Quote of the Day: reasonable doubt

On NRO this morning, Jonah Goldberg talks about the fact that he's pro-life not because he's certain of when life begins, but exactly the opposite:

In death-penalty cases, “reasonable doubt” goes to the accused because unless we’re certain, we must not risk an innocent’s life. This logic goes out the window when it comes to abortion, unless you are 100-percent sure that babies only become human beings after the umbilical cord is cut. I don’t see how you can be that sure, which is why I’m pro-life — not because I’m certain, but because I’m not.

There are legitimate scientific reasons (no, I didn't say anything about faith or the Bible, I said science!) to believe life begins at conception. But Goldberg's point is well-taken: if you can't be sure if it's appropriate to take a life -- whether the life is in the womb or on death row -- it's entirely appropriate to maintain that life. Death is the only thing you can't reverse.