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You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

You: How do you feel about abortion?

Stranger: conflicted

Stranger: on the one hand preserving life is what a country should do... on the other hand the woman's freedom and equality should be respected

You: Do you believe that freedom should include the right to take away another person's freedom?

Stranger: no but where does personhood begin?

You: Shouldn't personhood include all human beings?

Stranger: if it isn't at conception, when is it?

You: Why can't it be at conception?

Stranger: no I'm agreeing

You: So you believe that personhood begins at conception?

Stranger: human life should be protected

Stranger: no

Stranger: human life begins at conception

You: But personhood doesn't?

Stranger: do you consider a mentally challenged human a person?

Stranger: no, personhood doesnt begin there, but human life

You: Of course I do.

You: When does personhood begin?

Stranger: when human life begins to think

You: What do you mean by "think"?

Stranger: own thoughts and expressions

Stranger: "i want food" is such an expression

You: Does this extend to other animals as well?

Stranger: no it's not human life

You: Why does it have to be human life?

Stranger: because our topic is abortion?

You: But isn't it important to first establish a definition of personhood before we discuss abortion?

Stranger: it doesn't extend to other animals, because they aren't able to think about future and past....

Stranger: it's instinct for them and they don't actively think about past

You: So you have to be able to think about the future and the past to be a person?

Stranger: yes

You: What about human newborns, who act only on instinct for several months after birth?

Stranger: they are not persons, they are human life

You: But can't they have thoughts like "I want food."?

Stranger: yes i should have clarified

Stranger: an active thought which you can think about itself

Stranger: not instinct

Stranger: so newborns arent included

You: So by your definition, are newborns and those with severe Alzheimer's not persons?

Stranger: newborns arent persons, alzheimer patients were persons, and are now severely limited in their personhood

Stranger: they can plan for a few minutes or for a day

Stranger: so they are human life, no persons anymore

You: If someone is mentally handicapped or degraded to a point where they have the mental age of a newborn, are they a person?

Stranger: no, they are a human

Stranger: and not a person

You: Is it okay to kill them, then?

Stranger: no

Stranger: because human life is protected

You: Should I be allowed to kill a newborn or someone with the mental age of a newborn?

Stranger: it depends

Stranger: no it doesnt depend

Stranger: you should not be allowed

You: What about my freedom?

Stranger: in abortion, its a question if the unborn will prevent a womans freedom

Stranger: if you already have given birth to a newborn, you are responsible for it

Stranger: and if you have already given birth to a baby who will stay a baby mentally forever

Stranger: you are responsible for it

Stranger: you haven't taken measures during or before pregnancy

You: What if it's someone else's baby? Could I kill it then?

Stranger: unborn? no, it's not your body

Stranger: born baby? what are you thinking?

You: What if it's someone else's born baby?

Stranger: human life is protected

You: So my freedom doesn't extend to the taking of human life?

Stranger: it doesnt

Stranger: unless it concerns your body

Stranger: same with unborn and defending yourself

You: What do you mean "defending yourself"?

Stranger: you can take a humans life in defense of your body, if they are threatening to kill you

Stranger: if they severely limit your freedom or want to take away your personhood, you can defend yourself from the threat

You: Should abortion be allowed at 9 months?

Stranger: no

Stranger: you havent been limited by the pregnancy and had enough time to think about how it affects your freedom, now you have a responsibility

You: Have you seen the show "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant!"?

Stranger: no

Stranger: ignorance is really no excuse in law

You: If someone doesn't find out they were pregnant until late in the pregnancy for whatever reason, should they be allowed an abortion at 9 months?

Stranger: they weren't educated, they didn't educate themselves and it is not their fault

Stranger: but being dumb is no excuse

You: But what if they weren't dumb? What if they have a medical condition whose symptoms are very similar to those of pregnancy, and they were using contraception, so they just didn't realize they were pregnant until very late in the pregnancy?

Stranger: it's not dumbness, it's uninformedness and maybe ignorance

Stranger: and with this far into pregnancy, why do you want to abort? it will still be painful

Stranger: the baby can be given to adoption if you so desire

You: What if they fell into a coma before they found out they were pregnant, and only now recovered?

Stranger: but human life is and should be protected, your life now so far into this pregnancy is not being restricted

You: When should the cut-off be for when abortion is allowed?

Stranger: when doctors say so it is

Stranger: really if abortion and healthy delivery are almost the same procedure...

Stranger: girls and women would probably be hurting themselves far more by aborting this far into pregnancy

Stranger: than actually delivering

You: If it's their body, why shouldn't they be allowed to make that decision?

Stranger: because their body is not restricted in any way this far into pregnancy

You: What do you mean?

You: Isn't it much more restricting to be very pregnant?

Stranger: pregnant for a few more days? it would be the same procedure as a delivery but with a dead born!

Stranger: it's restricting to be pregnant, yes!

You: If you're 8 months pregnant, how are you not more restricted than if you are 2 months pregnant?

Stranger: because you could live with it

You: You could live with what?

Stranger: you already were 8 months pregnant

Stranger: you have endured the pregnancy

Stranger: it's not less restricting, but you have apparently had no restrictions whatsoever

You: What if you'd just woken up from a coma?

Stranger: you haven't woken up because of a pregnancy... then you'd have to deliver the baby, because it's healthier for you and the unborn, and it doesn't restrict your freedom

You: So if a woman has just woken up from an 8-month coma and discovers she's pregnant, and she's freaking out and really wants an abortion, she should be denied one/

Stranger: well

You: *?

Stranger: im not a doctor

Stranger: but it would still be roughly the same procedure for a dead baby

Stranger: she would probably freak out more if there is a dead baby coming out of her life-bearing organ

You: If it's her body, shouldn't it be up to her?

Stranger: we're repeating ourselves

Stranger: and yes it is up to her

Stranger: but when it doesn't make a difference, the human life should be protected

You: It makes a difference to her. She really wants to abort.

Stranger: why is she so cruel then?

Stranger: is she sadist and wants to see a dead baby?

You: Does it matter? It's her body, isn't it?

Stranger: it's not her body anymore

You: What do you mean?

Stranger: it's that of another life, too

You: Could you hang on a second while I fix something to eat?

Stranger: she should come to her senses after calming down and think that delivery is really the best option so far into pregnancy

Stranger: of course she will freak out!

Stranger: it's a fucking horror scenario

Stranger: yeahhh im gonna call it a day but its been fun bye...

Your conversational partner has disconnected.