Thursday, March 18, 2004

Enmity to Nature...

In one of the appendices of What We Can't Not Know, by J. Budziszewski, he publishes the conclusion of an article written by Warren M. Hern, MD. The article is titled, Is Pregnancy Really Normal?.
An Alternative View of Pregnancy The foregoing discussion should allow us to abandon the erroneous assumption that pregnancy is per se a normal and desirable state, and to consider instead a more accurate view that human pregnancy is an episodic, moderately extended chronic condition with a definable morbidity and mortality risk to which females are uniquely though not uniformly susceptible and which: • is almost entirely preventable through the use of effective contraception, and entirely so through abstinence; • when not prevented, is the individual result of a set of species specific bio-social adaptations with a changing significance for species survival; • may be defined as an illness requiring medical supervision through (a) cultural traditions, functional or explicit, (b) circumstantial self-definition of illness or (c) individual illness behavior; • may be treated by evacuation of the uterine contents; • may be tolerated, sought, and/or valued for the purpose of reproduction; and • has an excellent prognosis for complete, spontaneous recovery if managed under careful medical supervision. Accordingly, the open recognition and legitimation of pregnancy as an illness would be consistent with the individual self-interest of those experiencing pregnancy, good standards of medical practice, and the continued survival of human and other species.
Budziszewski reprints it because, as he puts it, "ordinary people find it difficult to believe that such things could actually be written." The full text of the article is available at the title's link above. From the good doctor's Abortion Clinic's website we find the following at the end of their mission statement:
As we observe the 25th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, we know we have done our part to make the meaning of that landmark decision for human freedom a reality for our patients and their families. The true meaning of "family values" is the freedom to choose your own life and values with those you love.

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