Do you know families unfortunate enough to have one of these psychopaths? We do.
This isn’t like retardation or some physical deformity. It is a demon in human form who only destroys everything they come into contact with. Is it more moral to allow them to be born, allow them to wreck havoc, destroy others and then be incarcerated and maybe executed?
Hard questions, IMO.
I think there’s a “Moral Absolutes” thread here. This would be a good thing for them to discuss.
Have a nephew, who by the time he turned 7, convinced me he’d be in prison or dead by his 20th birthday. He turned to murder by 17, so heinous he was tried as an adult. He’s now serving life. Hope they don’t let him out.
Demon in human form is RIGHT. I've worked with psychopaths, and the words people used to describe them were "predator", "soulless", "vampire", and yes, "demon". Those damn predator eyes they have give me the creeps.
Not all psychopaths end up committing crimes and going to prison, although a disproportionate number of prisoners are psychopaths. Many psychopaths observe that people respond to emotions, and use that to further their personal goals.
I’ve always believed that Bill Clinton is a psychopath.
I definitely understand the questions you are asking. They are hard, indeed.
In my thinking, aborting a confirmed psychopathic-brained-fetus would be hard to justify if one is at all pro-life. Aborting the pregnancy on the grounds that the baby could grow up to be a serial killer and bring grief to the parents and society sounds frighteningly close to the arguments about unborn Down’s babies (minus the whole serial killer thing).
Either we all have a right to life, or we don’t.
Furthermore, can you punish someone for a crime which they have not yet committed? I highly recommend watching the movie Minority Report, it is very thought provoking.
If our legal system says innocent until proven guilty, that applies to psychopaths too, and if it is that way in the courts then it should be in the womb, too.
The question you ask is valid, but the pain/suffering of the parents and the potential burden on society arguments are tenuous, especially if you are pro-life.
In my opinion, it is wrong to kill a baby based on the fact that their brain structure suggests that they will probably be serial killers. The death penalty is reserved for offenders, not potential offenders.