When is a baby a "person?"
Submitted by Fr. Larry
Thu, 12/06/2007

Excerpt: "The definition of when an unborn baby is a person, as given in U.S. Supreme Court jurisprudence is not derived from science, common law or any moral tradition. It is pure fiat. As a result, it is the most arbitrary definition possible. A unborn baby is a person when his or her mother says so. Or, more precisely, a unborn baby is a person unless her mother says "It isn't." How many of us can prove that our mother ever declared our personhood (or that she never declared our non-personhood — just try to prove that universal negative), and that she, herself, was declared a person by her mother, etc. Fortunately for all of us, as of this writing, the Court also recognizes the personhood of those who are alive and outside of their mother's womb. The Court has effectively declared that a woman's womb is a sovereignty unto itself, with powers of life and death greater than those of the U.S. Government, for even the Government cannot arbitrarily deprive anyone of life, liberty or property."

Full commentary image-fetus at 24 weeks