[SoothingDave]

A fair point. However, my argument remains the same: we have decided to exclude certain things, such as abortion and self-defense, from the definition of "murder."

Legally, yes. Though "we" is a bit vague. Self-defense as a valid excuse comes to us through common law and several millennia of Christian experience.

Abortion came as a proclamation from a court. And it is still very much in dispute.

The Court seemed to have erred in jumping ahead of the consensus, which has had very bad effects on politicising the judiciary and polarizing politics.

SD

[Modernman]

The Court seemed to have erred in jumping ahead of the consensus, which has had very bad effects on politicising the judiciary and polarizing politics.

IMO, Roe. v. Wade is one of the worst legal decisions of the 20th Century. My very liberal, very pro-choice Constitutional Law professor even admitted that it was a poor legal decision, even though she liked the outcome.

Abortion is a pure states-rights issue. The Federal government and the Federal judiciary have no power to ban or legalize the procedure any more than they have the power to regulate state laws regarding tattooing or bodypiercing.