The Hard Truth — Part V
Unborn Baby at 8 Weeks Lobster
First published December 15th, 2006.
TOLERANT, Humane, Equal. This is the new Trinity of the modern world, the image in which we have recreated ourselves. As such in this new world order, animals have been given the same rights as humans… if not more.
Recently:
The CrustaStun, billed as a more humane way to kill lobsters, was originally launched with a home and restaurant version in 1999 by British inventor Simon Buckhaven. Buckhaven says the shock makes lobsters insensible for pain-free boiling… "There were pressures on them from upscale dining room and grocery chains in the U.K. and London to humanely process seafood." —CBC News, December 14th, 2006
ALL THINGS BEING EQUAL
Nothing wrong with treating animals more humanely. But if we are to be Tolerant, Humane, and Equal, then shouldn’t all animals be treated the same way?
The unborn baby is not recognized as a human—in some countries such as Canada, up to the moment before birth begins (at which point Tinkerbell enters the womb and waves her wand, magically bestowing humanhood). But we know these unborn "fetuses" are alive. So at the very least, should they should not be treated with the same accord as animals? It seems that pain is the pivotal issue here… that issue which tugs so profoundly at the sensitive modern heart.
HUMANE PAIN
If we demand that lobsters feel little to no pain while killing them, shouldn’t this also be the case when we kill the unborn? But do the unborn feel any pain at all?
Medical facts we know today of fetal development:
- 21 days: heart begins beating.
- 4 or 5 weeks: pain receptors appear around the mouth.
- 7 weeks: Lip tactile response may be evoked in a fetus.
- 11 weeks: the face and all parts of the upper and lower extremities are sensitive to touch.
- 13 to 14 weeks, the entire body surface, except for the back and the top of the head, are sensitive to pain.
- 18 weeks: stress hormones are released by an unborn child injected by a needle, just as they are when adults feel pain.
- 20 weeks: the fetal brain has the full complement of brain cells present in adulthood, ready and waiting to receive pain signals from the body.
- 20-30 weeks: an unborn child has more pain receptors per square inch than at any other time, before or after birth, with only a very thin layer of skin for protection.
- 30-32 weeks: mechanisms that inhibit or moderate the experience of pain do not begin to develop until weeks 30-32. Any pain the unborn child experiences before these mechanisms form is likely worse than the pain an older child or adult experiences.
* To see some extraordinary photos of living unborn babies at various stages of development, click here.
(Sources for the above include: Dr. Paul Ranalli, neurologist, University of Toronto; S. Reinis & J. Goldman, The Development of the Brain C. Thomas Pub., 1980; Willke, J & B, Abortion: Questions & Answers, Hayes, 1991, Chpt. 10; Expert Report of Kanwaljeet S. Anand, MBBS, D.Phil.” Northern District of the US District Court in California. 15 Jan 2004; www.abortionfacts.com)
THE HARD TRUTH
In a livestock slaughterhouse, a method of slaughter is deemed legally humane in the U.S. only if…
…all animals are rendered insensible to pain by a single blow or gunshot or an electrical, chemical, or other means that is rapid and effective before being shackled, hoisted, thrown, cast, or cut. —Section 2 of the Humane Slaughter Act, 7 USC 1902
By contrast, D&E abortions (Dilation and Evacuation) performed as late as 24 weeks—well after the child begins to feel pain—involve the dismemberment of the unborn child by a pair of sharp metal forceps. See here for an illustration. Also, view the video Silent Scream to see an actual D&E procedure and the 12 week old baby’s response on ultrasound.
Instillation methods of abortion (performed even after 30-32 weeks) involve the replacement of up to one cup of amniotic fluid with a concentrated salt solution. The unborn child inhales the solution as the salt burns the baby’s skin. The child lives in this condition for up to an hour. See the results of such an abortion here.
In neither of these techniques is the unborn child provided with any form of anesthesia.*
An unborn child at 20 weeks gestation “is fully capable of experiencing pain… Without question, [abortion] is a dreadfully painful experience for any infant subjected to such a surgical procedure." —Robert J. White, MD., Ph.D. professor of neurosurgery, Case Western Reserve University
46 million abortions are performed worldwide each year. —The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform
* Note: For those who haven’t read the other Hard Truths, it should be understood that I believe the personhood and dignity of the unborn child must be respected from conception until natural death. Anesthesia is not an option to make the pain of our conscience go away. Ending abortion is the only option. It is coming… whether we end it, or God ends it, the end of it is coming.
FURTHER READING:
- Telling pictures: The Hard Truth - Part I
- Infanticide—in North America?: The Hard Truth - Part IV
