Dear Friends,
It seems to me, the the reason an unborn child must be taken as having full human rights is because, an existence cannot be judged until lived in it’s entirety, the whole cannot be judged by the part. Therefore, future life must be taken into consideration, whenever the humanity of any one of us is taken into account. The question whether or not a person has access to the rights enumerated in the various constitution is of the greatest importance. The fundamental rights of the individual are at stake, life and liberty. Questions of such weight must be answered carefully. To make a distinction between humanity or not, flippantly, is not simply immature but outright evil. All considerations must be taken into account and the future life of the individual must be taken into consideration.
There is a story of Solon and Croesus. Solon the lawgiver of ancient Athens was widely renown as the wisest man in the world at the time. Solon had just saved Athens from violent revolution, and had called upon the people of Athens to ostracize him in the name of liberty, as Solon considered his popularity to be a threat to liberty. During his ostracism Solon was traveling the world when he landed upon the shores of Lydia. Lydia was one of the richest countries on the planet at the time. Upon hearing that the renowned Solon was traveling his country, Croesus, the king of Lydia sent for Solon to meet him.
Solon met Croesus in Croesus’ magnificent throne room. After talking for a bit, Croesus became impressed with Solon’s acuity and intellect, so he asked Solon, “Am I not truly the happiest man on Earth?” To which Solon responded, “I have no idea only having just met you.” So Croesus told his people to give Solon a tour of Lydia’s farms, Croesus’ treasury and harem. After Solon had been shown all the riches, people and agricultural wealth of Lydia Solon returned to Croesus’ throne room. After being asked again if Croesus was not indeed the happiest man Solon said… no.
Solon had met a woman who’s sons died pulling her wagon full of goods to the Olympic games, She, Solon said, was happier then Croesus. Croesus fumed, surely and old woman who’s sons had died could not be as happy as the richest man on the planet. Croesus pushed further. “Than I am the second happiest man ever…” No, Solon replied again and related another sad story. Croesus became infuriated. “Begone from my presence!” Croesus demanded. Solon left but turned as he left and said, “The happiness of a life cannot be determined until that person has breathed his last.”
Years later Cyrus the great invaded Lydia. Cyrus’ camels terrified Croesus’ horse infantry routing Lydia’s cavalry. After Cyrus had captured Croesus he ordered Croesus burned at the stake. A huge pile of dry wood was stacked and Croesus was dragged to it. As Croesus was tied to a stake at the top of the pile Cyrus asked Croesus if he had any last words before being burned to death. Croesus shouted to the ghost of Solon, “You were so right Solon, it was I who was the fool!” Cyrus was curious. He asked Croesus who this Solon was, a God perhaps? Croesus related the whole story of Solon’s visit to Lydia, Croesus’ question and Solon’s answer. Cyrus was so impressed that he ordered Croesus untied and made Croesus his chief advisory.
The moral of the story is… the life of a man cannot be judged until he has breathed his last. Croesus thought that because his circumstances were great that they would always be great. He made the mistake of judging a whole based on a part. The whole can only be judged in the whole, no part is ever sufficient to judge the whole. If you were judged by your eyes only the observer might think a human is wet, fragile and spherical. The same applies to age. If another observer saw only an old man that observer might think the entirety of mankind is to be shriveled, wrinkled and bent over. Clearly, that is not the true quality of man. To judge a human in the same way as having no worth because they are merely a fetus in the womb, is judging a person by a part, while ignoring the whole.
Future life cannot be predicted with any accuracy but it need not to give a human being value. A human life cannot be judged worthless or worthy by her hair, his stamina, her wit, his intellect, her wisdom or his age. Such are parts and do not make up the whole. Only the whole can be judged accurately. Therefore to judge a person not a person based on a part is to commit a logical fallacy. A fallacy that can end the life of a human being in the name of political correctness, expediency and selfishness. To deny a human being is a human being based on a part and not the whole, is a form of malevolent ignorance forwarded by egoists to lower humanity, since the loss of any human being diminishes us all, especially one with such promise as a baby, unborn or not.
Sincerely,
John Pepin
