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Around the globe women are pressured to abort children deemed unworthy of life outside the womb with the justification of creating better humans. Many others do so, not forced per se, but make this decision based on fear. Even something as simple as facts are given, withheld, and measured through that filter of fear. Arguing Eugenics delves into this discussion.
When Does Life Begin?
I recently read this super interesting article on the 17 time points of When Does Life Begin? *From the website PLOS Blogs: perspectives on Science and Medicine. (If you ever want to lose yourself in several hours of learning cool stuff in an accessible format, this is one spot to do it.)
Even on a science website, the comments proved widely varied on the agreement as to where life begins on the 17 point chart. This is science people! Does it begin at the beginning or not?! The author of the article believes life begins at the point when: “The ability to survive outside the body of another sets a practical limit on defining when a sustainable human life begins.”
Um. So, when a child leaves home, gets a job and can go out and kill their own dinner? That’s when life begins? Because I’m pretty sure that every child born cannot sustain their own life without another body doing the work, so to speak.
There are people who believe that a life that depends on another is not worthy of life. (Like in Kelly’s question: What is a Productive Member of Society?) And the new, cleaner way of eliminating these possibilities before the child is born is far less offensive than post-birth abortions, the new way of saying: “Just let the babe die.”
This isn’t New
This isn’t a new concept. In fact I know of a book set in the late 13th century where this subject plays pretty heavily in the plotline and spotlights the struggles of the families faced with this difficult decision. (I’ll tell you more about that later, wink wink.) And I do think it is a difficult decision. In the 13th century it was difficult and in the 21st century it is difficult.
There are women who do not want to have any child, maybe for this moment in time, maybe forever. In each case, that is her decision. Her life. We, society, parents, friends, sisters, will all weigh in if she allows us to, but it is her decision.
Arguing Eugenics
I have written an essay that addresses what is only the tip of the ice-burg when it comes to how new prenatal testing will continue to shift the birth rates of “imperfect children” in the western world. And believe it or not, this is not an essay about Pro-Choice or Pro-Life. My intended audience is actually quite narrow, it is to:
- Parents to be who want a child,
- The families of those parents,
- And the health care providers that work with those parents.
In our part of the world, it is those three groups that make eugenics possible or stop its progression.
It’s not a book length argument, in fact it has been described as a “two sitting read.” Please consider checking out the Essay: Arguing Eugenics
Please feel free to post a review or use this blog as a forum for discussion. I will allow posts that discuss and disagree, I will not allow hate speech, attacks, or trolls. I will allow links if they are pertinent to this discussion. Annnndddd Go –
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