Pro-Abortion Professor Accuses Star Parker of Imposing Her Religion

During a recent lecture, syndicated columnist Star Parker dueled with a pro-choice professor who accused the pro-life activist of imposing her religion on society.

Young Americans for Freedom, a conservative youth movement, sponsored the event, which took place at California State University, Los Angeles.

"How do you respond to the fact that women die from illegal abortions and not from legal abortions?" Dr. Heidi Riggio, a CSULA psychology professor, asked Parker during the question and answer portion of the lecture.

"In a civil society, abortion should not be legal," Parker replied, drawing applause from the college audience.

Riggio pressed Parker further, saying, "You also continue with your emphasis on religion -- what about people who are not religious? You want to impose your religion on everybody. Do you think that's civil?"

"Do you consider slavery a religious question?" Parker replied.  

"I'm not talking about slavery," Riggio said.  

"Well we need to," Parker shot back, "because the argument is exactly the same and if you put Roe v. Wade next to the Dred Scott decision, they read almost verbatim."

The Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision in 1973 legalized abortion. The court's 1857 Dred Scott decision determined that African-Americans had no right to U.S. citizenship.

Riggio and Parker ended their argument in front of the lecture hall with Riggio saying, "Your movement is to impose your religious beliefs on everybody in the country."

"And one of us is going to win," said Parker.

"It's not going to be you," Riggio rejoined.

"That's what they said during slavery," Parker said. "And 680,000 dead later, it ended."