There are those wonderful moments of clarity in life when…
““There are those wonderful moments of clarity in life when one is reminded how irreparably flawed we humans are. Once, when I was nineteen, on the subway in Boston I lost my balance slightly and bumped into an elderly woman. I quickly apologized and she replied, "Well, hold on to something, stupid." There it is. That's it. That's it in a nutshell. I don't want to sound negative, but I think every fetus should be shown a film of that incident, maybe projected up on the uterine wall, and then asked if it wants to come out. I am a strong believer in a woman's right to choose, but I also think that in the last trimester, the kid should be given every opportunity to back out.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The anecdote highlights human imperfection and uses dark humor to argue for fetal awareness before birth, suggesting a choice to abort based on early life experience.
In simple terms: Humans are flawed; the joke pushes for fetal awareness before abortion.
Consider the ethics of fetal awareness.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- medical ethics debates
- pro‑choice arguments
- public policy discussions
- personal decision making
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Should fetal awareness be a factor in abortion decisions?
- How does humor affect serious ethical debates?
The humor may oversimplify complex moral and scientific issues.