I was struck after reading the Associated Press story in The Bee Feb. 21, on a proposed Indiana bill to require the cremation or burial of the remains of fetuses who have been aborted or miscarried.
Last summer, whether you agree with their methods or not, the Center for Medical Progress released a number of videos that detailed one aspect of abortion clinics of which most people are unaware: the sale of the body parts of aborted fetuses. Other clinics that perform abortions throw out the fetuses as medical waste.
Whether or not you believe that the unborn child’s right to life outweighs a mother’s right to choose abortion, we can all agree that the unborn child is, in fact, a human being possessing a human body. The universal instinct to treat human remains with dignity is part of what makes a civilization civilized.
I therefore applaud Indiana for taking this small, positive step toward respecting the dignity of all human life. While it is unlikely that the California Legislature would ever adopt such a proposal, it would be a step towards decency and basic humanity.
Originally published in The Fresno Bee as a Letter to the Editor on Sunday, February 28.
