By Erin Weist
Recently, the state of Indiana has made headlines regarding changes to their abortion law. Governor Mike Pence, newly announced running mate for GOP Presidential nominee Donald Trump, signed into law restrictive measures that would prevent a woman seeking an abortion based on the fetus’ disability, gender or race. Clearly, the abortion law regarding a woman’s right to choose that was created by the Supreme Court in the 70s has become sacrosanct over life, dignity or even common sense.
For those siding with abortion, the fact that Planned Parenthood and other pro-choice groups are fighting this law should leave them with at least an uncomfortable feeling. Just a twinge. Something that would push them to think maybe they are siding with the wrong camp. Can decent human beings honestly say they agree that a woman should terminate a life (and there is no argument that it is life, even if it is only comparable to a few cells, it is still an organic, living thing) simply because they wanted a boy instead of a girl? Or they can’t handle bringing a Down Syndrome baby into the world? Or they don’t want anyone to know their unborn child is of mixed race origin? How can anyone in their right mind defend this? Because if this feels wrong, then it admits to the idea that a woman’s choice may not be paramount, that there might be other factors involved, including the rights of the unborn child? What if scientists identified the long-elusive “gay gene” that shows or predicts or identifies a person with same-sex attraction? Would those same supporters say that as long as a woman can choose to abort a baby based on disability, gender or race, that they can also abort based on whether they will be born gay or not? It may be easy to jump on the bandwagon that puts a woman’s choice on the pinnacle above all else, but it may be harder to make that decision when the shoe is on the other foot. If there is no clear line about when a fetus becomes a human life, then that lack of clarity opens up the floodgates for abuse of that principle. And pro-choice supporters support their stand at their own peril and at risk of losing all credibility. If you are willing to support abortion and a woman’s right to choose, you lose a leg to stand on and the entire principle comes crashing down in a disaster or rhetoric over right.
If you know of anyone seeking an abortion because their baby has been diagnosed with Down Syndrome, please share these resources. You may save more life than one.
http://www.ndss.org/Resources/
http://downsyndromeinfo.org/resources/parents/
http://www.ndsccenter.org/new-and-expectant-parents/
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/downsyndrome/
http://www.globaldownsyndrome.org/about-down-syndrome/resources/local-organizations/