When it comes to personhood, Planned Parenthood occupies a “special place” in the life and history of the African American community. In its infancy, Planned Parenthood serviced many urban communities. It’s still true today, where well over 75% of its clinics are found in minority neighborhoods. On average, over 1,000 Black babies are aborted every day in America. Black women have a higher abortion rate than any other ethnic group in America. More Black babies are aborted than any other cause of death in America. According to CDC statistics, since 1973,2.26 million blacks have died from heart disease. A conservative estimate on the number of black babies aborted since that time is around 12 million.

Today, Scott Peterson sits on death row in a San Quentin prison, convicted of murdering his wife, Laci, and their unborn child. Laci was eight months pregnant at the time. They had already named their child—Conner would be his name. Unfortunately, Conner never got a chance to hear his mom call his name. On April 13, 2003, Conner’s remains were found on a San Francisco shore, torn from the safe confines of his mother’s womb. The next day, authorities found his mother’s torso, missing several body parts. All the evidence led to Laci’s husband, Scott Peterson—a father-to-be one moment, convicted of double homicide the next. One crime, two victims.

Legal Victim, But Not Quite A Person…Yet

Those graphic details are necessary. Not because of their visceral impact. But because those graphic details led to action. Not long after Scott Peterson’s highly publicized murder case, George W. Bush signed into law the Unborn Victims of Violence Act—nicknamed Laci and Conner’s Law. This federal law recognized children in utero as legal victims in instances where they are injured or killed in the commission of one of 68 listed federal crimes of violence. Notably, the law covers children in utero as victims at any stage of development, from week one to birth. Since then, 29 states have passed similar laws. Eight other states recognize unborn children as victims at various stages of fetal development.

But the federal law (and most of the state laws) also includes an exemption.

[Editor’s note: This article is incomplete. The source for this document was originally published on raanetwork.org – however, the original URL is no longer available.]