Denver Catholic

5 DENVER CATHOLIC | APRIL 25-MAY 1, 2015 Cover Story "I don't think anyone regard- less of what type of political spectrum they may be on, can look at that situation and say that Aurora was not a victim of a crime," Kraska said. "Yet in Colorado our law does not recognize Aurora as a victim of any crime. We really need people to step up on this and make sure that they know that this is an area of law where a lot of people can come together and really say this is some- thing we should pass." Sen. Bill Cadman, R-El Paso, has joined other lawmakers in proposing Senate Bill 268 that would include every unborn child from conception to live birth for homicide or assault o• enses. The bill came a month after Wilkins, 26, survived an alleged attack by Lane, but her baby, who was cut and removed from her womb, did not. District Attorney Stanley Garnett fi led eight felony charges against Lane, but said she would not face murder charges because Wilkins' unborn baby did not live outside the womb. Currently, state law defines the victim of a homicide as a human being who had been born and was alive at the time of the crime. Cadman's bill would a§ rm unborn life by changing the defi ni- tion of possible victims to "an unborn child at every stage of gestation from conception until live birth." In an April 16 editorial, the Denver Post supported the bill calling it inequitable that an attacker who kills a fetus "faces a substantially lesser charge than if the child had been killed one minute after being born." Abortion-rights groups, including Planned Parenthood and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, oppose the bill argu- ing it would victimize pregnant women. "That's just scare tactics," Kraska said about building fear. "It's unfortunate they would sink to that level." She said the purpose of the fetal homi- cide bill is to allow district attorneys to have the option to recognize unborn victims. "We don't get to determine or dictate as a state what charges will be brought up against anyone. That's up to a district attorney," Kraska said. Opponents also suggested the bill would open the door to a ban on abortion in the state. However, the bill's language specif- ically gives exceptions to acts committed by "the mother of her unborn child," for "a medical procedure performed by a physi- cian or other licensed medical professional at the request of a mother of her unborn child or the mother's legal guardian," and for "the lawful dispensation or adminis- tration of lawfully prescribed medication." The Denver Post editorial stated if abortion-rights advocates want to defeat the bill, they should come up with an alternative. "There ought to be a way to revise Colorado law so someone with ill intent who kills an unborn child can be charged with a crime equivalent to homicide without infringing on abortion rights," the editorial board wrote. "And abortion proponents, rather than merely complain about Cadman's bill, should devise a plan that would accomplish this goal." Kraska said the fetal homicide bill is not an attempt to change abortion laws. "The Church remains steadfast in its hope that someday that's not the case," Kraska said about legalized abortion. "But this bill isn't going to be the way that changes. In the meantime, this is a step that recognizes something that is long overdue in Colorado. And that in these certain tragedies, when these really hor- rifi c crimes are committed, there often is another victim and that victim should be given justice." She added that Colorado is the minority compared to 37 other states and the federal government that passed fetal homicide laws, which do not include personhood laws. "That's just intellectually dishonest," Kraska said about opponents who argue the bill is about personhood. "It's spreading untruth in a way that I think is somewhat reprehensible. Anybody who looks at per- sonhood amendments and in the past that has been run, and then look at this bill, they'll see they're markedly di• erent just on their face and how they're written." Colorado Right to Life, a fervent sup- porter of personhood amendments, is also stating its opposition to the fetal homicide bill. The personhood move- ment has attempted to run personhood legislation in a few states— Georgia, North Dakota and Mississippi—that already have fetal homicide laws enacted. Parishioners are encouraged to make their voices heard on the bill to help bring justice for defenseless unborn victims. "I don't think that anybody wants to look another mother in the face or another family in the face ever and tell them that the perpetrator of a crime won't be charged with a crime against their child," Kraska said. www.archden.org/donate Appeal, P.O. 80250-0316 « 1 | Preparing children through a strong Religious-Classical-Environmental Education to become spiritual, intellectual, and moral leaders and stewards of God's creation. We partner with parents to form resilient servant-leaders in the Catholic tradition. St. Katharine Drexel Catholic School Preschool through Kindergarten | (303) 799-1036 x105 www.stkatharinedrexelhr.org . 5761 McArthur Ranch Rd., Littleton, CO 80124 Now enrolling Preschool through Kindergarten for the 2015-16 school year! Now enrolling Preschool through Kindergarten Now enrolling Preschool through Kindergarten Find us on Facebook! Bishop Machebeuf High School An Academic Community of Faith www.machebeuf.org "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses." Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi 41 I don't think that anybody wants to look another mother in the face or anoth- er family in the face ever and tell them that the per- petrator of a crime won't be charged with a crime against their child." JENNY KRASKA Colorado Catholic Conference " Brian needs and Religious Basilica of TAYLOR Senate Bill 268 was consid- ered by the Senate Judiciary Committee April 22. Visit www. cocatholicconference.com to fi nd your representative and contact them to express support for the bill.

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