Exploited after Death
by Michael
Coren, Columnist, Sun Media
May 1, 2003
Where's
the compassion for a woman and her son?
Seldom has there been a tragedy so upsetting as that of Laci Peterson and her tiny son Connor. Laci's husband and Connor's father, Scott Peterson, has been charged with double homicide. The lovely and loved young woman's body was found washed up on the beach, and she had been decapitated. The body of Connor was found a mile away from that of his mum.
A vile, nauseating story of murder. We weep, we pray, we hope that such horror will never occur again. Yet suddenly the tragedy of the death of this mum and child has become political. Why? Because pro-choice groups throughout the United States have decided to make it so.
You see, Scott Peterson has been charged with double homicide. And that seems to terrify the radical feminist groups who have shown precious little thought for their supposed sister Laci, but lots of concern for the right to abort babies.
"If this is murder, well, then any time a late-term fetus is aborted, they could call it murder," said Morris County National Organization of Women President Mavra Stark. Seeming to become increasingly angry, she said that, "There's something about this that bothers me a little bit. Was it born, or was it unborn? If it was unborn, then I can't see charging Peterson with a double murder."
Bothered? One would think so. A mother and child have been murdered. But not a word of sympathy for the two slaughtered innocents, merely concern that one of them may have his killer brought to justice.
The good lady continued: "The boy was wanted and expected and Laci had a name for him, but if he wasn't born, he wasn't born. It sets a kind of precedent."
Worrisome precedent
Oh I see. The pro-choice people are concerned that holding a person responsible for the murder of an eight-month-old pre-born child might set a precedent - that others who kill such children might be charged. Or, heaven forbid, might even lose their public funding and police protection, all paid for by the taxpayers in most parts of Canada.
It really is quite extraordinary how far the pro-aborts will go to hold on to the ground they have won. One would have hoped that on this issue perhaps we could put aside the old arguments about abortion and simply pour out love and compassion for a young woman and her perfect young son. But no. Even after death they become political pawns, exploited by people seemingly obsessed with deciding who is entitled to live.
In fact many pro-choice advocates have told me that they are disgusted by the way pro-choice leaders have reacted to this double tragedy. Not all however. One caller to my radio show on April 20 explained that even if the child's head was out of the womb but not the rest of the body, it was still acceptable to slit its throat or break its neck.
This child was fully capable of independent and autonomous life, if that was even an issue. But he still had his umbilical cord attached. I cannot imagine a more pathetic and horrific scene. Mum and son, linked together in death as they were in life.
To add yet more pathos and tears, they went missing on December 24th, Christmas Eve. The evening we remember the birth of another child to another young woman. Just like that lady 2,000 years ago, Laci had hopes and dreams for her son. She wanted to protect him, love him, hold him and kiss him. Her son.
But also his mother. He was a separate human being, unique and special and adored. Why some people who claim to believe in choice have become so, well, hysterical, about reducing the charges against someone accused of murdering a woman frankly astounds and shocks me.
Disappoints me too. I always assumed that we in the pro-life community could disagree amicably with our opponents because they were energized by their interpretation of compassion, just as we are by ours. This is not compassion at all, but cold-blooded power politics. At the expense not only of Laci and her son, but their family and friends.
If you doubt me, go to her official web site and see the reaction there. Connor deserves justice as much as does his mother. Who are we to deny it? ***
© 2003 Michael Coren and Sun Media. Originally appreared 26 April 2003. Used with permission.
Michael Coren is a Toronto-based writer and broadcaster. He can be emailed at info@michaelcoren.com and his web site is michaelcoren.com.
Other articles on the Laci Peterson Case:
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