dagblog - Comments for "Back home in Indiana"

I'm not in a hurry to comment

Flavius — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 04:04:46 +0000

I'm not in a hurry to comment myself. OK, I'm sure she shouldn't be tried for murder. Certainl she had diminished responsibility. Maybe to the point she had zero responsibility but I wouldn't say that without more information.

All horrible.

Instead of a thoughtful

wabby — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 18:20:13 +0000

In reply to Back home in Indiana

Instead of a thoughtful contribution, how about a gut reaction?

If Bei Bei Shuai is found guilty and sent to prison, they should send that philandering dirt bag that knocked her up then went back to his wife to prison, too. Seems to me his coarse and cowardly behavior is the catalyst for all actions in this case. At the very least, he needs to meet up with Lorena Bobbitt in a dark alley. Too bad being a natural born asshole isn't against the law.

Okay. Got that out of my system.

You know....I've always hated the phrase "slippery slope", but it fits here. I'd like to know more about why the prosecution believes they can win this one.

And while we're at it, what

Elusive Trope — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:47:28 +0000

In reply to What if you take abortion out

And while we're at it, what about the parents that feed their kids a diet that leads to obesity, which we know will likely shorten their lifespan. Should we prosecute parents for slowly killing their children, or for causing suffering from like diabetes.

Both thoughtful

Flavius — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 15:02:26 +0000

In reply to Back home in Indiana

Both thoughtful contributions.

What if you take abortion out

Richard Day — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:53:54 +0000

In reply to The headline caught my

What if you take abortion out of the picture.

What if mom overdoses on pills but does not die.

While she is out of it, her six year old son takes the rest of the pills and OD's?

Should we prosecute her for manslaughter; reckless indifference?

Now put abortion back in the picture. Mom gains 80 lbs during pregnancy by overeating and not exercising!

The baby is born with severe problems related to Mom's gluttony.

This legislation opens up a can of worms.

What is the number of deaths caused by guns? I keep hearing this 30,000 number.

Shootings and drug busts and assaults and rapes....DA's have a lot on their plates.

It costs money to prosecute felons.

The headline caught my

Elusive Trope — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:23:45 +0000

In reply to Back home in Indiana

The headline caught my interest because I'm in Indiana. Then I wondered: " cause célèbre" for who and why?"

"This case has huge implications for pregnant women, not only in Indiana but across the country," said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union.

"If we allowed the state to put a woman in jail for anything that could pose a risk to her pregnancy, there would be nothing to stop the police putting in jail a woman who has a drink of wine or who smokes. So where do you draw the line?"

Kolbi-Molinas said there had been an alarming rise in the number of such cases across the US. Some women's groups put the rise down to pressure on prosecutors from anti-abortion groups.

....

Kathrine Jack, a lawyer with the NAPW...."If it was allowed to stand, it would not outlaw abortion right away but it would be a significant step along the way."

This is not just an Indiana issue. As the article ends:

Utah, Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and South Carolina are among states to have pressed ahead with cases involving pregnant women and their foetuses, most of which have related to women taking illegal drugs during pregnancy.

It does make for an interesting Law & Order episode. One in which the point of view of holding a person (man or woman) responsible for their behavior that leads to the harm of another person. But given that this other person is a fetus complicates the matter (aside from proving a direct cause and effect between the behavior and the harm), even more so when some of those involved have another political agenda.