In what developmental stage of life is a human considered a person with rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? On December 13th of 1971 this very same question was indirectly presented to the United States Supreme Court in the initial oral argument of the Roe v. Wade case, and later in the reargument on October 11th of 1972. The case involved Norma McCorvey, known as Jane Roe during the trial; Roe’s attorney, Sarah Weddington and Linda Coffee; the defendant and –then– district attorney of Dallas County, Henry Wade; and Wade’s representatives Jay Floyd and Robert Flowers. Roe sued Wade for enforcing Texas anti-abortion laws that she hoped the Justices would find unconstitutional. It was stated by Weddington and Coffee that the
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When it comes to rape, in our society today, we teach women that what was done to them was not their fault. We should also teach these women that although the child was conceived through an act that will continue to be an uncomfortable memory to them, it is not the fault of the fetus either. Incestuous rape falls underneath the category of rape, but just incest in itself does not. If incest was committed, it is more than likely that there was consent from both parties, in which case they should have been aware of the consequences of their own actions. It is important to remember that the woman “makes her choice prior to the time she becomes pregnant. That is the time of the choice”, and the same goes for the man (Roe v. Wade, Floyd). A person should not be denied the right to live just because they will not be taken care of due to their own parent’s unwillingness to do so. If a parent truly loves their child, they will give that child’s happiness, even if they have to suffer a little themselves. When it comes to the mother’s health, then it can be the joint choice of both parents, a certified physician, and possibly immediate family as to if the child should be given a chance to live. Only then is it the right of the mother to have a say in what can be done to her and her child.
What constitutes personhood? The true definition of a person is purely philosophical and moral. Doctors in philosophy could argue day and night on the plethora of definitions of a person. Many philosophers have even tried to come up with criteria with which to say what is a person and what is not. Mary Anne Warren was a writer and philosophy professor, known for her work on abortion, the most noted writing being the article, On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion. In the article, Warren
When it comes to rape, in our society today, we teach women that what was done to them was not their fault. We should also teach these women that although the child was conceived through an act that will continue to be an uncomfortable memory to them, it is not the fault of the fetus either. Incestuous rape falls underneath the category of rape, but just incest in itself does not. If incest was committed, it is more than likely that there was consent from both parties, in which case they should have been aware of the consequences of their own actions. It is important to remember that the woman “makes her choice prior to the time she becomes pregnant. That is the time of the choice”, and the same goes for the man (Roe v. Wade, Floyd). A person should not be denied the right to live just because they will not be taken care of due to their own parent’s unwillingness to do so. If a parent truly loves their child, they will give that child’s happiness, even if they have to suffer a little themselves. When it comes to the mother’s health, then it can be the joint choice of both parents, a certified physician, and possibly immediate family as to if the child should be given a chance to live. Only then is it the right of the mother to have a say in what can be done to her and her child.
What constitutes personhood? The true definition of a person is purely philosophical and moral. Doctors in philosophy could argue day and night on the plethora of definitions of a person. Many philosophers have even tried to come up with criteria with which to say what is a person and what is not. Mary Anne Warren was a writer and philosophy professor, known for her work on abortion, the most noted writing being the article, On the Moral and Legal Status of Abortion. In the article, Warren