NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

    WASHINGTON, OCT 1 (ZENIT).- The fetus "is an entity separate from the mother." This is the essence of a bill approved by the House of Representatives, which could impose penalties for aggression on a pregnant woman resulting in damage to the unborn child.

    The law, which must now be approved by the Senate, has brought to the fore once again, the numerous juridical contradictions in the United States in the recognition of the rights of persons from the moment of conception.

    The Clinton administration has threatened to veto the decision, but the majority of congressmen in favor of the "Unborn Victims of Violence Act" has been overwhelming: 254 votes against 172.

    "Whoever harms or kills a fetus must pay his debt to society," Lindsey Graham said. Graham, a South Carolina Republican, presented the proposal in the House.

    Movements committed to life applauded the initiative. "In recognizing that the unborn child is a person, this law marks an important moment in the battle for life," a spokesman for the Family Research Council said.

    Abortion groups are opposed to the law, in spite of the fact that those who suffer most from this kind of aggression are not only the unborn but also their mothers. ZE99100112

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