Monday, March 5, 2012

Stop the PRESSES!!!

I was right in the middle of writing another article, and this came across my news feed:

Quoted from the article:

The council for Delaware's largest city passed a resolution by an 8-4 vote Thursday calling on the Delaware legislature, other state legislatures and the U.S. Congress to pass laws granting "personhood" rights to eggs and sperm. The resolution was authored by councilwoman Loretta Walsh as a protest in the current battle over women's health care access.

"[E]ach 'egg person' and each 'sperm person' should be deemed equal in the eyes of the government and be subject to the same laws and regulations as any other dependent minor and be protected against abuse, neglect or abandonment by the parent or guardian," says the resolution. "[L]aws should be enacted by all legislative bodies in the United States to promote equal representation, and should potentially include laws in defense of 'personhood,' forbidding every man from destroying his semen."

Are you F*%()*&!!! Kidding me?  I use think that no one could surprise me with the potential stupidity that the human beast is capable of producing.  COLOR ME Surprised!!!  Now I know that this is only a city council resolution, and has no real chance of producing and real legislation, except possibly with the city limits of Wilmington, Delaware.  But, let’s expose some of the absolute absurdity should this resolution, or others like it, actually become law.

First on the personhood of sperm side of the argument:  A man choosing to pleasure (cleaned up term) himself would be subject criminal charges, probably for abuse, neglect, AND abandonment.  To further demonstrate the silliness of this position, I’d posit that every man on this planet has experienced a phenomenon known as a “wet dream.”  This would now become a criminal activity, prosecutable by the state.  Don’t think so; ever hear of prosecution for involuntary manslaughter?  A law giving, essentially, the right of a living human being to these sperm persons would criminalize many other activities between consenting adults for which the state was no business or right to interfere.  You have now made a criminal out of every male in the United State over the age of 13.  Additionally, with the exception of diplomatically immune persons, you have subjected every foreign male, entering this country, to criminal prosecution.  Ridiculous?  If you hesitated for a moment to think about that, you are probably not a person with whom I want to associate.

Let us move on to rights of the ‘egg persons’.  While the resolution caring avoids suggesting creating laws related to the destruction on egg persons, which is explicit in the verbiage of resolution, and the express guarantees of equal protection under the U.S. Constitution.  So, a woman who chooses to avoid sexual activities while ovulating would be guilty of, and subject to prosecution for, at minimum – abandonment.  To make matters even more ludicrous, this view would criminalize the young girl entering puberty, having started her menstrual  cycle which can start as early as age 9 (trust me, I KNOW.)  So, we are going to decriminalize pedophilia, at least, where menstruating young girls are concerned?  Now, I don’t know about any other father, but being the Dad to two exceptional young women, there is absolutely no length to which I would not go, to have protected my daughters, at the age of puberty, from participation in procreative activities, PERIOD!!!

Now, I know that enacting any laws regarding the personhood of human eggs or sperm would be struck down as unconstitutional, and the possibility of amending our Constitution, to allow such laws to be enacted, is near zero.  But, I am concerned that any public leader who subject such bizarre public policy is given any responsibility to guide his or her community on any level, and I am alarmed that this resolution passed by an 8 to 4 vote.  If I was to apply the same warp logic that I believe is used to statically justify religion – at least what I see from many Christians – this vote (where the city council should be representative of the community they lead) would indicate that 2 to every 3 citizens of Wilmington, Delaware is a religious zealot.  And, is the strongest argument for “Separation of Church and State.”


This concept of an ‘egg person’ and ‘sperm person’ pushes pass even the concept of life starting at conception, both of which are religiously motivated, and the scientific support behind them questionable at best.  In my religion, if that is what you wish to called it – I don’t, my believe is that human life begins when that life is capable of maintaining itself, with the caveat that some assistance may be need.  A human infant is capable of maintain itself with the assistance of its parents, and a human embryo is capable of maintaining its life, at some point, outside the womb with medical assistance.  Prior to that, I hold that it is not a life; it is a parasites organism of human origin.  In a country the touts religious freedom as a tenet of its foundation, why should I be forces to live my life, through legislation, under the belief system of someone else.  I do not purpose forcing anyone to accept my views, nor am I advocating passing legislation which would force anyone to take actions which I consider moral.  Anyone who advocating legislation, such as proposed by resolutions such the spark for this essay, is in fact advocating a violation of the United State Constitution’s express prohibition to the contrary.  These are arguments and decisions that should be discussed in temples, churches, and synagogues among their congregants to their needs.  They do not belong in our city, county, state, or federal legislative bodies.

But, I am still flabbergasted that I have experience a situation in today’s society that would prompt this essay.  I have recently had several discussions with a friend about the appropriate way to approach religious debate, to which there is a comment which should be reserved for only the most extreme cases.  This is in my opinion just such a case.  So to the eight members of the Wilmington, Delaware city council who voted for this resolutions;

 “^*%) you, YOU’RE STUPID!”



Your comments or questions are always welcome, and I have added an email address for those not wishing to comment openly in this forum.  Emails can be sent to recoveringcathcon@gmail.com. However, please know that if this account is used to flood me with trash and hate mail, I will shut it down.




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