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the value of a particular cow
Mar. 26th, 2012 05:40 pmThe reason we let cows and pigs carry dead fetuses until their bodies expel them isn't because it's natural; it's because it's economic. You weigh the cost of any veterinary treatment against the value of a particular cow, multiplied by the chances she'll die or be seriously damaged without the treatment. It's that simple.
For a pet, it's less simple, because you also have to factor in the suffering of the owner, but we still don't presume to pass laws about it. The vet decides what to charge, the farmer or pet owner decides what to do, and the politicians recognize that it is not their place to interfere.
Now Terry England wants to put himself in the role of the farmer, who gets to make the decisions, and women in the role of cows, who get to take the risks. (I think wanting such a thing should disqualify him from any position of authority over any other person, but I am in the minority.) England's not even pretending that this is for your own good; he's saying that the harm his law will do to pregnant women is outweighed by the good it will do for the anti-abortion movement. You see, a doctor who can help remove a stillborn baby can also perform a late-term abortion. Terry England wants doctors not to learn those skills, so he'd like to pass a law making them unnecessary.
Yeah, it's kind of like the law making pi equal to 3. It's not that it's true, it's just that it's more convenient.
Terry England doesn't know anything about the harm and risk his law would inflict on pregnant women, but I do.
( Bad pregnancy outcome behind the cut. )
For a pet, it's less simple, because you also have to factor in the suffering of the owner, but we still don't presume to pass laws about it. The vet decides what to charge, the farmer or pet owner decides what to do, and the politicians recognize that it is not their place to interfere.
Now Terry England wants to put himself in the role of the farmer, who gets to make the decisions, and women in the role of cows, who get to take the risks. (I think wanting such a thing should disqualify him from any position of authority over any other person, but I am in the minority.) England's not even pretending that this is for your own good; he's saying that the harm his law will do to pregnant women is outweighed by the good it will do for the anti-abortion movement. You see, a doctor who can help remove a stillborn baby can also perform a late-term abortion. Terry England wants doctors not to learn those skills, so he'd like to pass a law making them unnecessary.
Yeah, it's kind of like the law making pi equal to 3. It's not that it's true, it's just that it's more convenient.
Terry England doesn't know anything about the harm and risk his law would inflict on pregnant women, but I do.
( Bad pregnancy outcome behind the cut. )