An interesting moral question

[gridlore]

Woman charged with murder after allegedly ignoring warnings to have Caesarean

A pregnant woman who allegedly ignored medical warnings to have a Caesarean section to save her twins was charged Thursday with murder after one of the babies was stillborn.

OK, I'm a strong supporter of abortion rights. My opinion is that until that child is born, it is the mother's choice on what happens to her body. Even so, I've set myself a "moral limit." Once the fetus is viable, it's too late. If you can't make up your mind in before that point, it's simply too late.

Now, what burns me about this case is the woman refusing a C-section because she didn't want the scars. Utterly shallow. Makes me want to slap her.

But I question the murder charge. In Utah, murder can be charged for harming or killing a fetus except in cases of abortion. The law has been used to prosecute women who take drugs while pregnant, for example. But here? Let's be clear. A C-section is am invasive medical procedure, surgery, that carries all the risks of surgery. Should it be a crime to refuse surgery for whatever reason? Say that she objected to the surgery on religious grounds.. would the charges even have been filed?

Would you prosecute the case?

Comments

[twfarlan.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'd prosecute the case. First off, the child could have been saved. Second, she didn't decline on religious grounds, which is a protected right under our Constitution. She declined for cosmetic reasons; it isn't life, liberty, and the pursuit of clear skin and toned abs. Now, frankly, if she's worried more about herself than about her child, I would further remove the child who DID survive on the grounds that she does not have the right mindset for child rearing. Further, I'd have her sterilized to make sure this could not happen again. But then, I'm admittedly a draconian tyrant who says that "rights" are subsumed by responsibilities in a citizen, so perhaps I'm a touch biased. (grin)

Then again, perhaps she should win an award. After all, she did pull back one of her contributions to global overpopulation. Further, she did it for cosmetic reasons, proving once again that the world is too full of idiots not to do SOMETHING about it. I know how we can reward her: take away the living child. After all, doesn't she know that child raising causes wrinkles and gray hair?