Contrasting anniversaries

January 3 marks two anniversaries from the Cemetery of Choice. Though both women are equally dead, only one woman's death was treated as problematic.

On January 3, 1984, 16-year-old Loretta Morton was at home, having difficulty breathing. Her mother called an ambulance. The crew assessed Loretta, decided that she was stable, and left. They were called back ten minutes later because Loretta had lost consciouness. The crew rushed her to the hospital, but attempts to resuscitate her were in vain. Within an hour of losing consciousness, Loretta was dead. An autopsy showed that she had died from a pulmonary embolism from an abortion performed in December of 1983. Now charges were filed against anybody in her death. It was purely a civil matter, since her abortion had been one of the safe-n-legal variety.

Contrast that with what happened when Maggie Gibbons died on January 3 of 1878. She had been ill, languishing since an abortion performed on her in St. Louis, Missouri on December 30, 1877. A Charles P. Emerich had used instruments on her. A grand jury indicted him, he was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter, and he was sentenced to five years in prison. I do not know what Emerich's profession was, but his actions that ended Maggie's life were taken very seriously indeed.

My, how the times have changed!

For more abortion deaths, visit the Cemetery of Choice:



To email this post to a friend, use the icon below.