“A Selfish Choice”
Recently I came across a remark by Claire Rayner to the effect that the decision by the wife of Dominic Lawson to reject the offer of an abortion for their Downs Syndrome child was selfish. She considered the choice selfish, because of the so-called misery of Downs Syndrome children and because the amount of money spent on them.
Speaking as someone who is disabled, her reaction interests me. What real understanding does she have? Many surveys done show disabled people are often among the most contented in society.
How far have disabled people decided to take up the struggle against this prejudice? There are quite a few over the years who have wanted to fight this battle. Many disabled groups do not have this as a main interest. Their concern is with the entitlements of disabled people already born.
But if society tolerates the taking of the life of the unborn with no one to speak in their defence, where is the justice in that? This certainly goes against any principle of the Rule of Law which is surely the framework for a just society.
An amendment to the Human Tissue and Embryology Bill was rejected. It would have required doctors to provide information about treatments and prospects for disabled children, along with providing information about different organizations that serve the interests of disabled people. But this motion was rejected by 309 votes to 102.
One of the arguments against the amendment seems to have been that pressure that would be put on mothers to keep their babies. But the counter-argument is that pressure is now being put on mothers to have abortions: after all, some hospitals, mindful of the risks of miscarriage caused by some prenatal tests, refuse to screen women to find out if their babies are disabled if they would not consider an abortion. In the meantime, feminist dogma seems to have won over the duty of the strong to protect the weak. The obligation to defend the helpless is very far from selfish, because the concern is save a life worth living. Such a life will normally contain some enjoyment, whatever suffering it may involve – and in any case, will have objective value simply in being a human life.
It is odd that a progressive such as Claire Rayner should object to supporting Downs Syndrome children on financial grounds. After all, progressives like her tend to demand that the state should spend ever more on the needy. The choice not to destroy the life of another is not selfish, but the reverse.
(Written by Gerald Hildreth, a journalist who writes about pro-life issues. He has a severe disability and campaigns for the rights of disabled people. He has been a member of ProLife Alliance for many years).
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April 6th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
Re Claire Rayner “Born of Jewish parents..Vice-President of the British Humanist Association, a Distinguished Supporter of the Humanist Society of Scotland and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. She is also a prominent supporter of the British republican movement.”
Re “She considered the choice selfish, because of the so-called misery of Downs Syndrome children and because the amount of money spent on them.”
Seems from this claim that this woman is completely devoid of compassion and readily confuses the value of mere money with the priceless value of a human life.
August 21st, 2009 at 8:36 am
Prolife people really are selfish, they just refuse to think they are. You people are living by your beliefs.Just because you care for the unborn does not make you caring because you’re refusing to care about the females rights. You can’t just support babies and say the hell with the mother. That is selfish. Maybe prochoice are a little selfish too because we. Goose ourselves over the baby but most of us have valid reasons for abortion and it’s safe and legal and will always be whether you like it or not.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
As a mother of a wonderful child who happens to have Down Syndrome i feel totally sickened by people saying these babies should be aborted.My child is happy and brings our whole family so much joy.Of course for her sake i wish she had been born without this disability ,but she has as much right to live as anyone else. I am pregnant again and do not want an amniocentesis as i will love my child whatever as it will be my flesh and blood and a valued member of my family whether “perfect” or not!