Columns prove that a fetus is a unique individual

Re. Syndicated columns by Ruth Marcus on March 13 “Many Women would abort fetus with Down syndrome” and March 21 “Decision on Down syndrome one of agonizing complexity.”

These columns try to defend a pregnant woman’s choice to abort a fetus because of a diagnosis of Down syndrome. Marcus describes her reasons in the first and uses supportive testimony of others in the second.

What is interesting is that the humanity of the unborn child is explicitly acknowledged in each, which is unusual for abortion proponents. Marcus and the people whose opinion she relates clearly understand the life of an unborn child has begun within the mother’s body. The unborn child has Down syndrome, not the mother. Their view is correct and supports biological science and the position of anti-abortion advocates who maintain life begins at conception. The new baby, the fetus, has its unique DNA, which defines a person as a unique individual. So much for the “my body, my choice” argument.

Then Marcus explains it is not her belief that “abortion is equivalent to murder, the taking of a human life.” What type of mental gymnastics is this? What does she think is being killed?

And what are the reasons given to justify aborting the fetus? In her second column, the child with Down syndrome was viewed as a burden. Also, the child would have developmental disabilities, making the child somehow worthless in their eyes. Yet our society has shunned this view — look at the Americans With Disabilities Act. The syndicated column by Marc Thiessen on March 15, “Down syndrome-based ‘final solution’ an abhorrent option” related the results of a survey from Boston Children’s Hospital that, far from being a burden, children with Down syndrome bring enormous joy to their loved ones.

Marcus’ reason is most telling, “that was not the child I wanted.”

The pro-abortion slogan “my body, my choice” is a lie. It should read “my child, my choice.” To which the antiabortion person says, “choose life.”