Word: monson
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1980-1989
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...police report that after her doctor warned her to stay off her feet and not to take illegal drugs or to engage in sexual intercourse, Pamela Monson took amphetamines and had sex with her husband. Later she began to hemorrhage and lost over a quart of blood, but she did not seek medical help for several hours...
...Clearly, Monson grossly neglected her own health. And clearly, her behavior can not have been good for the fetus she was carrying. The issue, however, is what the government can or should do about...
...CRIME WITH which Monson has been charged is to "willfully omit, without lawful excuse" necessary medical care for her child. Under the provisions of this 1926 law, fetuses are considered persons. The statute has been used primarily to force husbands to furnish child support for families they have deserted; the fetus has been considered a child in order to make the father responsible...
However, while ascribing rights to a fetus may be a convenient way to argue for child support, Monson's case shows it to be a slippery slope toward granting the state an interest not only in the conduct of its citizens, but also in their bodies...
...Monson acted immorally by almost any ethical standard, but mere immorality is not an argument for state sanctions or control. The question is whether the state has a legitimate interest in the way a woman treats her own body during pregnancy...