From: "Dave Coull" <davecoull-AT-uka.co.uk>
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 1999 16:29:11 +0000
Subject: Re: This Whole Abortion Debate...


Michael wrote

>it's amazing that we have such a difference in viewpoints
>amongst anarchists on this issue.  

Why is it amazing ? 

I would find it amazing if there was agreement !

>But in any case, can we please agree on the following issues?

Old Goat has already said "no" in answer to this question,
so apparenttly we  _can't_  all agree. But here are my personal
responses

>1.  Abortion is not a good thing.  

Agreed

	>Nobody (at least I hope) would
       >advocate abortion as a positive action that should 
	>be performed as much as possible.
  
I agree with your expression of hope about this

> 2.  Our society has created a number of social/economic 
>circumstances that makes abortion a much more necessary 
>option than it should be.

Agreed  
   
>3.  It is not feasible to rid ourselves of abortion, it is much more 
>       feasible to push for greater social, political, and economic
>       freedoms, so that young mothers are not forced towards 
>	  this last resort.

I pretty much agree with that

>4.  It is not the role of the state to dictate the morality 
>	of abortion.

>From an anarchist point of view it is sheer hypocrisy
for the state to dictate the morality of  _anything_

>5.  Pro-life fanatics who kill doctors are, along with being 
	fascist psychopaths, a perfect example of the sickening 
	irony of our society.
   
You mean because there is a contradiction between being
pro-life and killing ?  I think you could be on dodgy ground 
there. To resurrect an old problem, if somebody was about
to push the button that would start an all-out thermonuclear
war, should a person who preaches non-violence be prepared 
to kill him? My answer to that question has always been 
an unhesitating "yes, of course". From the point of view
of some of the more fanatical pro-life activists, they can 
save more lives by killing this one person. Personally, I think 
they're wrong ; if you're prepared to carry out assassination, 
I can think of lots of better targets than abortionist doctors. 
But neither am I prepared to hail such doctors as heroes.

   Dave