by Mac a'Bhaird

Created on: April 24, 2009

At the present time that I am writing this article, I am also in extreme grief over the recent news about the twenty two year old second year medical student, Phillip Markoff, arrested and dubbed the 'craigslist murderer'. Admittedly I am in as much grief for the perpetrator and his family, and his fianc, as I am his victims; for several reasons not the least of which is I have a son about to conclude his third year in medical school, and, quite frankly, he resembles Philip Markoff. As he entered the court room wearing a blue shirt; eyes blinking, looking down, I saw more than the tragedy of his victims.

I certainly don't wish to be misunderstood; I grieve over the victims of the horrible crimes that he committed. I certainly don't wish to minimize the horrid deeds that he has allegedly done; but the injury doesn't stop there. Phillip Markoff's life, at 22 years old, for all practical purposes, is also over. A young, handsome man who had such potential; who had the world on a plate; now on suicide watch- authorities claim that there are marks on his neck they think are from his shoelaces. Sitting in his jail cell as reality begins to sink in, that he now has no future; he is now a victim of his own sick obsession that conquered him. I am having a hard time getting over this; I see it as a crime that has claimed more victims than just the women who were violently violated.

I be-labor the point I wish to make; all are victims. That is how I view abortion. The mother, the father, the child. Should the father have a say? The fact that there is a baby conceived that is unwanted is cause for grief all the way around.

Why couldn't Phillip Markoff have realized there were more than the lives of the unfortunate women who advertized on craigslist that hung in the balance? His own life and future, his fianc who said he couldn't harm a fly, his own parents. Now their lives are aborted; they have lost a son; their lives are now abruptly halted. If this were my son, my life would have descended into an abyss of which I cannot imagine how I could ever escape.

The issue could be so easily dismissed from our conscience if abortion was simply a procedure to remove unwanted tissue. But as much as a person wishes to call it that, it isn't just tissue; it is a life that is calling out to be loved; a life has the potential to call out mommy; daddy! Cannot we see the pathos in this sad drama? All are victims.

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