(National Review) – Ruth Marcus has boldly declared that if she were pregnant and discovered her baby had Down syndrome, that child would never see the light of day. From her column:
Down syndrome is life-altering for the entire family. I’m going to be blunt here: That was not the child I wanted. That was not the choice I would have made. You can call me selfish, or worse, but I am in good company. The evidence is clear that most women confronted with the same unhappy alternative would make the same decision.
No question. Ninety percent of Down babies are aborted, while Iceland brags it has a zero Down birthrate.
But this pogrom isn’t happening in a vacuum. Parents of gestating babies diagnosed with Down are pushed toward that decision by societal pressure, genetic counselors, and a disdain in our culture for limitations.
Marcus says she supports women who have the depth of love — my term — to bear a baby with Down. Bully for her. But many don’t. Remember the vituperation of Sarah Palin because she bore Trig? It was truly pernicious. CONTINUE