Personal Human Rights... In the beginning...

I've long been interested in the ongoing debate in Congress over abortion. Ever since Roe v. Wade our country has been divided on this issue. And, although there have been many exceptions on both sides through the years, traditionally Democrats have supported abortion rights and Planned Parenthood, while Republicans have fought against abortion and for the sanctity of life.

Recently a Planned Parenthood representitive, when questioned about the necessitity of treatment for an aborted fetus showing some signs of life, responded that the decision to provide treatment "should be left up to the woman, her family, and the physician." This response was troubling to me, for it made me wonder when are we bestowed our personal human rights? The debate has long raged over when "life" starts- is it when a child is born, or is it at conception? Is it somewhere throughout the process as the fetus develops? There are a myrid of opinions, but now a new scenerio is raised. If an abortion occurs, and the fetus shows signs  of life, is it not a living human being? Does it not have the same right to life, to treatment as you or me? When does it's rights begin, under the law?

Personally, I don't believe in abortion, for I value the sanctity of life. That said, how can anyone end the life of a living "fetus", or more correctly, now a child, a pre-born baby, and not consider it murder? Once a fetus emerges from the womb it ceases to be a fetus and is now a child, a living human being. If living, that child has inalienable rights that supercede "the woman, her family, and the physician". It is murder to end that child's life just because the mother chooses not to want it.

I wonder how readily that little life would be ended if the consequence was as severe as if someone ended your life or mine? When do our rights begin? If not at birth then when? When will we wake up as a nation and recognize there is more to this debate than "women's rights"? I believe that, except in the cases of rape or incest, the woman forfeits her rights, as does the man who fathers the child, to the best interests of that concieved child. The problem with our society today is not one of rights, it's one of responsibility. If a man and woman act responsibly then "rights" never come into play. But through their irresponsible actions they create a baby, then decide it's their "right" to abort it. Bulls**t. They lose their rights once they make a baby- now it's time to be responsible for that child they created.

I wonder, except for those exceptions previously mentioned, how many would opt for abortion if there were a penalty for the irresponsible actions that created the pregnancy? What if, to get an abotion  the irresponsible man and woman were sterilized as a penalty to aborting the life they created? (It takes two to make a baby, two should be penalized). I wonder how many would consider the alternative of carrying and delivering that baby, then allowing one of the many, many couples unable to have children to adopt? Certainly there would be less emotional damage via this route than abortion causes...
Food for thought...