Posted on 03/30/2008 12:20:44 PM PDT by wagglebee
Most parents receive the news that they are "expecting" with joy and excitement. For some, however, the good news turns sour when they learn that their unborn or newly born child has Down syndrome or is afflicted with some other disability like cystic fibrosis. What parents are told about their child's future and how they are told it often influences whether that child is born at all. That's why Senators Sam Brownback and Ted Kennedy have co-sponsored the "Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act".
The act (S. 1810) mandates that health care providers provide the mother of an unborn or newly born child with "up-to-date, scientific, written information concerning the life expectancy, clinical course, and intellectual and functional development and treatment options for a fetus diagnosed with or child born with Down syndrome or other prenatally or postnatally diagnosed conditions." In addition, the health care provider must provide "referral to supportive services providers," including hotlines, resource centers, and support programs. These measures seek to ensure that medical advice to parents of developmentally disabled children is accurate and balanced.
Sadly, in today's post-Roe environment the news that a child is likely to be born with a significant handicap is often a death sentence. According to The New York Times, about ninety percent of unborn children who are diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. Moreover, when a prenatal cystic fibrosis test was developed, the number of children born with cystic fibrosis in Massachusetts dropped by fifty percent. No studies have been done to asses the cause of the drop, but the odds of this being simple coincidence are quite low. A likely cause is the prevalent cultural notion that "flawed" human beings do not have lives worth living.
Parents whose child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome or cystic fibrosis are often apprehensive and frequently terrified. They have little idea what to expect for the future and even less understanding of the resources available to assist them in providing for their child. Unfortunately, their fears are often heightened by doctors who present the news as a tragedy or encourage the parents to pursue an abortion. In their time of trial, many of these parents are not given sound information about the reality of raising a handicapped child.
Sadly, we have entered a period in our history when children who do not measure up to someone else's subjective standard of perfection are consigned to the ash heap of history. Roe v. Wade has produced a disposable man ethic which holds that if people are less than perfect or unwanted, they may be disposed of with impunity. What will be required in the future to secure our membership in the human family? Will we have to be as smart as a Supreme Court judge or as beautiful as Miss America? Will we have to be able to shoot baskets like Michael Jordan or ride a bike like Lance Armstrong?
And have we become so soft and so self-centered that we can't bear the burden of providing for those less fortunate than ourselves? Are we unwilling to learn the life lessons that come from serving the weak and frail and the handicapped? Have we come to the point where we seek only our own comfort and our own pleasure rather than the good of others? Is there no room in our society for those who are counted among the least of our brethren?
Only time will tell. But in the meantime, Brownback's and Kennedy's bill seeks to dispel the myths associated with disabilities and to let parents of handicapped children know that they are not alone.
There were times in America's past when neither blacks nor women were regarded as full fledged members of the human family. As a result, they too were deprived of the full panoply of rights endowed by the Creator to those created in his image. Those were not the best of times in America's history. Thankfully, however, there were other times when Americans were willing to pay the price to see to it that both blacks and women received the protections they were entitled to by virtue of their humanity. Will we be willing to pay such a price for the unborn and the handicapped in our time? Again, only time will tell.
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I have trouble believing that, although even the worst people can have one good quality.
I can't help thinking there must be money for union workers in this bill somewhere.
He should, given what his father did to his sister Rosemary, and the fact that his own son lost a leg to cancer.
Ted Kennedy had a retarded sister, her name was Rosemary, and I think she lived into her 80’s. Eunice Shriver (a Kennedy sister) founded the Special Olympics because of the influence of Rosemary in their lives. That’s why I think Kennedy cares about the disabled, he saw it up close and personal.
I don't even want to think about the unintended consequences of such a half-hearted compromise with the death culture.
Just recognize abortion as murder and the problem is solved.
I’ve read about the lobotomy, but I think she was in her 20’s when the dad had that done. I think we know so much more today than was known years ago, and I don’t think you can “judge” his motives as supposedly he had it done on doctor’s advice. At one time lobotomy was an accepted medical treatment.
Speaking as a parent of a severely disabled son, I personally think that Ted Kennedy's involvement has more to do with abortion and keeping it an “option” for families that become overwhelmed with all of the “fair and balanced” information.
“I don’t even want to think about the unintended consequences...”
Exactly.
It will all depend on the WAY the information is COMMUNICATED.
The death culture will be pushing to emphasize the costs, problems etc. and push young parents to abort as always.
He's seen a baby, too, but he still supported partial-birth abortion.
It comes from what happened to his son and sister.
Load of Crap! Rosemary wasn't "retarded". They don't write in diaries about "outings to the opera, tea dances, dress fittings, and other social interests". Since when do you lobotomize a retarded person? She was lobotomized because she has "mood swings" She just wasn't up to Kennedy standards of perfection.
I hate labels people put on people and especially on those that are challenged in some way or form, I was labeled most of my life as “retreated” so I am just sharing my 2 cents and if it doesn't make any sense, ingore this comment!
“I was labeled most of my life as “retreated”
“retreated?”
{;o)
Hope yer having a good day.
A completely unconstitutional intrusion of Federal power into State regulated health-care.
From the Preamble to the Constitution:
secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,
Life is clearly defined as a right ("blessing of liberty") in the Declaration of Independence, posterity means those not yet born.
Your liberaltarian interpretation of the Constitution is therefore wrong, try again.
Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.
I am just as pro-life as you, but apparently unlike you, I recognize a counterproductive means despite its laudable intent. Giving the Feds blanket authority in matters of life and death is more likely to backfire than to serve your preferences. It is same means that led to "separation of church and state" among too many other usurpations to count, and is far more likely to yield to international standards, which would be disastrous to everything for which you stand.
Go the Federalist route, which is what dispensing with Roe would do anyway.
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