Laci's unborn baby in abortion debate

WND ^ | April 20, 2003 | Staff

[Nachum]

The California deaths of Laci Peterson and her unborn son are sending shock waves across America as the issue of when human life begins has been reignited.

Laci's husband Scott was arrested last week following the discovery of what prosecutors say is Laci's body and that of their "biological child."

Scott Peterson, who was booked on two counts of murder hours after his arrest in San Diego, is scheduled for an arraignment hearing tomorrow. If charged and convicted of double homicide, he could face the death penalty.

Already, some pro-choice groups including the National Organization for Women are voicing their opposition to the double-murder charge, saying it could become part of the pro-life lobby's arsenal.

"If this is murder, well, then any time a late-term fetus is aborted, they could call it murder," Morris County NOW President Mavra Stark told the Daily Record of Parsippany, N.J.

"There's something about this that bothers me a little bit," Stark said. "Was it born, or was it unborn? If it was unborn, then I can't see charging [Peterson] with a double-murder."

"[The boy] was wanted and expected," Stark added, "and [Laci] had a name for him, but if he wasn't born, he wasn't born. It sets a kind of precedent."

But pro-life groups are defending the two murder charges.

"Obviously, [the child] was wanted by the mother," Marie Tasy of New Jersey Right To Life told the Record. "Clearly, groups like NOW are doing a great injustice to women by opposing these laws. It just shows you how extreme, and to what lengths, these groups will go to protect the right to abortion."

More than two dozen states have fetal homicide laws on the books, but they vary widely.

According to Court TV, "In some states, such as Missouri and Minnesota, a fetus is considered a living thing at conception. In others, like Georgia and Michigan, a fetus is only protected after "quickening" – when movement is first felt in the womb – occurs. In Pennsylvania, where a woman was convicted [last month] of murder for causing a romantic rival to miscarry her 15-week-old fetus, the 1999 law applies to any stage of pregnancy."

The lack of a singular standard in the law has weighed heavily on the minds of many.

In a letter to the editor of the Modesto Bee published March 29, weeks before Laci's body was discovered, Father Joseph Illo of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Modesto wrote:

"California law defines a fetus as human after eight weeks' gestation if you kill his or her mother. If the mother kills the fetus, then California law changes its mind to say, in that case, the fetus is no longer human. Is a human fetus human or not? If the Laci Peterson case is a 'double' homicide, then any abortion after eight weeks in this state is a 'single' homicide. That is why I've been praying at abortion clinics these last 10 years – that we will come back to our senses."

[STARWISE]

This is SO disgusting!!!! The abomination of the abortion lovers trying to link up with the murder of a known, living fetus close to delivery falls to the depths of vileness and politicking. How dare they!! Prayers for Laci, Conner and the Rocha family. God .. give them help thru this horror.

[cubreporter]

The baby is a living, human being at the moment of conception no matter what these idiots say. Who in thee hell do they think they are? God? Oh, probably not because they probably don't even believe in God and that's why they can make the assinine statements that they do. A life is conceived at the time of conception which makes it a living, breathing little human being. Nothing the abortion lovers and the NOW gang can say can change that in a million years. PERIOD!!!

[cyborg]

I am astounded myself. Abortion didn't even enter my mind. The baby was a full term fetus. Are the PP nazi cows worried about partial birth abortion?

[cubreporter]

Yes and I would tell those idiots to stay the hell out of this. It is THEIR grandson that was murdered!!!! So the NOW gang can mind their own business and quit butting into everyone else's lives. It's time this crowd stops putting their noses where they are not wanted. Besides, isn't this group of busybodies on their way out anyway?

[Billy_bob_bob]

Yes, let the feminists jump on this issue. Let them become forever associated with this case.

When your enemy is intent on destroying themselves, get out of their way and let them!

[Yeti]

"[The boy] was wanted and expected," Stark added, "and [Laci] had a name for him, but if he wasn't born, he wasn't born. It sets a kind of precedent."

Kind of sets a precedent when you slip up and call Conner "he" instead of "it", like in the paragraph before that.

[MVV]

Did anyone catch Gloria Allred on MSNBC referring to Baby Connor as a "fetus"?

This child given the chance to be born even early could've survived on his own! This is no "fetus", this was a human life that was MURDERED right along with his mother!

Actually he was suffocated! God's pity on Scott Peterson if he did this heinous act, and from where I am standing all arms point to him!

FReegards.

[Enough is ENOUGH]

"If this is murder, well, then any time a late-term fetus is aborted, they could call it murder,"

The leftists have a perfect track record for avoiding reality on every issue they support.

[snickeroon]

And STILL the baffled lefties can't understand the new and refreshed wave of revulsion against them when they try to promote abortion, bash the president, whine about being considered unpatriotic.....

We MUST stand up and shout down this lunacy. This BABY had a name, a sex, and was WANTED. This BABY was murdered, and there is absolutely no viable argument on TWO major points.

1. This PERSON, a full-term BABY was entitled to all the rights listed in the Constitution.

2. This LIFE was TAKEN by an act of MURDER.

To let degenerate demons posing as human beings say anything otherwise is giving the devil his due. In God's name, we MUST let our voices be heard in proportions resounding enough to silence the immmoral minority.

[BradyLS]

I knew this would happen when they said they found the mother and infant separately. Mike Farrell and friends will gleefully announce that only one person was murdered and that their heinous crime shouldn't be a capital offense.

[BradyLS]

"If this is murder, well, then any time a late-term fetus is aborted, they could call it murder," Morris County NOW President Mavra Stark told the Daily Record of Parsippany, N.J.

DUH!!!

[Husker24]

She didnt choose to have an abortion anyway, so I would think even under current law if the mother didnt choose to abort the baby than why wouldnt it be murder under the law?

[cyborg]

It matters nothing to these people that Laci Peterson died I guess. Sounds like PETA worrying about donkey bombs rather than people.

[MVV]

I just wondered how long it would take for these sick special interest groupies to come out of the woodwork!

God only knows how this beautiful young woman and baby died at the hands of her murderer! Sick, sick, sick!

[cubreporter]

Agree! Everyone needs have their voices heard on this. Speak up everyone. Let your voices be heard in defense of innocent babies not given the chance to live their lives. If the NOW gang can speak so can we. There are millions of us who are against abortion and we have a right to speak out and protect these babies and by God we will speak out.

[Yeti]

if the mother didnt choose to abort the baby than why wouldnt it be murder under the law?

I don't get it either, Husker.

I was on another thread, and the same issue was raised. I don't know the law, I guess, but I would think that if the woman's right to privacy is what makes it legal, then it has no bearing on what Scott supposedly did without her permission.

We can always rely on NOW to come out of left field with bizarre things like this.

[Lo-Pro]

this is really amazing. the poor baby was murdered, his Mom...his remains wash up on shore, and the first thing some people can think to say is, "Hey, no justice for you Connor. You are so worthless, your death means nothing to us. You are not worth defending. "

And think about the message to Laci's family...(!)remembering how special the child had to be to her.

[SpyGuy]

Living in the Bay Area, it's been "amusing" (if not nauseating) listening to the so-called journalists tripping all over themselves ever since the two bodies were discovered. Some reporters would refer to the dead child as an "unborn baby," while others would refer to him as a "fetus". You could actually hear the strain in their voices; even they (the liberal "reporters") didn't seem comfortable referring to the dead baby as a fetus. But the left's agenda always comes first.

And then this morning came the reports that NOW was opposing the double-homicide charges (what a surprise). And by this afternoon, an interesting change occured in the news reports about Scott Peterson. The reporter stated that Scott was being indicted for the murder of Laci Peterson. Suddenly, there was no mention of the indictment for the murder of the baby. Yes, the liberal propaganda machine has already started altering the "news" reports.

[over3Owithabrain]

It's absolutely amazing, isn't it? Just when you think the left cannot go any lower. I thought supporting abortion was all about a "woman's choice"? So killing a 8 month old in the womb who the mother wanted is ok? So if Scott Peterson murdered only the baby and not Laci, there should be no crime? What the f is this world coming to?