Word: monson
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...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...
...Pamela Monson did a horrible thing. She has to live with the choices she made, but those choices are not something for the state to decide. If government has an interest in the health of its citizens and of the next generation, let it give them the education and the opportunities they need to lead happy, healthy lives. Until it does, policing their bodies is no substitute...