This post bring to light a distinction that may become more prominent in the wake of the Supreme Court's abortion ruling, and its one the social conservatives have been angling for.
What is the legal status of a fetus?
I can't recall the last time I heard a pro-lifer say the word "fetus" for an obvious reason. If the "entity" is called a child then it can be subject to protections, notably those guaranteed in the 14th Amendment. To treat a person in utero differently than one that has been born would violate their civil rights. But this could also lead to unforeseen consequences since damages to the fetus/person would carry the same legal weight as that to the rest of us.
A potential legal field day me-thinks.
