I could hardly believe my eyes when I read the news about a man who chose to lace his pregnant friend's smoothie with mifeprex (RU-486, the abortion pill).
Darshana G. Patel became suspicious and did not drink the concoction, but she did eat other food that her friend had prepared for her. This all started because she announced to him that she was pregnant with his child.
The man is a successful businessman who made a habit of keeping the drug on hand. Apparently he did not like babies, particularly those babies who were conceived by women to whom he was not married.
The fellow had been having an affair with Darshana Patel for six years. Both of them are originally from India, and though both share the same past name, they are not related.
Darshana Patel miscarried, and what is most troubling about the reports that I have read is that the father of the child is being charged with attempted first-degree homicide of an unborn child and eight other charges.
Of interest is that this is not the first time Darshana has miscarried one of his children, and his attitude is best described by his personal comments to investigators. He said he, "didn't need more babies" and said, "I didn't want it."
One could logically inquire, then, "Mr. Patel, why did not have relations with a woman who is not your wife?" I can only imagine what the man might have said in response. But one thing is perfectly clear: The longer we reside in a nation where people are free to legally murder the children they do not want to take responsibility for, such stories will continue to be played out in the lives of men and women of every age who view others as mere objects rather than persons who possess dignity endowed to them by God, their Creator.
What a tragedy.
