Speaking of Changing the World…

Here is a short excerpt from “Arguing Eugenics: a case for changing the world.”

On a micro level, there’s this: have you ever been changed by a person? I have witnessed Marcus literally changing the people around him for the better. His honesty begets honesty. His laughter and innocence beget wonder. I have seen strong, closed men hug him in earnest. I have witnessed strangers get down on one knee to tie his shoes. People go out of their way to be better because Marcus brings this to the table.

When Marcus said “Brother!” to a focused man on a busy New York City street, because the man wore a similar hat to his: the man smiled. More than smiled really, lit from inside, as he pulled his suitcase through a crowd of faces where no one saw him, but Marcus did.

I did not know any of these wonders before Marcus was born. In fact, all I knew was that he was already causing me endless trouble. I never threw up once before I became pregnant; I made up for it with “morning” sickness that lasted all day, even as I approached the sixth month of pregnancy. “I don’t know why,” I said to my mother, “this baby and my body won’t cooperate. But whatever it is, I know he’s a fighter. Every day I’m sick I know that he’s making a stand.”

While many other mothers who have children with Down syndrome have perfectly pleasant pregnancies, mine proceeded along with both medical and emotional turbulence. I attended college, lived alone, and was nineteen years old. People gave me every reason to believe I was throwing my life away. Every reason but one, I already loved my child.

Without explanation, I believed my son was fighting to live. What shakes me now is the knowledge that if I had been tested and the fact came forward that my unborn child had Down syndrome, I’m sure we both would have had to fight for his life. If in fact 75 percent of women would consider aborting their own child, I think I can safely assume that they would try to persuade a daughter, sister, or friend to do the same.

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The full essay is available on Kindle for $1.25. Click through here: