Scott Peterson's Lesson for America

Fortunately, I avoided immersion in the OJ-like celebrity obsession with the Scott Peterson murder trial. I tuned in briefly at critical moments and passed on the non-stop cable coverage of every witness and trial development.

I know four things about the Peterson trial:

1. I had no doubt that he was guilty based on his behavior during her disappearance and his run for the border with the bleached hair and the bags of cash.

2. I did have doubts about a jury's ability to arrive at that conclusion. I think the OJ jury lowered everyone's expectations for the forseeable future. This jury went a long way toward restoring our trust in the system.

3. I have no problem with the death penalty for Peterson, should the jury that heard the evidence vote for that. The man is a psychopathic monster who killed a vivacious young woman and her unborn child just to get out of parenthood.

4. There is a broader lesson for America in this case, and unfortunately it is not about Laci Peterson. There are way too many murders of innocent spouses in this country for there to be a lesson here.

The lesson is with the "death" of the unborn baby, Conner. The 2nd degree murder conviction for the murder of Conner exposes an untenable dichotomy on the issue of abortion.

Someone explain to me how it's rational to hold these two positions simultaneously:

1. If the "unborn baby" is wanted (as Conner was), and a person violates it's rights by causing it's "death", then a legal crime of "murder" has taken place that can be adjudicated by a jury with a penalty attached.

but....

2. If the "fetus" is unwanted (as 1.5 million per year are not), then it has no rights, and a doctor can be paid to "terminate" it with no penalty and the "right" to do this is celebrated by enlightened elite in this country.

The answer is that it is not rational to hold these two views. The biological and legal fact of whether or not it is an "unborn baby" with rights or a "fetus" without rights cannot be determined by whether or not it is "wanted".

Sadly, America will continue a divided partisan struggle on this question until we come to grips with that. And Scott Peterson inadvertently advanced the discussion.