I appreciated the sentiments expressed in the editorial of March 23 on the death of Lileigh Lehnen, the 8 1/2 month old fetus who died after a car accident several months ago.

So let me see if I have this straight: A murder charge seems appropriate in this case, when the reckless driver put himself and others at risk and caused the death of this infant, even though the reckless driver was most likely unaware of the pregnancy. But if a young woman finds herself pregnant and makes a conscious decision to seek out an abortionist, takes out her checkbook and pays someone else to terminate her pregnancy, then the death is permissible at 8 1/2 months — well actually at any stage during pregnancy up until the moment of delivery, because in the latter case it is classified as a medical procedure?

Common sense tells me that the premeditated destruction of a child developing within the womb is a far more culpable crime than this accidental one, though both are tragic. Those who call abortion a medical procedure are trying to sanitize it. But the label doesn’t change what it entails, which is the destruction of innocent life. No physician worthy of his or her calling should be involved in abortion.

No society that considers itself civilized should permit it. I suggest assistance and support for women who find themselves pregnant and in difficult circumstances and adoption as viable options. I hope the ballot initiative recognizing the developing fetus as worthy of protection is successful.

CARL MALITO
Grand Junction

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 25th, 2008 at 10:43 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.