Would you get an abortion if...

[moz4rt]

I found this on acecdotage.com.

Abort?

A noted professor of medicine at the University of California once presented his students with a curious hypothetical question:

"Here's the family history: The father has syphilis, the mother tuberculosis. They have already had four children. The first is blind. The second died. The third is deaf. And the fourth also has tuberculosis.

"Now the mother is pregnant again and the parents have come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion if you think they should. What do you say?"

After a brief discussion, the students were broken into small groups and instructed to return with a decision. Each group recommended an abortion.

"Congratulations," the professor remarked, surveying the class. "You have just taken the life of Beethoven."

 

[Neutrino]

I found this on acecdotage.com.

Abort?

A noted professor of medicine at the University of California once presented his students with a curious hypothetical question:

"Here's the family history: The father has syphilis, the mother tuberculosis. They have already had four children. The first is blind. The second died. The third is deaf. And the fourth also has tuberculosis.

"Now the mother is pregnant again and the parents have come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion if you think they should. What do you say?"

After a brief discussion, the students were broken into small groups and instructed to return with a decision. Each group recommended an abortion.

"Congratulations," the professor remarked, surveying the class. "You have just taken the life of Beethoven."

Yep, I've read that. However, the exact same type of argument can be used to say the baby would have been Hitler, so it doesn't really get you anywhere.

On the issue of abortion I think it should be the decision of the parents and in the end, ultimately the decision of the women carrying the baby. As far as I'm concerned it's nobody elses business.

 

[moz4rt]

Yep, I've read that. However, the exact same type of argument can be used to say the baby would have been Hitler, so it doesn't really get you anywhere.

True, I guess. Stuff like that just makes you think.

 

[CptStern]

or a hitler ...why is it in every one of these hypothetical questions the child always turn out to be beethoven or einstein...he has more of a chance of looking like this than being a genius

 

[Yakuza]

Yep, I've read that. However, the exact same type of argument can be used to say the baby would have been Hitler, so it doesn't really get you anywhere.

On the issue of abortion I think it should be the decision of the parents and in the end, ultimately the decision of the women carrying the baby. As far as I'm concerned it's nobody elses business.

Hell yeah its my buissness. Half of this issue is mine.

Hitlers problem didn't come from birth, it was years of his dads *kicking the hell out of him* that sprung hitler into the man he became.

Hitler was also a realy smart guy, although he was the devil incarnate. :hmph:

 

[CptStern]

now dont be using that old scapegoat "my parents made me do it". Jeffery Dahmer's parents were highly intelligent ...in fact his father has a phd; even in a "normal" enviroment sometimes people go bad

 

[Dedalus]

i have nothing against abortions. no-one's choice but the parent's, and theirs alone.

i like the way Bill Hicks put it (only as accurate as my memory permits) "well if you people don't want these abortions then fine, i'll have this baby. but i'll leave it outside your doorstep so you can raise it since you wanted it so bad."

 

[A2597]

Nice Post, A2597. But dont rant on me with not knowing what Autism is I know someone who has Autism and they can be very violent/demanding at times. I know the parents probably wouldn't have killed him before birth considering the dad is a doctor, but they were having to pay like 5,000 or so dollars a month for his health care. Then the kid went to college and he hit some guy becuase the guy said something to him that was negative, now the medical bills have went up, and he's near being expelled.

Yes you never know what if test the could be true or not, but I dont know if I could take the chance of allowing my kid to live a life where he gets chastised because he/she is special. I don't know if I could live with killing a child, so my decision would probably be no abortion. ;/

I've known one child (Child...goodness...just relized she's turning 16..) even then, they have good and bad days. I know she's had numerous heart surgeries, but she's managed to pull through. Still watches barney all day, and can't eat solid food. (Hot dogs get diced big time).

still, thats one, out of dozens and dozens (Possibly over 100) that I've met.

 

[Neutrino]

Hell yeah its my buissness. Half of this issue is mine.

Hitlers problem didn't come from birth, it was years of his dads *kicking the hell out of him* that sprung hitler into the man he became.

Hitler was also a realy smart guy, although he was the devil incarnate. :hmph:

See, I strongly disagree that it is your business. Are you going to go follow would be parents around and tell them whether or not they can have an abortion and they better do as they're told? The decision to abort is complicated and an incredibly hard decision for people to face. I also think it's a highly personal matter that is only the responsibility of the people involved. So as I said before, I don't think it's anyone's business besides the people directly involved. And in the end it should be up to the women. I don't really get what you mean by, "Half of this issue is mine."

Now about Hitler. Alright, you can definitely make that argument. But then you can also make the argument that Beethoven's success wasn't just due to birth, but was somehow more influenced by his upbringing. Also, there are plenty of people who, "get the hell kicked out of them" yet don't turn into Hitler. Thus you could argue that it is indeed still due to heriditary influences rather than environmental ones. Basically, what I'm saying is that the argument that says you could be ending the life of a genius by aborting doesn't work. No matter how you structure it, it can be turned around to say you'd be ending the life of a mass murderer or similar villian. So that line of argument just doesn't get you anywhere. It only leads you in circles.

 

[not28]

haha, abortion topic turns into a hitler debate. funnay.

 

[palindrome]

I personally do not agree with abortion, and if i knocked up a girl, i would try to convince her to have the child and possibly keep it/adoption. Yet, I also do not think the government (or anyone else for that matter) should restrict it because it is a matter of moral choice. Am I making any sence? Been about 26 hours since sleep!

 

[nofx]

Anyone ever watch that HBO documentary of all thoose kids that get abused, and with thoose abusive mothers. I think its so sad how drugs can do that to people... Also on the documentary there was this part with theese kids in the ghetto and they were telling all theese stories about how their brother got killed, and they have to walk past the spot everyday to school, and how the spot is nothing but a pile of trash.
I think most other kids who cut themselves and are spoiled little britches should watch that andjust appreciate what they have, seriously you don't really realize how good life is to you until you lose something, or see something happen thats a hell of a lot worse.
I also think its so stupid of the mothers who do crack and shit, then whine and complain about how their babies got tooken away by the government and they have to wait till their 18. Now I could totally get this situation if they were working really hard all they can to stay away from the drugs and provide for their child, I think theyd have a reason to weep for the government taking the child away. But for you to do drugs ITS YOUR DECISION not to get help and you whine about how they took your child away just totally pisses me off.
But seriously if you get HBO you should check this documentary out
http://www.hbo.com/apps/schedule/ScheduleServlet?ACTION_DETAIL=DETAIL&FOCUS_ID=573378

Totally off topic .