God Hates Us All (Part 11)

       "Where does it all start?" she asked him.

     "Where does what start?" Devon countered.

     "Life," Helen specified, "When does life begin?"

     "Oh, we're discussing abortion now?" Devon asked.

     "We're talking about life," Helen corrected, "I'm just curious to see where you stand on the issue."

     "I'm not sure," Devon honestly answered. "I've heard all the theories, from conception all the way to only when the child is born. It's a fine line to cross, when one life's rights begin to overrule another's. That's a real ethical minefield, are you sure you want to take a stroll in this area?"

     "Yes," Helen confirmed, "I'd like to take that stroll because I'd like to know where you stand on that issue."

     "Is this one a deal breaker?" Devon asked.

     "No," Helen replied, "But it will tell me a lot about you."

     "Well, I am pro choice," Devon started, "but only because I'm not qualified to make these decisions."

     "Why not?" Helen asked, curious to why he said that.

     "Because I'm a guy," Devon told her, "I'm never going to have to experience that procedure. Wouldn't that mean I'm not qualified to make a decision about the policy of said operation?"

     "I wish many politicians felt that was in Washington DC," Helen replied, "They don't seem to have a problem putting their two cents in regardless of how unqualified they are to make it."

     "They're driven by faith and fear of it," Devon explained, "Not facts."

     "But that doesn't answer my question," Helen reminded him, "When does life begin?"

     "That answer varies depending on who you ask," Devon replied.

     "But I'm asking you," Helen said, "What do you think?"

     "I didn't answer it," Devon reminded her, "I'm not sure."

     "Let's approach this from a different angle them," Helen continued, "Where does life end?"

     "When we die," Devon answered.

     "But when are we declared dead?" Helen asked.

     "Whenever the doctor calls it," Devon replied.

     "But how does a doctor do that?" Helen asked, continuing to push.

     "When the heart stops?" Devon asked.

     "Nope, we have machines that can keep people alive in the absence of that." Helen countered, "When is the one time we call someone dead no matter what happens and no one questions it?"

     "Hmmm," Devon said, trying to think through it. Then a moment later the answer came to him. "The brain: someone is declared dead when the brain stops functioning!"

     "Exactly," Helen agreed, "When someone's brain stops function, that is the undisputed definition of death. That is where life ends."

     "Okay," Devon said, "So how does that fit here?"

     "Apply the same to life," Helen challenged him, "If loss of brain function is how we define death, then we should define life when..."

     Devon's eyes lit up, "When the brain begins to function!"

     "Precisely," Helen said, "I my opinion, that is where life begins based on how we define where life ends."

     "That makes so much sense!" Devon said, very impressed. "So when does the brain activate? Isn't that around eight or nine weeks?"

     "Somewhere around there," Helen agreed, "Which is late in the first trimester."

     "So you think all abortions after eight weeks," Devon paused for a moment, "That's pretty deep, and not one I've heard before."

     "Yes, I think anything after eight weeks is murder," Helen confirmed, "If we define life by brain function, then anything after the brain starts working is killing a living organism."

     "What if they can't feel pain?" Devon asked.

     "What do you mean?" Helen countered with her own question.

     "I read somewhere online that a fetus cannot feel pain until deep into the second trimester," Devon explained, "If the child has no nerves and cannot feel pain, wouldn't the abortion be painless?"

     "A painless death is still death," Helen retorted, "Just because you put a victim under sedation before hacking them into pieces doesn't make it less of a homicide than before!"

     "That's a good point," Devon concurred, "No, that wouldn't be cool."

     "So you agree?" Helen asked, "Abortion after 8 weeks is murder?"

     "The issue is a lot more complicated than that," Devon said, "Because what about all the kids out there no one wants? Who's going to pay for their food, their childcare, their dental plans? You?"

     "Why should I?" Helen asked.

     "Cause you want them to live!" Devon called out, "You and all the other pro-lifers want them to survive, and once they're out no one wants to lift a damn finger to help them out. If you say how many of them are living, you might reconsider abortion as being more merciful."

     "That's a terrible thing to say," Helen chided at him.

     "That doesn't make it any less true," Devon replied, "If you want to see a decrease in abortions, there are better methods than just banning the practice. Social programs such as subsidized child care so single moms don't lose their jobs trying to raise the kid, greater enforcement of child support payments would do a lot more to prevent abortions than any ban would. Women don't want to have abortions, many of them do because they feel they have no other choice. Offering more choice, more support would lower abortions a lot more than anything we've heard from politicians thus far. Yet the hypocrisy of the right to life morons is that once the kid is born, they're on their own. If the community wants that kid to live, they're going to have to chip in and do their part."

     "What about their partner?" Helen countered, "He should pay his part?"

     "What if the partner isn't a partner?" Devon asked, "What if they person in question dragged you into an alley and forced himself on you. Do you honestly want to speak to your rapist to ask for child support?"

     "I guess not," Helen conceded.

     "Like I said, not a black and white issue," Devon repeated, "This is has infinite layers of gray."

     "Point taken," Helen said.

     "But that doesn't mean you're wrong," Devon then said, "I like your idea of defining life based on how we define death. It's so simple I'm surprised someone hasn't brought that up before."

     "You see," Helen said, smiling, "I have my moments."

     "You have more than a few," Devon disagreed.