Do unborn have constitutional rights?
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Editor,
Ms. Senkler, I take you at your word and wonder if you would expand on your letter. On what information do you base your statement that it is an indisputable fact that life begins at conception?
My dilemma considering this issue is how, if that is in fact true, do we deal with associated issues. Assuming the conception-right-to-life is not a religious-based issue but lies within our constitutional framework, does that not also mean the conceived person is also entitled to other constitutional protections? And is there a difference in conception; that is if an infertile couple uses medical procedures where conception occurs in a test tube, who should be accountable for that life? Or if an unborn child is aborted or injured due to the act of the mother or another, such as drinking, smoking, an assault, an accident or carelessness, should our murder laws not apply to those who cause that death/injury equally? If you believe it is not equally applied, is it your intent we play God and only selectively protect conceived persons? And if a couple from some foreign country conceives while on vacation, does not that new person have U.S. citizenship? Or do you grant more importance to being born and actually believe there is some difference in applying constitutional rights once the person emerges? And lastly, do you hold that killing after birth, such as during a war or capital punishment, is somehow less injurious a crime than killing before birth?
If your idea is inspired by the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution and does not come from your religious beliefs, I support your efforts. If it is based on your religious beliefs, I support your right to espouse them in that regard, but I question the simplistic idea of saying, and even worse, implying, that conception creates a less-than-equal constitutional right. In truth, I doubt you wish our rights applied equally and without prejudice within the broader scope of our nation’s area.
Richard Bell
Polson
