should the cell at conception be a "person" in the constitution?

Question

if not. how long before the fetus should be considered a person?

Answer 1

No. A person has to be born. Many things can happen in the womb that could cause miscarriage or a stillborn. A long time ago, a new baby was not considered really alive until it lived a certain time because so much could kill an infant. If it lived 6 months to 1 year, it was a viable being. If not, then it was buried (because it died). Any obvious defects meant the defective newborn was allowed to die rather than be a burden to the family that had neither time nor money to keep it alive. It was considered merciful to not allow them to live a miserable helpless life. That's just the way it was and had to be.

Answer 2

It makes no sense to develop any kind of "legal" definition of personhood before a foetus is completely viable (around 7 months), otherwise the debate becomes one of incrementalism, and you eventually conclude that any form of contraception is mass murder. Because of perceptions, however, it makes more sense to provide some sort of "rights" to any foetus that has developed beyond the first trimester. Before that, any decisions about the foetus & its future belong to the mother & her doctor.

People who sincerely believe that all terminations are "wrong" should be required to take unwanted babies and support them, whatever complications they have, without any taxpayer help.

Answer 3

Nope. And parents should be allowed to kill it within the first 2 years if they decide they don't want the responsibility.


And yes, this was 100% sarcasm.

Answer 4

when it can think, reason, and have memories.

I think that happens after 12 but before 24 weeks. I'm sorry, I always forget the actual week.

Answer 5

WHEN THE SPERM STRIKES THRU THE EGG .....THIS IS A UNITING AND CONVERGENCE OF 23 CHROMISOMES FROM THE MALE & 23 CHRMS. FROM THE FEMALE, EXACTLY 46 CHRMS. THAT EQUAL A HUMAN BEING....NO WHERE IN THE UNIVERSE WILL YOU FIND THAT COMBO. EXCEPT THAT IT BE HUMAN---46 CHROMESOMES.......TRY AND BE SCIENTIFIC INSTEAD OF ARBITRARY.........