Not Murder if Committed by a Doctor

Here we have an interesting ruling by a Texas Appeals Court that allows the killing of a fetus to be prosecuted as murder, regardless of the fetus’ stage of development, so long as the killing isn’t the result of an abortion:

Wednesday’s ruling by the Court of Criminal Appeals rejected an appeal by Terence Lawrence, who said his right to due process was violated because he was prosecuted for two murders for killing a woman and her 4- to 6-week-old fetus.

The court ruled unanimously that state laws declaring a fetus an individual with protections do not conflict with the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling that protects a woman’s right to an abortion.

Lawrence was convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life for the 2004 shooting death of his girlfriend, Antwonyia Smith, and the couple’s unborn child. Lawrence shot Smith after learning she was pregnant with his child, according to court documents.

Surely there is no one out there to sympathize with Terence Lawrence for slaying his girlfriend because she was pregnant with his child. But did he murder his unborn child?

Murder is defined as the premeditated, deliberate killing of another human being. By definition the Texas court applies the human being label to unborn fetuses if it can be considered murder to kill one.

Is abortion not the premeditated, deliberate killing of another human being (as unborn children are human beings according to Texas)? Abortion is premeditated, deliberate, and results in a death; therefore we must conclude for the first time that in some instances murder is permissible.

It’s On

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

After 68 years of silence, the United States Supreme Court finally agreed on Tuesday to rule on the meaning of the above text; the Second Amendment – after dancing around it way back in 1939.

What we will hopefully know by the end of this year’s term: does the Second Amendment guarantee an individual right to have (keep and bear) a gun for private use, or does it only protect the collective right of an organized military (National Guard)?

The city of Washington’s appeal (District of Columbia v. Heller) seeking to revive its flat ban on private possession of handguns that was ruled unconstitutional by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to be heard in March with a decision a few months later.