disagree. Two individuals faced with the same decision and identical circumstances are going to weigh their considerations differently, and one may have some considerations that the other person does not share because they have different histories, beliefs and values. It is not possible to prepare an adequate list of considerations without actually being the individual making the decision.