LAL Live: Analyzing the Age of Consent + Statutory Rape + Abortion (NPS July 15)

Norm is of the view that life begins at conception. He will even go so far as to say that there are circumstances that warrant taking that life.  The springboard for this conversation is the news making headlines about the 10 year-old Ohio girl who was brought to an Indiana abortion clinic to terminate a pregnancy. The supposed father has been arrested for statutory rape. Neither the 10 year-old nor her mother have made allegations of unconsented conduct between the two. But there is no doubt. This case is quite complex factually and morally.  Norm shares that the age of consent at the time of America's founding was 7. That is shocking. But so is the notion that a 27 year-old could have a consensual sexual relationship with a 10 year-old.  Should the mother be prosecuted? Under what theory? Looking back, it is important to understand that the Supreme Court of the United States did not render abortion illegal in the United States. States have the freedom to set their own course. In this case, Ohio's law made abortion unavailable to the 10 year-old because of the maturity of her pregnancy. She thus was referred by a clinician to an Indiana clinic because of the 'favorable' contrast in state law.  But Norm shares his deep feelings about abortion and the battle lines being drawn around the abortion issue: life for life vs. quality of life. In other words, when the mother to-be is at existential risk in connection with the pregnancy, it appears obvious that the moral case for abortion is clear. However, when the justification locates around "quality of life" for the unborn baby, the moral case is extremely murky.  What life can be more important than that of being a parent? Norm takes a call from Andy of Derby. Always a delight! Like, share, and subscribe! Norm is live every weekday from 12pm ET to 2pm ET on WICC 600AM/107.3FM. Stream Norm live at https://www.wicc600.com/. Follow @PattisPodcast on Twitter.