Reply #79: Scientists still use viability and most likely always will [View All]

[knitter4democracy]

The implanted zygote has the potential to develop into a viable human being, given the right circumstances. I really doubt scientists will try to figure out when a fetus is alive because they already say that it's alive from implantation (at least, that's what my husband was taught in med school and what all his medical literature says that I've read). There's a big difference between a tumor (something growing where it's not supposed to in ways its not supposed to that, if left to grow, will ultimately kill the person it's in) and a fetus (a separate person, DNA-wise, growing where it's supposed to in ways it's supposed to that, if left to grow, will ultimately leave the person it's in).

Viability is the best test we have now, and it's getting earlier all the time. If someone has a late term abortion and kills a viable infant, it's infanticide, which in some societies is not considered the crime it is here. If it's not viable (no brain, no heart, stuff like that), then it would've been a stillbirth, which is too much to ask any woman to go through just to prove viability.

The best thing, imho, is to get the government out of it and leave it to the woman to decide, since it's her personal space. Once the baby's viable, I would hope she would make the decision not to kill but to put the baby up for adoption, but I cannot force her to do anything.

That would be the grey area . . .