I don't value the life of an organism the size of an aspirin over my life, no. Absolutely not. The only person I have to count on in this life is ME. Sure, I'm married...but anyone who is divorced (half the people who have been married) will tell you you can't count on your spouse for every (any?) thing. Can't count on the family. Can't count on friends...most people will cut and run when the going gets tough. I have to look out for #1. Sorry if that upsets your delicate maternal sensibilities, but that's the way it is for me.
I will try to keep my vinaigrette handy for my hormonal vaporings and swoonings.
You do lay on the tough stuff rather thickly. Methinks you just might be more delicate than I.
My own epiphany came with the quickening--that's all I meant. Then there was the heartbeat, and the sense that I was charged with the responsibility of something important.
I am not exactly sure that all unborn life is ensouled, citizenized, whatever you'd like to call it. That is a metaphysical question that will forever be unanswerable.
But the argument that unborn life MIGHT be fully human is unassailable. The pro-choicers can't make the case that unborn life is completely without humanity. That means, beyond question, that abortion at its very best MIGHT be murder.
Legally speaking, we are required to behave in such a way that we avoid the possiblity of murder, whether we are positive it is really taking place, or not.
This is something Reagan spoke about--his discussion of it compelled me at the time. That we don't know, so we had better be careful of what we do.