I've written a fair amount about marriage and infidelity and recently wrote that pregnancy and abortion rights are a serious issue, not simply because of the issue of choice, but because of a woman's physical well-being. There is the fact of women who are too ill to go through a pregnancy and carry healthily to term. There are those who would risk their own life in doing so, and perhaps or often, the life of the child as well. In such situations, nobody wins.
A little known fact that has only surfaced recently, with and likely because of the Scott Peterson trial, is that pregnant women are much more likely to be the victims of violent crime and, in fact, be murdered, than women who are not pregnant. I'm not arguing this is a reason not to get pregnant, but certainly, if you're in a relationship that is even a little bit dodgy or abusive, you might want to learn the statistics, think twice and watch your back. Maybe Laci Peterson knew the facts, maybe not. By many accounts, including her pregnancy-yoga teacher who led a group of women in late-term pregnancy yoga exercises, Laci knew that her husband as he was, Scott Peterson, was less than thrilled about being pregnant.
Maybe Laci knew that Scott was, in fact, so dissatisfied, that he had actually already turned to another woman and was having a full-blown affair with the now-infamous Amber Frey, who has a child of her own from a previous relationship (Ayianna - a young girl), and who got involved with Scott when a friend passed on her phone number with Amber's permission.
To be clear, I've written a lot about being a mistress and what that means. I don't think it's ever a wise choice but, if you're going to be a mistress, the one rule that we must absolutely agree on is that you absolutely know the facts about the man you are involved with. IF he is married and you choose to sleep with him regardless, if you have found a way to justify this in your head by saying "he made the vow not me" or whatever your rationale, make sure you know it and that you believe in yourself and what you are doing. Never live with regret or with guilt. Our Amber Frey though had no such chance to make an informed decision about Scott Peterson.
Here are the facts according to most sources: Not Amber, but a friend of hers - her best friend named Shawn Sibley, met Scott at a conference in Anaheim in October 2002. The two somehow got to talking and one assumes Scott was not wearing a wedding ring because in time, he came to ask about any available and "intelligent" women, Scott said, that were available. As a matter of fact, Shawn did know someone and named Amber Frey. Sibley playing matchmaker asked Amber's permission to pass on her number and apparently got it. She agreed to meet Scott Peterson in a bar one night and they met on November 20th, 2002.
Article comments
1 - Judy Graham
I agreed with most of what you have written regarding Laci and the pathetic, Scott Petterson. Although, he lives and Laci is dead and the pain of what he has done will live a lifetime in the hearts of many who loved her. There is some satisfaction in knowing that the thing he prizes the most, his penis, is imprisoned. Ah, such a mighty tool to ignore. : )
2 - Anthony Grande
What I think is interesting in this case is that Peterson got charged with a DOUBLE murder, his wife and UNBORN baby.
I always thought that this country didn't recognize that the unborn is life but Peterson got the death penalty for TAKING THE LIFE OF AN UNBORN CHILD.
So if we're recognizing life in cases of murdering a pregnant women and a her baby than how come we don't recognize life when a doctor intentionally kills a baby?
3 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
This is such a complicated matter that i'm a little bit loathe to get into it, and more, it's so thorny and highly philosophical (Senecas committed suicide over this issue to prove his point that one soul was not worth more than another, or so the story goes.)
What Scott Petersen did was murder and there was choice invovled on the part of the woman who very clearly intended to have a child and more, was more than eight months pregnant at which point the fetus has developed a central nervous system (and this is key) and the part of the brain that is able to process pain. At that point, most doctors, unless the mother's life is at risk, would NOT perform an abortion or D&C to use a non perjortive term.
BEfore that time, before a certain number of months, and i believe it is three or four at max, the fetus has no central nervous system and has no part of the brain that can register pain. AS it stands now, most medical professionals recognize that as the cut-off point for when sustainable/human life that is SEPARATE from the birth mother begins. After that cut off point, again, unless the mother's life is at risk, doctors will not perform a D&C.
If you believe in the idea of "instantaneous ensoulment" then this discussion will not carry any weight with you and you won't care. I personally do not believe in instantaneous ensoulement - the idea that every egg or sperm is a freefloating soul ready to hoook up. if that were the case, then masturbation would be mass murder and ovulation a double homicide.
Yes, once they connect it may be different but the point is, the potential is always there and if you want to talk potential, then you get to the root and there you have it.
Obviously, this wasn't my intent with this article, but since you asked nicely i hope i've been able to answer some of your questions; maybe others here can offer up their view point as well. I"m sure they would be happy to discusss this matter...
cheers,
sadi r-p.
4 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
oooh, i agree -- imprisoning his penis forever is a super idea... clever... ;) (didn't see your comment there first, my apologies. - S.R.P.
5 - Bonnie
Scott Peterson should have truly "gone" to
Paris, or any where in Europe, he could have
left LACI & CONNOR alive to go on with there
their LIVES, just leave like Roman Polanski...
He did not need to kill them!
The families who have helped take care of them.
Where are the champagne & Strawberries Now???
6 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
yup, i think everyone agrees, Bonnie: i think this time it would be okay to say Scott Peterson is an ass... Maybe in jail they have champagne and strawberries, but i doubt it.
good.
7 - Lynn
There is no doubt that Laci's family & Scott's
PLUS friends would have helped with the shock
of Scott leaving the U.S. to get away from the
hum-drum of "married life" Laci would surely
gotten back on her feet to take care of Connor
and move on, She was a beautiful woman & she
would have some-one eles in "no Time"!
No more strawberry(s) or champayne for Scotty,
You should have left when you could to FRANCE.
(FOR REAL). GOOD-BYE!
8 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
no question about it, Scott Peterson, in my mind, is guilty as hell.... end of story... What more is there to say. The whole thing is just tragic and always will be....
9 - George
verily, to be locked up for 20 plus years on death row, then be put to death. as a 33 year old country club,wine connoisseur, this has to be worse then death.
10 - kim taylor
scott is not guilty the last thing you would do if you plan to kill someone is get a girl and date them while you are planing to kill so one. laci was very pretty and alwas smilling amber look like shit next to laci even if she was with child.there was another woman with child that was killed around the same time,that was never look into and if i thought the police thought i killed someone and i didnt i would dam sure try to run to the police just want to look into family to much any more and that fine but the need another team look at other people to police just want the crim took care of the dont care who they get any more most of them any way scott didnt do it
11 - George
I do not think Scott was rational when he killed Lacy and I do not believe dating Amber was causing Scott a propblem at the time. He simply did not think Amber would ever find out about his realities and life would move on near the end of Jan 03.I think Scotts sister hit the nail on the head. She thinks Laci had Scott (the golden child) trapped and drove him crazy with her excessive talking. he coldn't divorce her because there was no substantial reason and he would not be the (golden child) anymore.
12 - Unbelievable!
I know this is 3 years after the conviction, but I must say, OMG!!!!! Is there really anyone out there who actually believes this creep is innocent? All facts point to him. He is a sociopathic murderer who could care less about anyone but himself. By the time the trial rolled around, he was so far past the events of December 2003 that he couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. That stupid look on his face was bordem. Geeeessss! Get a grip, people!
13 - A Voice of Sanity
I don't believe he is innocent. I know he is - all of the actual facts confirm this over and over again. Look at those facts: -
• A visibly pregnant woman vanishes from her home. No signs of a crime can be found - anywhere - ever.
• Her body turns up four months later, found on the shore of San Francisco Bay, a place where many other bodies have been dumped.
• Her uterus has been cut open by someone unskilled in medical procedures.
• The fetus and the placenta are both missing.
• Some distance away, the body of her child is also found.
• He shows no signs of prematurity, he is full term and and he is not curled up in the fetal position.
• The fetal cord has been crudely cut.
• A piece of twine has been double knotted around his neck, not to harm him but to keep his body wrapped in plastic bags to protect it. One of the bags is found nearby.
• The mother is wearing underwear with a wear pattern which shows she has worn it for the whole period of her abduction - 111 days.
• Her clothes are still on her body, something which could not happen unless they were retied after the baby was removed. It also shows she was in the water for a day or two at most.
• Her uterus is two to three weeks post partum, showing that she lived at least that long after the baby was removed from her body.
• Although the body of the mother is simply discarded in the sea, either from the Albany Bulb or more likely from Point Isabel, the body of the baby is carefully laid on the shore at Point Isabel so it can be found and buried. This is clearly the work of someone who cared for the baby.
What part of this does NOT look like a failed fetus napping, where both mother and child have died?
14 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
dear unbelievable - yup....
15 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
hi Bonnie: we agree - i don't think there is much more i can say to that comment other than that... ; )
thanks for writing back...
16 - sadi ranson-polizzotti
George, hi --- your comment is great, and you're right. For him that has to be a fate worse than death (did he get the death penalty? i can't recall now...) but yes, a fate worse than death anyway. Death would be too easy for him - i'd rather he stay in jail and suffer that way. Not very empathetic of me, but then, we're not speaking of an empathetic guy either....
17 - mario
scott p is guilty i know it
18 - vincenzo
let the bastard fry he is guilty and rot boy rot
19 - vincenzo
let the bastard fry he is guilty and rot boy rot