Precursors to human persons

It has been rather amusing reading Ivan Padovani’s contribution (‘When life begins’, March 6) in which he asserts that my statements were of “questionable accuracy”. Similarly, John Pace (‘When human life begins’, March 11) accuses me of turning “mist into a fog”.

This is because people like Padovani and Pace who try to frame religious beliefs, such as “life begins at conception/fertilisation”, as scientific fact struggle to justify their assertions with any scientific proof because no such proof exists.

Here are some facts that readers may wish to consider before deciding whether a fertilised egg is truly a human person:

It is a fact that an unfertilised egg is just as alive as a fertilised one. The difference is that, upon fertilisation, the egg obtains additional genetic material from a sperm which allows it to continue developing. There is no life ‘created’ at fertilisation; life merely continues.

It is a fact that over half of all fertilised eggs fail to implant and grow in the uterus. If these were all human beings, as people like Padovani and Pace would have us believe, then nature is already killing the majority of all human beings before a pregnancy even begins.

It is a fact that one embryo can divide and produce two identical twins. These are not half a person each.

It is a fact that an early embryo consists of a few cells and has no organs. Embryos are not miniature babies, as the anti-choice would have us believe, but are biological ‘seed’ that could develop into a human person with the right conditions and some luck. It may take more than ‘some’ luck though, considering the majority of embryos die naturally before a woman realises she is pregnant and also that many pregnancies end in natural miscarriage. It would be more helpful to consider embryos for what they really are: a precursor to a human person.

The country’s unscientific and religious-driven fixation on equating embryos with fully formed human beings worthy of legal protection is causing immeasurable suffering to actual, breathing human beings.

Women and girls who need an abortion for any reason, including if there is a risk to their health and lives, cannot do so legally.

Doctors who wish to help a pregnant woman who is suffering from a pregnancy cannot help her by terminating the pregnancy. Couples with genetic disorders cannot access IVF with pre-implantation genetic diagnosis to avoid passing the disorder to their children. And the list goes on.

It is about time Malta starts to treat its actual human beings with more respect, rather than pander to religions that try to sell beliefs as scientific fact to achieve a political aim.

Christopher Barbara – Naxxar

Corradino prison

Corradino prison. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

We have lately had a spate of letters and articles about the way our prison is run. Certain allegations are extremely serious.

The last accusation was from an inmate alleging torture, terror etc.

I do not necessarily fully believe what is being alleged, however, may I suggest it is time that a fully independent board be set up to look into these allegations and report accordingly?

We certainly cannot ever condone mistreatment and disregard of basic human rights in our penal system.

Joseph Croker – Balzan

The one that Borg missed

What a lovely picture of a profusion of poppies in glorious bloom (April 30).

Quick, get rid of it, before Ian Borg sees it and smothers this field in concrete!

Anna Micallef – Sliema

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