jon stewart v. mike huckabee abortion debate

stewart's 5 arguments and two arguments he refused to address.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• argumentation
• jon stewart debate
• daily show debate
• daily show with jon stewart
• john stewart
• newt gingrich debate
• gingrich debate
• stephen colbert debate
• colbert report debate
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• planned parenthood
• planned parenthood debate
• pro life debate
• pro choice debate

[ReasonDefender]

I guess the what the abortion debate ultimately comes down to is the idea of person hood. When does person hood start? At 18 days? A week? An hour after conception? when the zygote has divided into 4 cells? 2 cells? The precise moment when the sperm enters the cytoplasm of the oocyte? Perhaps we could even classify the gametes as early forms of human life in and of themselves. Would that make ejaculation as a result of masturbation unethical? Some sort of "pre ex facto" abortion?

[miggetymike1]

when "person hood" happens is vague and subjective (the way pro choicers want it). The question is when is human life. Even planned parenthood presidents have admitted that every abortion ends a human life.

Sperm is not a human life just like an eye lash isn't. They aren't a stage in human development. At the risk of sounding condescending the embryonic stage of human development and fetal stage of human development are stages of human development.

[punkrockfinn]

Hey dude, if you're so worried about women exercising their legal right to an abortion, just make sure you never, ever have sex with a woman, thereby preventing you from accidentally contributing to such a tragic scenario! Frankly, it's a win-win scenario.

lol your imaginary moral conundrum

[miggetymike1]

interesting logic. I'm glad people didn'tfall for that in the 1800's. "Hey dude, if you abolitionists are so worried about slave holders excercising their constitutional right to own slaves just make sure you don't ever buy a plantation, thereby preventing you from contributing to such a tragic scenario!

lol at you abolitionists and your moral conundrum.

[lovellespice]

@inijjer1 how can you be against war which wastes human life and be for abortion which also wastes human life?

[lovellespice]

fetus on not, we are ALL just clumps of cells :) that "thing" inside the womb is a human being, viable or not..

[sfjb88]

You're a moron....

[inijjer1]

Your government kills human life all the time (as does mine) -

wars

death penalty

withholding of medical aid due to financial constraint ( in collusion with private medical insurance companies)

So I take it 'pro lifers' will be tackling the above issues any time soon ?

Doubt it, you can't attack young vulnerable women for their personal choices for the above can you? Where the target is a woman its open season. Where the sinners are middle class men, your fundamentalist churches are silent.

[miggetymike1]

@paranoidandroid505 The issue of when human life begins has been settled by science. Even planned parenthood presidents have admitted this. You can also pick up and read any embryology textbook. Acknowledging this, the prochoice argument isn't when human life begins but rather when that human life becomes a person. Governments have a very poor track record when it comes to allowing the inhumane treatment of humans because they are not deemed "persons" for one reasion or another.

[equitemcroce]

hey there mike. Saw the interview and I find it sad that Jon Stewart's show is the place where the debate can be had with sincerity. It shows the state of our media. Good job on the vid,it's good to see reasonable people in the midst of a culture war where the important issues a battle ground for ideologies. I would also like to say that rights and liberties end where they begin for others: the foetus is human life so we have to guarantee it certain rights if we are a "just society."

[kribban79]

Part 2. I accidentally posted my first comment twice. I'm sorry. About the rape vs murder analogy. I agree that saying abortion is murder is an inflammatory way of framing the discussion, but so is saying that forcing women to carry pregnancies to term is rape. However we have to acknowledge that this is how many people feel. Either you accept that the argument that pro-life is rape/violation of women is valid or you give up the argument that abortion is murder.

[kribban79]

Hi Mike. I loved this interview too. I think what Jon meant with abandoning the argument is because that debate is fruitless and doesn't go anywhere. People will NEVER agree whether abortion is right or wrong. If you instead focus on A) preventing unwanted pregnancies, B) teaching the progression of life, ie fetal development you might actually have a higher chance of reducing abortion than fighting to make it illegal.

[kribban79]

Hi Mike. I loved this interview too. I think what Jon meant with abandoning the argument is because that debate is fruitless and doesn't go anywhere. People will NEVER agree whether abortion is right or wrong. If you instead focus on A) preventing unwanted pregnancies, B) teaching the progression of life, ie fetal development you might actually have a higher chance of reducing abortion than fighting to make it illegal.

[ReasonDefender]

@miggetymike1

Point well taken, and on some points, I would be willing to concede. However, I would still consider that there are broad ethical implications that would lend credence to the supposition that the line drawn by the pro life camp is not as absolute as initially illustrated. Perhaps this can be discussed further.

What should society do in order to mitigate the need for abortion? Are there extenuating circumstances where abortion is a ethically valid choice?