Moody Center
False Equivalence
RECEIVED Mon., June 3, 2019
Dear Editor,
In accusing City Council of hypocrisy, last week’s Letter to the Editor “Puppy Abortions?” appears to conflate (whether intentionally or not) the euthanasia of already-born dogs and cats in an animal shelter with a woman’s rights concerning the unborn contents of her uterus. Euthanasia is the (mercy) killing of a being that has already been born. Abortion is the termination of a human pregnancy. It would be in no way hypocritical for the city of Austin to oppose the euthanasia of dogs and cats at the Austin Animal Shelter while simultaneously supporting a woman’s right to reproductive choice. (City Council’s stances on the euthanasia of “stray” human beings or the reproductive rights of pregnant doggies and kitties, if these stances exist at all, are not germane here and will be left for someone else to explore.) We are all entitled to our own beliefs regarding euthanasia and abortion rights, whether for two-legged creatures or four, but the conflation of the two practices serves only to muddy the waters and, moreover, to illustrate the logical fallacy of false equivalence.
In accusing City Council of hypocrisy, last week’s Letter to the Editor “Puppy Abortions?” appears to conflate (whether intentionally or not) the euthanasia of already-born dogs and cats in an animal shelter with a woman’s rights concerning the unborn contents of her uterus. Euthanasia is the (mercy) killing of a being that has already been born. Abortion is the termination of a human pregnancy. It would be in no way hypocritical for the city of Austin to oppose the euthanasia of dogs and cats at the Austin Animal Shelter while simultaneously supporting a woman’s right to reproductive choice. (City Council’s stances on the euthanasia of “stray” human beings or the reproductive rights of pregnant doggies and kitties, if these stances exist at all, are not germane here and will be left for someone else to explore.) We are all entitled to our own beliefs regarding euthanasia and abortion rights, whether for two-legged creatures or four, but the conflation of the two practices serves only to muddy the waters and, moreover, to illustrate the logical fallacy of false equivalence.
Kate Abel