Nanatsu no Tsuki wrote:Soldati Senza Confini wrote:
Yes, laws based on age are arbitrary. Your point is duly noted.
Your point, however, doesn't mean that I have to take that it is reasonable to accept it as a cutoff if there is a gray area which you are neglecting, which is the 21-24 weeks period.
I know it's a small minority of cases, but it is also a non-zero amount of cases, which is where your argument that "well 24 weeks is when it should be the cutoff date" is just not relevant.
The problem is that if the probability is less, as you stated, that in itself can be a medically valid reason to dismiss it and use the 24 week cutoff. It’s not 0, but it not a high number either.
Sure, but then that's why I am going so hard on the "least non-zero viability" standard.
Because, the problem is this, we all know that the earliest reasonable viable date is not necessarily a strict arbitrary cutoff. Arbitrary cutoffs are good to trigger a date in which a person can be proactively punished for doing something we don't want them to do.
When it comes to abortion, I don't think arbitrary rigidity helps matters. The same thing I'd say if it was since conception or after 20 weeks, or after 3 months, or after 8 months, or before birth. It's all arbitrary, and it doesn't help if you are willing to compromise on a cutoff period during which a woman cannot get an abortion except for a certain number of reasons.