----- Original Message -----
From: John Homan <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 1999 9:51 AM
Subject: Fw: What does the Let's-Silence--Singer camp want?
>
> > > Good morning all> >
> > > There are some elements in this discussion (argument) that bother me.
> > Enough
> > > not to lob a stick of gelignite this time, but to run it past a wiser
> > heads
> > > than mine: yours.
> > >
> > > There seems to be an assumption creeping in that everything we ever
> > wanted
> > > to know about unborn babies, about their bodies and minds, is there
> > for all
> > > to see, and then make a judgement on. In the real, imperfect world I
> > live
> > > in, doctors are punters in suits, and what they tell us are opinions,
> > not
> > > facts, and the opinions are based on /influenced by what they know,
> > their
> > > biases, their assumptions, and whether they suffer a hangover or were
> > held
> > > up in a bad traffic jam on the way to work that morning.
> > >
> > > There also seems to be an assumption that pregnant ladies, confronted
> > with
> > > the facts in a reasonable and rational manner - the way people on the
> > list
> > > like to portray themselves - will then come to a rational decision,
> > based on
> > > facts, pros and cons. This does not take into account that hormonal
> > balances
> > > in the host person have ensured that physically and emotionally the
> > most
> > > important thing to the mother to be is to procreate and save the
> > species
> > > from extinction. This means that no rational decision is possible as
> > > emotional reality is dominant.
> > >
> > > Also I can see no way that a woman will accept that the being in her
> > womb is
> > > anything less than a human being, no matter how imperfect a one.
> > >
> > >thank you for being tolerant and patient with me, rgds John
John
I have heard about these hormones that make people want to procreate. I am
a little suspicious of hormones though. If we believe in this 'will to
procreate' do we also believe that men only have sex for this outcome?
I have seen these same hormones act in a way where after the birth, the
mother would like nothing better than to throw the baby over a balcony (I
saw a friend go through PND and I was just stunned at the potency of the
illness). So much for the survival instinct.
I think I was born without these hormones. I am the recipient of the Judy
Garland gene where rather than worry about procreation, I have an
overwhelming urge to play showtunes and mime to big cabaret numbers.
I do think that the point you make about people (doctors) opinions,
assumptions and facts being a result of their knowledge is important. This
surely makes debate all the more poignant. To have some input into the
knowledge.
Best luck with the tolerance and patience
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