Pubdate: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 Source: Jacksonville Daily News (NC) Copyright: 2003 Jacksonville Daily News Contact: http://www.jacksonvilledailynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/216 Cited: South Carolina Advocates for Pregnant Women http://www.scapw.org/ LAW SHOULD PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR UNBORN In a crucial case with Carolina ties, the United States Supreme Court has refused to hear an appeal from a drug addict who was sent to prison for murdering her stillborn child. Regina McKnight is serving 12 to 20 years in South Carolina for killing her daughter. McKnight tested positive for cocaine in the hospital and admitted she had used crack cocaine while pregnant. The stillborn baby girl had drugs in her system. McKnight's lawyers challenge her conviction as cruel and unusual punishment. Pro-choice groups oppose South Carolina's obvious protection in this case of fetal rights, out of fear that anything designed to protect an unborn child could later be used to reduce abortion rights. And proponents of laws that increase fetal rights typically hedge their bets by saying the rules are only meant to go after abusive husbands, rapists or other attackers who harm a fetus while committing a crime against its mother. The American Public Health Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the National Association of Social Workers are among the many organizations that are standing behind an unborn-child-abusing crack-addict in her effort to be freed from prison. "It's quite disturbing in terms of women's autonomy over their bodies while pregnant," said Wyndi Anderson, director of South Carolina Advocates for Pregnant Women. But if we aren't going to protect an unborn child from its own mother, then why bother protecting it from anyone or anything? A woman whose infant is stillborn because of her willfully unhealthy lifestyle is just as guilty as if she'd started her drug habit after the baby's birth, and then abused or neglected the child to death - regardless of the implications regarding abortion rights. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake