Burning Thoughts

Update 12/17/2023. An Ohio woman who miscarried is charged with abuse of corpse. What other torturous turns of logic await us? Will the speculation below come to pass?

What impact could a legal opinion that personhood begins at conception have?

In my state, the likelihood of such an amendment has always been small, but recent political events make even the strangest probabilities possible.

Personhood Amendment

Let’s consider the text of the Colorado proposed amendment of 2014, which was voted down.

Shall there be an amendment to the Colorado constitution protecting pregnant women and unborn children by defining “person” and “child” in the Colorado criminal code and the Colorado wrongful death act to include unborn human beings?

Every Unsuccessful Pregnancy

That means every unsuccessful pregnancy could be a wrongful death which requires explanation.

• A rape victim would be required to bear her violator’s child to birth
• A fetal miscarriage could result in criminal charges
• The unborn infant’s rights would trump the mother’s right to her own life
• A stillborn child would have to be investigated as a wrongful death

Every Birth Defect

Also, every birth defect could be a harm against the unborn infant which must be explored. Fetal alcohol syndrome

In vitro medical worker	Bartender serving a drink	Water drain pollution

Women, Doctor, Bartender, and Corporation

When an in-vitro procedure goes awry, the medical personnel and offices must be prepared to answer wrongful death questions.

The bartender who serves a drink to an expectant mother may be guilty of contributing to fetal alcohol syndrome.

The corporation which pollutes the stream that flows into the water supply must answer for spontaneous abortions caused by their effluents.

Step Backward

Personhood at conception is a step backward. It would give rights to the might-be-born that supersede the rights of those-who-have-been-born.