Full speech at UC Berkeley campus (some language)

Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro delivered his highly anticipated speech at UC-Berkeley on Thursday, but one of most entertaining moments came when he invited dissenting opinions during a Q&A.

A self-proclaimed “left-leaning” student confronted Shapiro over his views on abortion, asking him why he believes a first trimester fetus has “moral value.”

“A first trimester fetus has moral value because whether you consider it a potential human life or a full-on human life, it has more value than just a cluster of cells,” Shapiro said. “If left to its natural processes, it will grow into a baby.”

Shapiro then asked the left-leaning student where he would “draw the line” to determine whether a fetus has moral value.

“Are you going to draw the line at the heartbeat? Because it’s very hard to draw the line at the heartbeat, there are people who are adults who are alive because of a pacemaker,” he added. “Are you going to do it based on brain function? OK, well what about people who are in a coma, should we just kill them?”

Human life either “has intrinsic value or it doesn’t,” according to Shapiro.

The questioner interjected that he believes “sentience” is what gives something moral value.

Shapiro was locked and loaded with a response.

“So when you’re asleep, can I stab you?” Shapiro asked.

“I’m still considered sentient when I’m asleep?” the student responded.

“OK, if you are in a coma from which you may awake, can I stab you?” Shapiro asked in a follow-up question.

“Well, then, uh, no,” the student said.

When the student then claimed that he would still have “potential sentience” even if he was in a coma, Shapiro agreed.

“I agree it is potential sentience. You know what else is potential sentience? Being a fetus,” Shapiro shot back.

Full story at Independent Journal Review.