Memories Of An Old Discussion Re: Abortion

[Diamond Cross]

I was reminded today of an old discussion I had a long time ago.

Back around 1995 when I was new to the Internet and discussion forums, I got into an argument on whether or not Star Trek TNG was Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. It went along the usual arguments, it was pro-life because they wanted to protect the baby, it was Pro-choice because they wanted to protect the mother, but I went on there and said Star Trek TNG was Pro-Choice.

The discussion was inspired by the episode "The Child" in which Troi was impregnanted by an entity that was not evil but simply wanted to learn about humanity. They were discussing whether or not the child was a threat to the ship and crew and the options to abort it if it did prove a danger to the ship. Counselor Troi ended the conversation when she said she was going to have the child.

That's why I said the show was Pro-Choice, because it gave the mother the final say-so in the matter. Being pro-Choice also means that she can choose to have the child as well as choose to have an abortion.

I was insulted to no end for that reasoning by Pro-Lifers, and a few Pro-Choicers as well who felt that she was an inept mother who shouldn't have the child. Pro-lifers at that aprticular board felt that Pro-Choicers only believed that the only answer to any problem was to have an abortion and would never under any circumstances have the baby.

It was then that I learned that you really can't convince people to have a change of heart when discussing things like this. Sometimes I wonder why I still get involved in discussion forums such as these.

But then I remember that, at least with larger boards, you do get a more varied opinion on things and can even talk to some people who have personal experience with the topic at hand, which does tend to help develop a more rounded view of the world than a lop-sided one, but most people only tend to think in lop-sided ways because they are arguing only their interests and not arguing for the sake of learning from one another.