MS & Personhood At Conception

[FArchivist]

So it looks like Mississippi is about ready to pass the Personhood Amendment to their state constitution, defining life as beginning at conception. I'm just going to sit back and watch this with a whole lot of schadenfreude, because they really don't understand the legal consequences of such an amendment.

Aside from the elimination of all IVF and the inherent problems with tubal pregnancies and stem cell treatments, I will be anxiously awaiting on tenterhooks for the first state official's family that has a miscarriage. Why? Because, since the miscarried fetus was a person at conception, that makes it a possible homicide. Or at the least, manslaughter. IT'S PROSECUTION TIME!

[Andara Bledin]

What a massive waste of taxpayer dollars.

^-.-^

[HYHYBT]

Why would a natural miscarriage not be considered a natural death, the same as if a sickly newborn died?

[Gravekeeper]

Its kind of amazing how determined some of your states are to drag the rest of you kicking and screaming back into the Dark Ages. -.-

[fireheart17]

Why would a natural miscarriage not be considered a natural death, the same as if a sickly newborn died?

Some products can induce a miscarriage, but are your average legal everyday products i.e. caffeine, vitamin C, certain herbs and such etc.

Would you really want to ban the sale of those products to pregnant women?

[FArchivist]

Why would a natural miscarriage not be considered a natural death, the same as if a sickly newborn died?

Let's say you have a miscarriage. You say it's natural. Normally, that would be the end of it - a fetus is not a person and that just happens sometimes.

But if the fetus is a person from point of conception, everything changes legally. You saying "I just had a spontaneous natural miscarriage." is the equivalent of saying "Oh, my 15-year-old teenage son died in his sleep last night. Naturally."

Assuming that your 15-year-old didn't have a terminal disease, the police are going to be right curious as to how he kicked the bucket. You'll have an autopsy, a preliminary investigation at the least, and a full-on homicide investigation if the autopsy warrants it.

Under this amendment, they're going to do the same with this fetus. Why? Because legally, this fetus has all of the rights and privileges of any minor, be they 3, 8, or 15. It's no different, legally. So, they're going to need to do an autopsy, a preliminary investigation at the least, and a full-on homicide investigation if the autopsy warrants it.

After all, you could be lying. You could have committed a homicide, by an induced miscarriage. There could be all sorts of motives - financial, emotional, etc. And it's not a feticide anymore - no, under fetal personhood, an abortion is cold-blooded 1st degree murder, eligible for the death penalty if it exists in your state. Same would go for an self-induced miscarriage. Let's say you had an accident, fell down some stairs, and miscarried? That's manslaughter. You miscarried because a car hit your car and the accident hurt you enough? Vehicular homicide on the part of the crasher.

Really, all you need to do is replace "fetus" with "15-year-old" and that presents all of the reasons why. Because with fetal personhood, there's no difference between the two.

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

I live in MS. This should be fun. I suspect the law will eventually be blocked/struck down by the Supreme Court, much like the Texas sonogram law.

[Panacea]

I live in MS. This should be fun. I suspect the law will eventually be blocked/struck down by the Supreme Court, much like the Texas sonogram law.

Very likely you are right. Even though we have a conservative Court, I think they will recognize the legal can of worms this constitutional amendment would create, and will block its implementation (since even a state constitution doesn't trump federal) even if they are leaning more towards overturning Roe v Wade.

[Rageaholic]

And this is why I'm leaning more pro choice every day.

[bara]

Some times I feel as though my country is a train wreck in slow motion... and Im on the damn train and cant get off.

[blas87]

I'm really torn on this because I see silly and outrageous a woman could be criminally charged for having a miscarriage. Lots of women miscarry in early weeks/months of pregnancy, for various natural reasons that are no fault of their own.

I don't think personhood should be defined at conception, and I believe abortion should always be available to a woman in need of one. I've never been in a pregnant woman's shoes and I never want to be. I'd hate to have to make that kind of decision.

[Panacea]

I just want the government out of my personal life.

The same people who argue for limited government are the same ones who want to legislate people's sexual and reproductive lives.

The question of when does "humanness" begin is one that can't be answered arbitrarily. Science can't prove it. Neither can religion.

It's a decision that needs to be made by the woman who has to carry the child.

It's one thing to offer resources and options. Another to criminalize or emotionally blackmail someone into following YOUR morals.

[Greenday]

The same people who argue for limited government are the same ones who want to legislate people's sexual and reproductive lives.

That's because to them, "limited government" is only in relations to their wallet. They want to continue to legislate other people's personal lives.

[HYHYBT]

Although at the extremes each would affect the other, given a choice I'd far rather have meddling in my finances than in my personal relations.

[Greenday]

So I saw on Fox News tonight that the bill is up for a vote. And they were SLAMMING the bill.

You know when Fox News says it's too conservative that it's WAYYYYYYYYYY too conservative.