Brian Jenkins

First, there were abortions. Then came chemical abortions. And now, added to these "reproductive options," are the fertility abortions.

In an article appearing last week and accessed here, we read that doctors are generating more fetuses than they intend. Result: aborting the unwanted ones, a.k.a., the euphemism "pregancy reduction".

One thing that struck me about this article is how little reference, if any, is given to the fate of the unwanted child or children. Rather, it's the quality of life of the mother and/or the couple that trumps any consideration of the unborn. Here's an example of what I mean:

Jenny’s decision to reduce twins to a single fetus was never really in doubt. The idea of managing two infants at this point in her life terrified her. She and her husband already had grade-school-age children, and she took pride in being a good mother. She felt that twins would soak up everything she had to give, leaving nothing for her older children. Even the twins would be robbed, because, at best, she could give each one only half of her attention and, she feared, only half of her love. Jenny desperately wanted another child, but not at the risk of becoming a second-rate parent.

Notice that there is no reference at all to adoption; the word appears only once in the entirety of the story. The paragraph continues with a quote from Jenny...

“This is bad, but it’s not anywhere as bad as neglecting your child or not giving everything you can to the children you have,” she told me (the reporter), referring to the reduction.

I have frequently heard this calculus argument. Namely, that it is better to kill one's child than to have it live without certain amenities. The flaw in this reasoning is that it undervalues life. Life is priceless; it matters little the socio-economic background of the child, its health status, nor how it was conceived.

Finally, the paragraph ends as...

She and her husband worked out this moral calculation on their own, and they intend to never tell anyone about it. Jenny is certain that no one, not even her closest friends, would understand, and she doesn’t want to be the object of their curiosity or feel the sting of their judgment.

This article strikes me as an argument for both eugenics and social engineering.