# Pro-lifers: What would you do if you were in charge? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 10, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396 "2003-05-10T22:22:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/41 "2003-05-12T04:00:44Z")
Blalron, Yeah, you are right, I realized that after I posted, that is why I changed it to say 1 million per year instead of 30 million total after a period of 30 years. The 30 million figure just gives a perspective of the impact after a few decades, assuming that the baby murder rate would continue at the same pace, a weak assumtion at that. I dont mean to say that we can go back and convict those who have already done it. I also dont mean to say that if we execute baby murderers that the rate of women killing their babies will continue to be a million a year, it might go down(some might be deterred), and obviously, there will be no repeat offendors once they are executed. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/42 "2003-05-12T04:06:37Z")
RickJay, You are right that rape should not be an issue - the baby had no choice in it, so why should he be put to death? Duh, yeah, I know it would be terrible for the woman to carry and have a child by rape, but who said there was anything “good” about being raped? Rape and rape pregnancy can be handled and reduced by other means, self defense, ccw, etc which is another topic. ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/43 "2003-05-12T04:20:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\*I think Susanann’s idea is absolutely horrible. I’m firmly pro-choice. > > \*\* 1. I agree that it is horrible, but the woman still retains her “choice”. 2. I dont think anyone, any normal person, “enjoys” giving the death penalty. I agree, giving the death penalty to murderers is horrible, but it is just. Much better if people just stop murdering each other - no murder, no death penalty. Once a law is passed to give the death penalty for murder, it then becomes the choice/decision of the woman and the doctor to be executed or not. The prochoice people still get “some/most” of what they want, since the woman still has the “choice” to abort or not - the only thing that is different is that she will be executed if she chooses to murder. Her decision, not mine. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/44 "2003-05-12T04:35:44Z")
Susanann, wouldn’t your plan make every woman who miscarries the subject of a homicide investigation? ---
**Author:** ![Conflict\_of\_Interest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/57b2e6/32.png) [@Conflict\_of\_Interest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Conflict_of_Interest)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/45 "2003-05-12T04:53:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Slindorff \* > \*\*But the whole crux of your argument is that life is sacred and the wilfull taking of life is murder. \*\* Where did I ever say that? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/46 "2003-05-12T05:34:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I am “pro-life” in that I dont believe that any innocent person should be killed/murdered by someone else, regardless of his age, or how he was concieved. But is the taking of all innocent life murder? I’m sure George W. Bush took some innocent lives by ordering the bombing of Baghdad, but that doesn’t make him a murderer, does it? Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/47 "2003-05-12T06:54:18Z")
> [@](#): > > Much better if people just stop murdering each other - no murder, no death penalty. Let’s say a woman has herself cut open and gets a 4 month old fetus taken out of her body, and as an indirect result of that the fetus dies since it can’t survive outside the mothers body. The woman hasn’t _directly_ killed the fetus, but she caused its death by choosing not to give it any more physical aid. Is that any different from having a fetus torn limb from limb, or are they both murder cases in your eyes? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/48 "2003-05-12T09:53:58Z")
> [@](#): > > I dont think anyone, any normal person, “enjoys” giving the death penalty. I agree, giving the death penalty to murderers is horrible, but it is just. Gandhi once said, “An eye for an eye makes the entire world blind” ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/49 "2003-05-12T11:34:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Blalron \* > \*\*But is the taking of all innocent life murder? I’m sure George W. Bush took some innocent lives by ordering the bombing of Baghdad, but that doesn’t make him a murderer, does it? Why not? \*\* Lets try to stay with the main point of this topic - abortion as is commonly being done right now (not miscarraige, not war, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/50 "2003-05-12T14:47:39Z")
I only mention miscarriage because I believe that if your laws were implemented that equated the killing of a fetus with murder, miscarriages would potentially become criminal investigations into whether the fetus died a wrongful death. ---
**Author:** ![Summertime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Summertime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Summertime)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/51 "2003-05-12T14:57:12Z")
What of the doctors? Aren’t they also responsible for murder, then? Or is it just the “mother”? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/52 "2003-05-12T14:57:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > \*\*RickJay, > > You are right that rape should not be an issue - the baby had no choice in it, so why should he be put to death? > > Duh, yeah, I know it would be terrible for the woman to carry and have a child by rape, but who said there was anything “good” about being raped? > > Rape and rape pregnancy can be handled and reduced by other means, self defense, ccw, etc which is another topic. \*\* CCW? 😕 As for “rape can be handled, blah blah blah…” you aren’t saying this, but this will only reinforce the notion that if a woman was raped-she wasn’t “really raped” because she didn’t do enough to prevent it. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/53 "2003-05-12T15:40:15Z")
Back to this issue of miscarriage. Just how far are you willing to go to bring these murders to justice? \*\*Blalron \*\* is right, you would be required to perform an autopsy on all miscarriages to determine the cause, and a criminal investigation would have to be launched when ever a woman was pregnant, the same way an invesgitation is launched when evera cause of death is unknown. How hard would you work to prevent these abortions? Considering the war on terrorism, I can just imagine a hotline being set up where you can call in and report a woman you “think might be pregnant,” or you “suspect has missed her period.” “Hello? Dept of Homeland Security? I’ve been going threw my neighbour’s trash and last month she didn’t use any tampons, but this month she is. I think she had an abortion!” I hope the perfered form of execution is _buring at the stake._ ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/54 "2003-05-12T15:45:58Z")
Damn it, BURNING not buring, although that might be just as funny. ---
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/55 "2003-05-12T16:50:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > **If 30 million people choose to murder, then 30 million should be executed. The principle is the same: death penalty for murder (regardless of the number of murderers).** Do you support the actions of those who shoot abortion doctors now? ---
**Author:** ![Susanann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@Susanann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susanann)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/56 "2003-05-12T20:41:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zwaldd \* > \*\*Do you support the actions of those who shoot abortion doctors now? \*\* No. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/57 "2003-05-12T21:10:31Z")
I’m pro-life, but I’m not so sure I would support legislation that would outlaw abortion in and of itself. I would support legislation to outlaw the practice of performing abortions, but would also not support the death penalty for those convicted of the crime. My belief is based on the fact that doctors have the responsibility to live up to the Hippocratic Oath, which starts “First, do no harm” and I believe that performing an abortion is a violation of this oath. ---
**Author:** ![hebesphenomegacorona](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@hebesphenomegacorona](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hebesphenomegacorona)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/58 "2003-05-12T21:47:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > \*\*1. I agree that it is horrible, but the woman still retains her “choice”. > > Once a law is passed to give the death penalty for murder, it then becomes the choice/decision of the woman and the doctor to be executed or not. The prochoice people still get “some/most” of what they want, since the woman still has the “choice” to abort or not - the only thing that is different is that she will be executed if she chooses to murder. Her decision, not mine. \*\* It isn’t much of a choice if you get killed for it. ---
**Author:** ![zwaldd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@zwaldd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwaldd)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/59 "2003-05-12T22:44:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Susanann \* > \*\*No. \*\* Are you against vigilantism in general? Is there any situation in which vigilantism is appropriate? If so, what? ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2003, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396/60 "2003-05-13T04:34:35Z")
My post where I made a sample law for demonstration purposes has not had a single comment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pro-lifers-what-would-you-do-if-you-were-in-charge/174396.md?page=4)