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PROLIFE2 4'?m2f Abortion in the case of rape or incest

LIZ -- (enters wearing business suit, carrying briefcase)

AMY -- (follows wearing white lab coat, carrying clipboard) Ms
Lassiter?

LIZ -- (stops, turns) Yes?

AMY -- I'm glad I caught you before you got to your office. I
need your signature on this. (offers clipboard)

LIZ -- (takes clipboard) Sure. What is it?

AMY -- It's an order to disconnect the life support for Mr.
Troutman in 348.

LIZ -- (reads) Troutman?

AMY -- Yes.

LIZ -- I wasn't aware that Mr. Troutman was brain-dead.

AMY -- Oh, he's not.

LIZ -- Well, then, we can't disconnect his life-support. (offers
clipboard)

AMY -- (pushes clipboard) Sure we can. (points) Look here, in
the cause of action.

LIZ -- (reads) Cause of action: patient's medical history
reveals that he was conceived as the result of incestuous rape.
(frowns) I don't see how this is relevant. Mr Troutman is 77
years old. What possible difference could it make how he was
conceived 78 years ago?

AMY -- Wait a minute. Are you saying that it doesn't matter at
all how he was conceived?

LIZ -- Well, of course not!

AMY -- Listen, Mr Troutman is comatose. There's no way he could
defend himself if we decide to end his life.

LIZ -- I can't believe you're saying that. Just because he's
defenseless doesn't mean he's less than human.

AMY -- That's not what you said last night.

LIZ -- Last night. Oh! You heard me on that radio talk show last
night.

AMY -- Yes. You did a marvelous job defending the rights of the
unborn.

LIZ -- Thank you. And as a matter of fact, the things I said
about babies in the womb are also true of Mr Troutman.

AMY -- They are?

LIZ -- Yes. A person is no less human merely because he can't
speak for himself or defend himself.

AMY -- So, you think the important factor is the fact that he's
human, rather than his physical condition.

LIZ -- Or his location. Mr Troutman is no less human and no less
valuable because he's in a hospital. And a baby is no less
valuable because he's in the womb.

AMY -- But he IS less human if he was conceived as a result of
rape or incest.

LIZ -- Yes. No. Yes.

AMY -- Well, which is it? You said on the radio that we should
allow for abortions in the case of rape and incest.

LIZ -- Yes, I did. But...

AMY -- (pushes clipboard) Good, sign the authorization to
disconnect Mr Troutman.

LIZ -- (pushes clipboard) No! That's barbaric!

AMY -- What's the difference between Mr Troutman's conception
and anyone else who is conceived as a result of rape and incest?

LIZ -- I don't know. I guess I wasn't thinking about the baby. I
was thinking about the mother.

AMY -- So, what are you saying? Are you saying that if the
mother is uncomfortable with the pregnancy, the baby is less
human?

LIZ -- (sighs) I guess I hadn't thought about it in those terms.
But if we make exceptions for rape and incest, that's pretty
much what we're saying, isn't it?

AMY -- Yes.

LIZ -- (smiles) Say, you weren't really considering
disconnecting Mr Troutman's life supports were you?

AMY -- No. Mr Troutman's mother is dead. I couldn't check with
her to see if she was uncomfortable with the rape and incest.

LIZ -- That's very clever! You really had me going there! I
thought you were serious about reducing the value of human life
merely because of circumstances.

AMY -- I could say the same about you.

LIZ -- (turns, exits with Amy) Why didn't you call into the talk
show last night and use Mr Troutman's situation as an analogy?

AMY -- I tried to. But the call screener accused me of being a
right winger and a Bible thumper.

©2007 Bob Snook. Conditions for use:
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