Women's rights shouldn't be either.
We can argue about when life starts but to me it is obvious. It starts when cells start to grow. Cancer is alive. Viruses are alive. Bugs are alive. Cows are alive. And we have no trouble terminating them. Everything that grows is alive. So, of course, fetal cells are alive. Let's not hang our hat on the argument that fetal cells are not alive.
My point is so what.
Literally everyday we kill things that are alive--things that annoy us, things that threaten us, things that feed us, things that protect us...the list is endless. So let's not hang our hats on the argument that we shouldn't be killers. Our entire eco system evolves because all life forms kill to survive.
So the issue is one of importance.
The issue is when do fetal cells become as important or more important than the fully formed woman? I say they are never more important than the woman, and only equal to when they can survive without the womb. But I am not the pregnant woman...she should be the one making these decisions for herself and her life. She is totally capable of making this decision, and, in most cases, the most capable. (I am aware that I haven't included the male contribution because I believe it is small...like dropping a penny into what becomes a multi-million dollar bank account.)
So to me the issue isn't one of life and death. It is solely one of importance. Who is most important? A sentient woman or a cluster of growing cells. Historically the answer has always been in favor of the cells...after all it might become a boy. It is time our society, our religions, our families recognize that women today matter more than tomorrow's potential. And where we matter most today is when we are standing in front of a voting booth.
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