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Culture War Roundup for the week of August 21, 2023

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if pro-lifers reeeeellly believed it was murder, they'd put the woman in jail, and so if they don't, that means they don't reeeeellly believe it's taking a human life, it's reeeellly about punishing women for exercising their sexuality

I think this is arguably a form of what Scott called the non-central fallacy, aka "the worst argument in the world". There are plenty of instances of taking a life that aren't generally or universally reckoned to be murder (self-defense most obviously, but also killings in war, assisted suicides). Likewise, we understand there to be different moral shades attached to murder; many would choose not to incarcerate a domestic abuse victim who kills her spouse, for example (depending on circumstances). I think it's perfectly consistent to say that abortion is taking a life or even a form of murder without committing to the idea that women or doctors who perform it should be incarcerated.

But even on here we have had people putting forward "I can't understand why if pro-lifers are serious they don't want the woman imprisoned" argument, so it clearly works for a sub-set of pro-choice or people who could be persuaded to vote on abortion 'rights'. They don't really mean it, it's all about control and imposing their religious zealot bigot morality on others.

Look at the outrage over the woman in Britain who lied to obtain medical abortion pills to terminate her pregnancy well into viability and over the legal limits and was sent to prison for committing a criminal offence. It was only a 'late-term abortion' and shows the need for decriminalisation and doing away with archaic legislation. Now law-breaking is no reason to condemn the 'safe, legal and rare' late term abortion (which we've been told is not something that ever happens and is not the correct term to use):

The mother of three had admitted illegally procuring her own abortion when she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant during the COVID pandemic.

The termination was eight to 10 weeks later than the 24-week legal period for having an abortion in England, Scotland and Wales.

Following the Court of Appeal ruling, Labour MP Stella Creasy said: "The relief that this woman can go home to be with her children is tempered by the knowledge there are more cases to come where women in England being prosecuted and investigated for having abortions under this archaic legislation.

"That's why we need decrim now."

The case has galvanised the pro-abortion movement.

Last month, thousands of abortion rights activists marched from the Royal Courts of Justice to Whitehall, demanding an end to the criminalisation of abortion, following Foster's sentencing.

Clare Murphy, chief executive of the BPAS, said on Tuesday that she "echoes the judges' statements".

She said the court had "recognised that this cruel, antiquated law does not reflect the values of society today" and urged parliament to decriminalise abortion as a "matter of urgency".

I'm only half-joking when I say next it'll be "decriminalise infanticide now".

I'm only half-joking when I say next it'll be "decriminalise infanticide now".

There have been straws in the wind for quite some time:

https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Proposal+to+decriminalise+infanticide+in+the+UK-a0126316373

https://www.liveaction.org/news/maryland-decriminalize-infanticide-birth/

Going back to the 19th century, Jeremy Bentham argued that infanticide should be decriminalised, since it couldn't always be prevented, and so one could only reduce the harms involved.