There is the further question of when human life begins. We all agree that every fertilized embryo is “human” in the sense that they have human chromosomes and thus can develop into human beings. But I would question whether one is fully “human” until the child has a basic grasp of language as a medium of communication, for language is what makes us “human.” Infant chimpanzees, after all, are physically and behaviorally very similar to prelinguistic human babies, with whom they share 98 percent of their DNA. The differences emerge only after they develop into childhood and adolescence. I personally abhor the idea of abortion and would never consent to it if I were a woman because I believe, with William Blake, that “everything that lives is holy,” but I have no right to impose that viewpoint on anyone else! I abhor the culling of deer and the poisoning of rodents for the same reason, but I acknowledge their necessity…