Now Meddles Where It Doen't Belong

By Author: Kimberley Lindsay Wilson
Total Articles: 2
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NOW intrudes on the Laci Peterson case.
In Greek mythology the Furies were three female spirits who relentlessly pursued anyone who committed gross crimes, such as murder against the very old, the very young and family members. They tormented their victim with deafening screams and curses until the criminal either confessed or went insane. When I heard that a NOW chapter was trying to tie the Laci Peterson case to the abortion debate I thought about the Furies. The first time I heard Laci Peterson's story I was pretty sure that she was dead. People walk away from their lives everyday but this woman was in her final trimester of pregnancy with her first child, she had a loving relationship with her family and it was Christmas Eve. It didn't make sense that Laci Peterson had left on her own. As the days went by it didn't seem like some crazed stranger had taken her either. Suspicions centered on her husband, Scott and the oddities of his behavior during the police investigation only made them stronger. As we all now know, the bodies of Mrs. Peterson and her unborn son, whom she'd already named Connor ...
... washed ashore from the San Francisco Bay this month and Scott Peterson has been arrested. He has been charged with two counts of murder. One is for his wife, obviously. The other is for his son. That is where the National Organization comes—totally uninvited—into the story. Marva Stark, president of NOW's New Jersey objected to the double murder charge saying,, "If this is murder, well, then any time a late-term fetus is aborted, they could call it murder." Thanks for the sisterhood, Marva. Instead of swooping down in defense of Laci Peterson and her family, NOW is apparently trying to make things easier on the young woman's alleged killer. These modern day confused Furies aren't screeching at Scott Peterson. Their attention is focused on chastising the prosecutor. Whether they admit it or not, by arguing that one of the murder charges be dropped they are actually standing in Scott Peterson's corner. The shock that Stark's statement caused has forced some back-peddling, but there is no doubt this trial balloon betrays NOW's priorities. The organization is so obsessed with abortion that they seem to be willing to overlook a couple of facts. Connor was a viable baby. Childbirth can have complications of course, but barring any problems in the delivery this little boy would be alive today. Second, even if you prescribe to the belief that an unborn baby is the property of its mother you still can't dismiss Connor's death because Laci Peterson by all accounts from friends, relatives and neighbors, wanted her son and was excited about his upcoming birth. If I kill my neighbor's dog I've destroyed his property and will be liable for my actions in a court of law. When he allegedly took his wife's life Scott Peterson also destroyed the life of their son. Marva Starks apparently thinks the life of an unborn human isn't worth as much as the life of a dog. Abortion is one of those things that nobody really wants to talk about anymore. Most of us have made up our minds either for or against it and are exhausted by the argument. The death of Laci Rocha Peterson and her child has nothing to do with Roe v. Wade. This was a terrible crime against the innocent and the helpless. Three decades ago NOW was founded with the intention of helping women obtain their full rights. Times have changed. Most of the organization's original goals have been achieved. No-one thinks twice about women working outside the home anymore. In fact, any woman who wants to stay home and raise her children will probably have to convince her husband to go along with it. Women are not only bumping up against the so called glass ceiling, but an increasing number of us are shattering it. As for reproductive rights, there are more easily obtainable contraceptives on the market than ever before. Today, all that seems to hold NOW's interest is abortion. This one track mindset led Marva Starks to make comments that were not only crass but irrelevant. The Peterson case is all about cold blooded murder. NOW's Furies should've stayed out of it. About the Author Kimberley Lindsay Wilson's guest editorials and book reivews have appeared in over 100 newspapers across the country. She is a contributing writer for numerous e-zines and is the author of 11 Things Mama Should've Told You About Men and the newly revised Work It! The Black Woman's Guide to Success at Work.