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“The only way the 14th wouldn’t apply is if someone made the ludicrous argument that a baby is not a person.”

The question of whether a fetus is a person, or at what point it becomes one, is the only true (or at least, honest) question in this debate; and it isn’t entirely ludicrous.

In the absence of external morality, there is no real reason why a fetus should be considered a person. It lacks every characteristic we associate with individuality and personhood, except possibly consciousness at a late stage. No self-awareness, no higher cognitive function, no ability to communicate, no capacity for self-motivated action. It takes external morality to view an embryo as any more a “person” than any other unicellular organism.

You have been deceived. Allow me to help you find truth. Let's go to the tape:

In the absence of external morality,

First, there is no reason that external morality should be eliminated from this discussion or the legal debate. We apply external morality all the time as part of our government in a free nation.

Second, the only thing that makes an abortion a legal procedure is external morality. Some bags of garbage in black robes decided with their external morality (and those of ancient pre-science civilizations, see Blackmun's ruling in Roe vs. Wade) that a fetus is not a baby. Prior to that, external morality in most states (and every state up until the 1960's) held that a fetus was a person. I wonder what they knew that you don't?

Third, external morality is the only thing keeping any of us alive. Our external morality has determined that no one has the right to kill you. As I will show below, it is only your size that is saving you right now, otherwise anybody could whack you, take your stuff and call it their right to choose.

Fourth, the word fetus means offspring. The offspring of two humans would not be a fish, a baboon or a Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail, but a HUMAN BEING.

It lacks every characteristic we associate with individuality and personhood, except possibly consciousness at a late stage. No self-awareness, no higher cognitive function, no ability to communicate, no capacity for self-motivated action.

That would be a really great point if it had anything to do with reality. First, take a look at this fetal development timeline, which only deals with physical stuff and is not from a pro-life source. You might also want to view "In the Womb" (produced by National Geographic) or read "A Child is Born" by Lennart Nilsson. Both should be available from your local library, on interlibrary loan if they don't have it in.

I dunno, looks pretty human to me...and last time I checked, my eyes are not a center of "morality."

Second, all the things you mentioned make us part of a group. An individual is defined by their individual thoughts and DNA. Babies in the womb suck their thumb, dream and cry.

If you prick them, do they not bleed?

It takes external morality to view an embryo as any more a “person” than any other unicellular organism.

Then surely you can find me a scientist who says an embryo is not a human life even though it is alive, formed from the joining of human gametes and has a unique human genetic code, right? And if he or she does say that, it's not driven by their "external morality," right?

My lovely wife found some additional truth for you!

The question of whether a fetus is a person, or at what point it becomes one, is the only true (or at least, honest) question in this debate; and it isn’t entirely ludicrous.

Well, that's funny, because "Maternal Child Nursing Care" published by Mosby in 2002, says the following about the fetus:

"The fetal stage last from 9 weeks (when the embryo becomes recognizable as a human being) until the pregnancy ends."

Note three things:

The book I've quoted treats abortion like just another day at the office.

It's used to train nurses all over the U.S.

Surgical abortions are performed on fetuses, not embryos.

Oh, and I forgot to note that you referred to embryos as "unicellular." Well, not so much. The zygote has 16 cells by the 3 day mark, and you can just imagine how many cells an embryo has at the fifteen day mark, not to mention at nine weeks when it is characterized as a fetus.

So, I think you need to go get some real education on this issue before you jump in again.