In the course of the research that I am doing currently, I work with zebrafish embryos a lot. We mate the male and female fishes, collect the fertilised embryos and either breed them until the age we desire to perform the experiments on, or perform experiments on them at their 1-cell embryo stages.
I am not quite sure what you are feeling as you read about the kind of work I do. Performing experiments on embryos, manipulating genetic material of fish embryos, collecting fertilised 1-cell stage embryos and injecting them with material that silences specific genetic expressions, and once the experiments are completed, we terminate the embryos. Sounds cruel, no?
I think it is a little cruel. Perhaps it is the engrained nature within that is pricked at the very thought of using, manipulating and disposing life, according to my desire (experimental setup may be the more technical and accurate term) but I am reminded that all are created with a purpose, and shall live according to its purpose.
The other day, I was working with 48-hour-post-fertilisation (hpf) embryos. Only 48 hpf. I was collecting them, tearing open the chorion, and releasing them into the water environment (it is synonymous to giving birth, when the foetus leaves the womb, to enter an environment outside the safety of the womb). As I was trying, with as much delicacy as I possibly could, to tear open the chorion to release the embryos into their external environment, I could see how the embryos were moving, twitching, trying to help themselves to come out of the chorion as well. They were not only alive at a tender age of 48hpf, they seem to know that they need to leave the chorion, and that I was trying to do that as well. They had survival instincts. The moment I touched the chorion, they would twitch and turn, to avoid my forceps, to avoid injury to their body. Once there is a little tear on the chorion, they try to find their way out of the chorion, almost cooperating with me. All these in embryos of 48hpf.
So why am I sharing in length on what I am doing at work? Nope, I am not (yet) obsessed with science, nor am I so proud of what I do that I feel the urge to tell the world.
I write this because watching these 48-hpf embryos, triggered a thought in my mind. Here I am working with 48hpf embryos and it was as OBVIOUS as Hitler’s moustache that these embryos were very much alive, and are organisms despite their tender age, but we are arguing on whether 2-weeks old human foetuses are alive and can be considered human. If we viewed it purely scientifically, and since scientifically speaking it seems to be a question of taxonomy, a species of an organism is not determined by the age of the organism. We don’t look at 2 days old zebrafish embryos and wonder whether these can be considered zebrafishes. We don’t say bulls*** such as only 4-days old zebrafish embryos are zebrafishes. Taxonomy has NEVER classified species based on the age of an organism. The species of an organism is determined by its genetic material, regardless of its age.
But here we are, looking at 2-21 weeks old foetuses and arguing that it is not a human person. That only foetuses older than that are humans.
You see, objectively speaking, Abortion is really NOT a question of at what age is a foetus considered to be a human. Abortion is an argument on when it is okay to murder. We are trying to put a period for when murder can be performed. Terminating of human life at the whim and fancy of another (even if it is the mother) cannot be justified, regardless of what our reasons are. The choice in abortion is between not killing and being okay to kill. Where is the argument in it, really?
The Obama government, approved abortion to be performed at any age of the foetuses without the need to give any reason. He is basically saying, that it doesn’t matter to him, if a life of a human person is being terminated for whatever cause. Apparently, to him, termination of life is a matter between the killer and the victim, and he respects freedom of choice so much that he will not interfere. What a beautiful system and understanding of ‘freedom’ we have.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate, judge or look down on those who have performed abortion, those who will have an abortion, those who are having an abortion as I speak right now. I love them and I know it must be so very difficult to be in their position. Perhaps they feel disadvantaged physically, economically, mentally, psychologically to provide and nurture another human being. However, just because I understand what they feel and the situation they are in, doesn’t mean that I am going to lie or deprive them of the truth. All are entitled to the freedom of truth, and choices are made based on the truth that they are entitled to. They are entitled to know the truth of their actions, of the consequences involved. They have a right to not be misled into believing that abortion is NOT termination of LIFE ie MURDER. They have a right to know that whether a foetus is 1-day or 32-weeks old, it is still a human life, albeit at a different stage. They deserve to know that the age of the foetus in no way diminishes its human quality and species.
There is nothing more to say than that.
We are stuck with these. The will to disbelieve. Difussion of responsibility. Lack of education. Disrespect for the dignity of life.
Random, yet not so random after all.
