cellophanedeity

<snark> The minute a man ejaculates into a woman, he's given her the choice to do what she wants with it. It's not his anymore.</snark>

I tend to believe that in order to properly discuss abortion, you must first discuss what personhood is. I don't value life for life's sake. It's the personhood that creates the value, not the human body.

If you think a collection of human cells makes a person, then I can understand why you'd be against abortion. But, I do not believe this to be the case. I believe that in order for something to be called a person, it must have a story or a concept of self.

I believe a zygote is a collection of cells, not terribly different from individual sperm and eggs. It's beautiful and cosmic and full of potential, but in no way is that tiny bunching of cellular information a person.

The foetus has no connection to "reality" beyond it's mother's womb. It has no memories, no knowledge, no stories, and no perception of self. A feotus is an organism with potential to develop these things, but does not yet have them. Once the feotus hits reality and becomes a baby, it's story has begun. The book is officially titled, and the cover has been cut. That's when it's too late to abort.

The mother has memories and knowledge and story. She has her perception of self, which is drastically altered with the introduction of a new organism developing in her. If the mother decides that a baby would change her personal story in ways she would not like, then she should have the option to abort. Her story is more important than the possibility of stories of a collection of cells.

Just because you'd rather her story go in another direction, doesn't mean that you should have any say. You're writing your own myth and you can do what you want with it.