Utah women may face murder charges after miscarriages

Utah women may face murder charges after miscarriages

www.independent.co.uk

A proposed Utah law that would open women who suffer a miscarriage to possible criminal prosecution and life imprisonment has enraged feminists and civil rights activists across the United States...

(visit the link for the full news article)





[mod edit: title - to same as source]

Headline: Please use the original story headline from your source.

[edit on 1-3-2010 by 12m8keall2c]

Oh dear... I can't tell you how angry this made me feel. Then I took a few deep breaths and I thought, don't worry, surely they will come to their senses and realize this is in fact insanity.

Or maybe it's me that's insane, maybe I'm a little cuckoo for thinking that passing a bill that could put a woman under police suspicion after a miscarriage, while she's already feeling at her worst is wrong in any way!


www.independent.co.uk (visit the link for the full news article)

I cannot imagine that they would have the gall to push this through.

Even if it did get through, though, it would not last. The supreme court has already ruled on the viability of embryo's, etc.

There has to be a person involved, for there to be a murder.

They are making a law based on a woman WHO WANTED TO BE ASSAULTED.

Upto 50% of pregnancies are miscarried, most of which happen before a woman is aware she is pregnant.

That opens up ALL women who are pregnant to persecution at all times for pretty much any action.

I hope they take their law and choke on it.

Proof that the Relgious Right wants to OWN Fertile Women. Or else.

[edit on 2010/3/1 by Aeons]

reply to post by Odins Advocate


I heard this on the news- they were going after "illegal abortions"- in other ward intentional miscarriages.

From the article:

it includes a provision that could trigger murder charges against women found guilty of an "intentional, knowing or reckless act" that leads to a miscarriage. Some say this could include drinking one glass of wine too many, walking on an icy pavement or skiing.

As crazy as this law sounds I do sort of agree with the part about drinking, doing drugs etc. We have enough women getting pregnant and then smoking crack, shooting dope or drinking as it is.

However, this law seems designed to outlaw any form abortion and really represents state regulation of a woman's body.

I guess you can't expect much better from a place run mostly by religious fundamentals.

Originally posted by Aeons
Proof that the Relgious Right wants to OWN Fertile Women. Or else.

[edit on 2010/3/1 by Aeons]

HA

Anyhoo, I can see wanting to prosecute women who intentionally kill their babies, I knew of a young woman who got prego and didn't want it, so she got drunk off her arse until the baby miscarried...I do not agree with life imprisonment or anything harsh but dang it just seems so wrong they should be punished...but how would one prove it was intentional? And isn't getting an abortion just as bad? In the end I think this is another example of government stupidity and waste, a law that maybe sounds good on paper but will never be enforced.

[edit on 3/1/2010 by AnonymousMoose]

So very tired of these vague laws. I think they must do it on purpose so that if they really want to find something on you they will be able to. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Give them an inch and they'll take forever.

I take it this won't apply to corporate executives who market products that cause miscarriages. I wish these religious types who find so much sanctity in the unborn would carry that concern past their birth, but once born, they couldn't care less about them.

This has zero to do with respect for life or children and everything to do with control of women based on ridiculous religious concepts.

reply to post by AnonymousMoose

but how would one prove it was intentional?

Seems like these days you are the one who has to prove that you are innocent otherwise they got ya! What I mean is that if they want you get you bad enough they will, hence the vauge law.

[edit on 1-3-2010 by (C2C)]

If the conservative right wing religious fundamentalists want to be viewed as crackpots and alienate women in the upcoming elections; this is the right way to go about it.

Ironic how old white men can dictate how women are supposed to treat their bodies.

reply to post by Shadowflux

As crazy as this law sounds I do sort of agree with the part about drinking, doing drugs etc. We have enough women getting pregnant and then smoking crack, shooting dope or drinking as it is.

Should this type of person really be raising a child ? If not who the hell is going to do it ?

Ferrets eat their offspring what's the difference between that and a junkie miscarrying deliberately.

In this crazy world I would test all pregnant women for drugs if they show positive ,lock them up till the baby is born.

As crazy as this law sounds I do sort of agree with the part about drinking, doing drugs etc. We have enough women getting pregnant and then smoking crack, shooting dope or drinking as it is.

reply to post by Shadowflux


I understand your point, drinking and drugs during pregnancy is dangerous and wrong.

But where would it end?

If I drink something sweetened with aspartame, for example? Flurinated water?
Eat too much chocolate?

Looks like a downward slope to me...

Walk outside on a cold day?

Trip on the stairs while being inattentive?

Miss a doctor's appointment?

Leave the house? Tsk Tsk. Its a big bad world out there...you should know better.

Get into an argument!

Drive in rush hour!

You USED to smoke, or you used to be fat. That made you're uterus a less hospitable host for a fetus. Sure, you lost that weight and quit years ago, but you have high blood pressure in pregnancy and it is because your arteries are less elastic from your bad behaviour. You sabotaged your uterus. Jail for you!

Originally posted by AnonymousMoose
Anyhoo, I can see wanting to prosecute women who intentionally kill their babies, I knew of a young woman who got prego and didn't want it, so she got drunk off her arse until the baby miscarried...I do not agree with life imprisonment or anything harsh but dang it just seems so wrong they should be punished...but how would one prove it was intentional? And isn't getting an abortion just as bad? In the end I think this is another example of government stupidity and waste, a law that maybe sounds good on paper but will never be enforced.

They are punished. They are punished years later by themselves when they realize what they did. If they don't ever regret it, even years later, isn't that fact punishment in itself? You reap what you sow and there are always consequences to every action. We might not see them but they're there. I agree with you, this law is not well considered at least - at most it's an invasion of a woman's right to self-determination.