Embryo Rights vs. Women’s Rights

A QUESTION OF LIFE AND HUMANITY

                It’s a passionate, emotional debate, so much so that a recent vote by the state of Mississippi declared that human life begins at conception, implying that “personhood,” begins at conception.  But does it really?

                Biologists unanimously agree with the Mississippi voters that once the sperm cell merges with the egg and the DNA of the mother and father mix, life begins.  The term “zygote,” meaning conception is then used to describe this initial cell.  At three weeks the head, brain and spinal cord begins to form.  From conception until about 8 weeks, as the cells multiply, the term “embryo” is used to describe this mass of growing cells, “blastocyst” about the size of a raspberry.  After eight weeks that mass of cells is referred to as a “fetus.” 

                It is not until the ninth week that the genitals of the fetus begin to form.   From then on the fetus is unmistakably a human fetus, but when does it become self aware? 

                I find it both interesting and evolutionary providential that the first organs to form on the human embryo is the head and brain – the brain being the primary organ.  However, the brain does not reach its apex of development until well after birth, some think in the late teens and early twenties.  But when does the fetus or baby become self aware?  The experts apparently don’t know but the consensus as far as I can tell from my research is that self awareness doesn’t occur until sometime after birth.

                This information about awareness stimulates, at least in me, some interesting cognitive explorations.  The concept, or phenomenon of consciousness, mind, self, ego or soul is explicably related to self awareness.  The most interesting issue I think would therefore be if you are a dualist, in other words, you think the mind is an entity separate from the body that continues to exist after the body dies, when does the soul enter the body?  And when does the mind perceive and contemplate the sensation of self and free will?

                Philosophers have struggled with the sensations of consciousness and free will until the rhetoric has become so complex, technical and convoluted that only they know what they’re talking about.  For example check out “determinism” on Wikipedia.  And for an exhaustive comprehensive, syntactical, semantic treatise of consciousness dive into Daniel C. Dennett’s Consciousness Explained.   Determinism embraces the concepts of fate, destiny, predestination, karma, ect., which could be interesting subjects for future blogs.

                Back to the rights of the fetus versus the woman.  We know that all things being normal the fetus will evolve to be a walking, talking sentient human.  That is a fact.  Therefore common decency suggests that society ought to have the duty to protect the future legacy of the fetus.  But should there be some exceptions?

                My first two siblings were adopted.  I am grateful that their biological mothers did not seek an abortion.  Therefore I have strong feelings against abortion and believe birth control should come before the man and woman climb into bed.  But as I have said before, we don’t live in a black and white world.  Often times the truth or the best solution lies somewhere in between.

                I have investigated dozens of rape and incest crimes.  It is there I think the exceptions should be made, but only during the first 8 weeks in cases of rape.  The time element might be extended in cases of incest because of the emotional and physical circumstances that often inhibits the victim from reporting the offense or seeking help. 

                Rape is an extremely traumatic offense.  I rate it as the most serious crime after murder.  It is not just the physical abuse (victims are often beaten) but the emotional or mental trauma which can last for months and years after the bruises disappear.  Why should that poor woman be forced to nurture a glob of “senseless” cells so that her attacker’s Y-chromosome can be replicated?  Yes, conception is no fault of the  blastocyst.   And yes she could give up the baby for adoption.  But the decision should be hers.