WASHINGTON, DC, Oct 10, 01 (CWNews.com/LSN.ca) - During Tuesday's US House debate on the Unborn Victim of Violence Act (UVVA), a photo of a mother holding the body of her dead son was displayed on the House floor.
The photo is of Tracy Marciniak of Wisconsin holding the body of her son Zachariah, who was killed in her womb during a criminal assault. Under current federal law, if a criminal assaults a pregnant woman and kills her unborn baby, he is charged only with assault because the unborn baby is not legally recognized as a victim. Under the proposed Unborn Victims of Violence Act, any criminal who injures or kills an unborn baby while committing a federal crime will be charged with two offenses, because he has claimed two victims.
Arguing for the passage of the UVVA, Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, said, "Anybody who thinks there is no dead baby in this picture should vote for the one-victim amendment. But anybody who sees in this photo a grieving mother holding her dead son should vote for the Unborn Victims of Violence Act." (See the photo http://www.nrlc.org/Unborn_Victims/Zachariah.jpg) An amendment called the 'One-Victim' Substitute, would define the bill's crimes as having only one victim-- the pregnant woman.
In an April 24 written statement to Congress, the Bush Administration said it "supports protection for unborn children and therefore supports House passage of H.R. 503" and "strongly oppose any amendment."
CWN - Catholic World News
10. oktober 2001