VORP: Value Over Replacement Person

There is a philosophy in the business of baseball known as Value Over Replacement Player, or VORP.  It is a complex statistical analysis of the risk associated with acquiring new talent to replace a current player with a known value.  Over and over, the statistics prove one thing:  Your current asset (player) is almost always the better option than its replacement. 

This brings me to my point, kind of...  In the past week, I passed two different Anti-Abortion protests, and was concerned... Not because they were protesting. I fully support free speech to the fullest, and respect anybody who will take a stand for the things they feel passionately about.  I also would like to make a distinction between "Pro-Life" and "Anti-Abortion."  "Pro-Life" is a philosophy, generally based on one's spiritual and moral beliefs, that generally includes life-style choices like contraception or abstinence, and providing education about their beliefs regarding unplanned pregnancy.  "Anti-Abortion" is Pro-Life + Hatred.

Shouldn't this Thing have the right to grow up and become something great, like a Doctor... who performs abortions?

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"Saying that the doctors in these clinics are serial killers who "only perform abortions" is like saying a physician is simply a pervert that jiggles balls and bends you over with a glove."  

Anti-Abortion protesters aren't innocently handing out educational literature, their activities generally include the harassment of the Clinic Staff, Displaying gratuitously graphic imagery, and the spewing of hate speech directly towards young women who are already in a very exposed and vulnerable state. 

Then there are the lunatics who take it one step further... The assassination of the doctors who work in these Women's Clinics.  There have been countless attempts to eliminate clinic staff, fortunately, only few have been successful.  However, the problem is that these people exist. 

My confusion is over how they can justify the elimination of  existing humans to protect the rights of not-quite-humans.  They are overvaluing the replacements for already known entities.  These are known assets, they are generally law abiding, tax-paying, productive members of American Society, who displayed both the intelligence and determination to become medical doctors.  The unborn fetuses are wild-cards... there COULD be a doctor or Senator, but there is a much higher statistical likelihood of them being rapists, con artists, and drug addicts.

I guess my point is... You can't dispute baseball statistics.

-Harry Dunne