[Gatac]

The "progressing silliness" of tha argument is that which leads us to declare that until you've left your parent's home, make your own living and have a child yourself, you do not count as "independant". It's merely me stating that the argument about "indepedantly alive" can quickly be lead ad absurdum through defining "indepedency". Heck, we could go so far as to say that "independantly alive" is an oxymoron, seeing how you depend on air, food, water...THAT is the silliness.

Something I feel the need to clear up (once more): I am not pro-abortion, I am pro-choice. All I'm saying is that it's a difficult topic. If you think it's wrong to have an abortion, don't get one, but also don't get in the way of those who feel differently.

The "potential" of a cell (because we all start from one cell) to develop into a full-grown human being is not independant of it's environment. If you remove a freshly fertilized ovus from the womb, it will probably die unless steps are taken to conserve it. Even then, it can not develop further outside of a womb. As such, it is a combination of human DNA, the flexibility of stem cells AND the life-supporting environment which enables the fetus to actualize it's potential. If I get cut and bleed, do my blood cells have potential to eventually grow into another me? Is a fetus in cold storage going to grow up to be a human? No to both. The fetus is intimately connected to the mother. They can not be seperated until quite late in pregnancy. Unless somebody invents an artificial womb, that factor will continue to play a role.

I can understand opposition to abortion if you owe your life to a mother who didn't do it. However, that is largely irrelevant to the discussion. By the same token, you could be radically anti-firearms because somebody you knew was shot - that is understandable, but doesn't make your case more compelling than it already is. (Unless it leads you to research the facts and come to the logical conclusion that private possession of firearms is bad, but that's why we're arguing, not just nodding to the words of the first person who makes an emotional plea.)

Everybody has potential, but nobody knows how and if it will be realised. If I say that my hypothetical newly-born child has the potential to be a genius, I'm probably right, but that doesn't say anything about whether it *will* be a genius.

Gatac