The Laci Peterson murder is a tragedy, and should be viewed as such. I’m disappointed that some members of the pro-life community are trying to use it as a springboard for attacks on a woman’s right to choose.

The parallel between this case and a clinical abortion is clearly fallacious, but some people are apparently still having trouble seeing this. Let me explain:

Situation 1: A woman decides that she does not want to have a child. She goes through a sometimes rigorous process to procure an abortion, from a professional. This is her right to choose.

Situation 2: A woman chooses to have a child. Her husband, who has no legal say in the matter, decides to murder her. In the process he terminates her pregnancy. In doing this, he robs her of her right to choose.

The main legal argument for abortion relates to a woman’s privacy, and thus is not brought into question by this crime. While the moral debate over whether a fetus should be considered a human being will invariably rage on, the discussion is purely academic.

Drew Miller

Senior

Computer Science