Geniuses and Saviours

One of the most annoying arguments I hear for the banning of abortion is the commonly used "What if he or she were to grow up and become the next Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., or Mahatma Ghandi?" Of course those aren't the only ones used. Just about any positive historical figure can be an acceptable replacement.

What really bugs me about this is that there have most likely been thousands or maybe even tens or hundreds of thousands of geniuses or people with the ability to change the world, who have been struck down by disease, war, domestic abuse, famine, or any other sort of disaster. They may have had an influence so great that our world would be nothing like it is today, for better or for worse. The thing is, most of them lived in a time when not many intelligent people were alive, so there impact would have been immense.

Today, there are six billion humans and counting. It should be obvious that a number that great would make the possibility of a genius being born highly likely. And it is. And with all the healthcare and medications and cures and what-have-you that enable us to live healthier, longer lives, these people would be able to help out society for a much longer time, therefore making the need for another genius less important. With the odds so high in modern times, what would it matter if a potential Einstein were aborted? We have several alive already, and all are helping as best they can. Plus, with the global population becoming more educated and intelligent, the need for someone with such extreme cognitive abilities is starting to lessen. I know it would be great to have another Shakespeare, Newton, or Benjamin Franklin, but humankind doesn't really need them right now. We could use another Alexander the Great or Julius Caesar, though.

If none of the above makes sense or you don't agree with it, think of this.
Isn't it kind of selfish of us to think only about how an aborted fetus could potentially help the world? Why can't we just think of the fetus as a potential human life instead of some sort of hope for world peace?

One last thing. While I may have given the impression that I am Pro-Choice, I am actually very opposed to abortion. I agree with certain cases such as rape and teen sex, but for the most part, I disagree with the practice.

I would like to end with a late "Happy New Year!" May this year be as good to you as any other.