NOW Abandons Laci Peterson
It never ceases to amaze me how low political organizations will sink - though NOW nearly amazed me by opposing charging Scott Peterson w/ double murder. Their issue is that since the 'double' in this case included an unborn fetus, the murder of that ... thing ... shouldn't count as a murder. Afterall, how then would they continue to justify their organizations role in destroying millions of unborn fetuses.
As much as I disagree w/ abortion, NOW could easily justify both the right of a woman to choose an abortion and the charging of Scott Peterson w/ double homicide. Abortion laws are written and have been intrepreted to protect a woman's right to choose abortion. The father of the child has zero say in whether a woman is allowed an abortion or not.
Given that, how exactly do they think that the actions of a man, and the subsequent punishment chosen for a man, can affect what is exclusively a woman's right? The short answer is that it can't, and won't. But because there is always the sliver of a chance that one could affect the other, NOW would rather see Peterson go unpunished for the death of his unborn child than to threaten the issue they use to raise funds with.
NOW is supposed to be about furthering the cause of women. How exactly does it further the cause of women to establish a precedent whereby an estranged boyfriend can kick a woman in the stomach, kill her unborn child, and only be punished for battery? How exactly does it further the cause of women to shield from punishment a man that slips a pregnant woman a drug that will kill her unborn child, but not harm her.
UPDATE: Jonah Goldberg points out that this story referrs only to a local New Jersey chapter of NOW and not the national headquarters. He then semi-gloats that Patricia Ireland is on Fox right now agreeing that this is a double-homicide. Good for her, but one has to wonder whether the local chapter just acting on its own or whether it was used by HQ to 'test the waters' on a controversial opinion.
As much as I disagree w/ abortion, NOW could easily justify both the right of a woman to choose an abortion and the charging of Scott Peterson w/ double homicide. Abortion laws are written and have been intrepreted to protect a woman's right to choose abortion. The father of the child has zero say in whether a woman is allowed an abortion or not.
Given that, how exactly do they think that the actions of a man, and the subsequent punishment chosen for a man, can affect what is exclusively a woman's right? The short answer is that it can't, and won't. But because there is always the sliver of a chance that one could affect the other, NOW would rather see Peterson go unpunished for the death of his unborn child than to threaten the issue they use to raise funds with.
NOW is supposed to be about furthering the cause of women. How exactly does it further the cause of women to establish a precedent whereby an estranged boyfriend can kick a woman in the stomach, kill her unborn child, and only be punished for battery? How exactly does it further the cause of women to shield from punishment a man that slips a pregnant woman a drug that will kill her unborn child, but not harm her.
UPDATE: Jonah Goldberg points out that this story referrs only to a local New Jersey chapter of NOW and not the national headquarters. He then semi-gloats that Patricia Ireland is on Fox right now agreeing that this is a double-homicide. Good for her, but one has to wonder whether the local chapter just acting on its own or whether it was used by HQ to 'test the waters' on a controversial opinion.
# | April 21, 2003