[extropy-chat] Euphamism and misspellings.

[Brett Paatsch]

Russell Wallace wrote:

> On 6/4/05, Brett Paatsch <bpaatsch at bigpond.net.au> wrote:
>> The use of pejorative terms in an ethical discussion is also
>> provocative, it is not however provocative in a good way,
>> its provocative like poking your finger in the other persons
>> eye is provocative. Its not thought provoking or 'light shedding'
>> but it is heat provoking to use the word child in such a way that
>> an early stage embryo falls into the same class as a one year
>> old infant.
> 
> And your use of phrases like 'clump of cells' to refer to an early
> stage embryo isn't provocative? 

Fools can find anything provocative. I am not saying you are a fool
I'm still working that out. 

There are certain contexts in which to describe some early stage 
embryos as a clump of cells is just plain accurate.

But you don't have to take my word for it you can look for yourself.
I don't refer you to a dictionary I refer you to a web site that shows
what different stages of human embryos look like. 

The Carnegie Collection is a tool used by developmental biologists.

http://virtualhumanembryo.lsuhsc.edu/HEIRLOOM/Stages/HEP_StagesFS.htm

> Give me a break.

I'd rather give you an education but I don't have much time so I'll
just give you the link and ask you if you think that it is misleading to
call early stage embryos "clumps of cells". 

> Argue your position
> if you must (not that anything will or can be said on the topic of
> abortion that hasn't been said a million times already, so rehashing
> it on this list is a waste of bandwidth),

You know that for a fact do you?

> ... but don't insult everyone's
> intelligence by pretending you're somehow being more rational than
> your opponents.

What sort of intelligence *gets* insulted? That's a rhetorical question.

Seriously what is missing in this discussion about early stage embryos
is something that does not need to be in the age of the internet. Its 
possible for you or I or anyone to take a look at what human entities
at different stages look like for ourselves. 

Brett Paatsch