Posted on 09/18/2008 8:55:35 AM PDT by Zakeet
In stunningly self-centered, cruel fashion, Nicholas Provenzo, writer for the Center for the Advancement of Capitalism suggests that Sarah Palin’s decision to give birth to a child with Down Syndrome, is a financial burden that others are forced to suffer with.
Provenzo, who has written opinion pieces for the Washington Times, Capitalism Magazine, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution, as well as being a guest on Bill Maher’s former show, Politically Incorrect, makes his case for “the morality of aborting a fetus diagnosed with Down syndrome.”
The full first paragraph of the piece which is circulating amidst the blogosphere reads (emphasis mine):
Like many, I am troubled by the implications of Alaska governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin's decision to knowingly give birth to a child disabled with Down syndrome. Given that Palin's decision is being celebrated in some quarters, it is crucial to reaffirm the morality of aborting a fetus diagnosed with Down syndrome (or by extension, any unborn fetus)—a freedom that anti-abortion advocates seek to deny.
Morally justifiable reasons for killing a baby? There is no justifiable reason for taking any child's life, and to call it a moral obligation to society is undeniably one of the more disgusting things to be written by a human being, about another human being.
In fact, advocating the abortion of a child based on the potential of that child having a disease or imperfection of some kind raises echoes of Nazi Germany’s quest for an Aryan race.
The suggestion that another life should be ended based on the presence of an extra chromosome, and that another healthy individual’s own life is more precious because of that, is over the top narcissism.
Maybe this shouldn’t surprise quite so much. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that sick individuals were offering up baby Trig on ebay. We live in a society where skeptics simply can't admire someone who stands on their principals. They must tear them down by insinuating that such a move is merely a political prop. Or, in this case, they argue that choosing life was actually a selfish move. A stunning argument to say the least.
However, Mr. Provenzo demonstrates his own level of selfishness in his rant. He doesn’t go the typical route of the pro-choice crowd, but reveals some very bizarre reasoning for why it is Palin’s obligation to have killed her baby boy – the care, love and effort required to raise Trig is a cost that others must bear.
A parent has a moral obligation to provide for his or her children until these children are equipped to provide for themselves. Because a person afflicted with Down syndrome is only capable of being marginally productive (if at all) and requires constant care and supervision, unless a parent enjoys the wealth to provide for the lifetime of assistance that their child will require, they are essentially stranding the cost of their child's life upon others.
I think Trig, and everyone who values life as a precious gift, all life, is extremely grateful for the Palin’s decision, no matter the challenges. Trig is a blessing and an inspiration to the conservative pro-life movement, as are Sarah and Todd Palin for making the right choice, the only choice.
And, if Mr. Provenzo needs examples of how someone with Down Syndrome has gone above and beyond the state of being ‘marginally productive,’ he only need look here, here, and of course, here, among countless others. In fact, I am quite certain that our very own readers could cite personal stories of their own.
No kidding. To measure the value of a human being based on a single defect is ridiculous. And people with Downs seem to have a special grace as compensation. I'd rather be stuck on a desert island for 6 months with a couple Down Syndrome kids than a pack of university professors or folks like this writer, that's for sure. He's the one with inferior worth, because of his arrogance and self-righteousness compared to the kindness and unassuming nature of folks with Downs.
There have been times when the tests were wrong. Some have chosen to have the baby, even after being told the baby would be handicapped, only to give birth to a very healthy child.
Makes you wonder how many of the so called 90-95% aborted babies, for this reason, are really just false positive tests.
Could someone post a still from Logan’s Run?
Ha! They can keep on writing this trash because it is only going to help the conservative side.
Figures. Maher has admitted that's he's a libertartian.
This will not go over well with most Americans.
There are some times I am so ticked off at the idiocy of thought by the left, I cannot bring myself to type what my brain wants me to, so I have to post it like that.
BTW, how did you fare through the hurricane and its aftermath?
You can stop trying to paint us all with the same brush...
No one is surprised by this if they have read Ayn Rand.
Given this conclusion, what makes it any less moral to snuff out the baby after birth? Barry Obama did not want to end the practice of killing babies "born alive".
The argument is straight from Nazi talking points.
I'm not sure what calculus this so-called "objectivist" is using, but he's got a serious logic flaw in there some where. Probably right next to his socialist leanings and fellow travelers ideology.
The philosophy of human individuality known as objectivism goes far beyond what Ms. Rand wrote.
What this idiot is writing is like saying that "for certain values of A, A does not in fact equal A". This violates a basic precept and invalidates his argument. He doesn't get to set the value of someone else's life.
Period.
“A parent has a moral obligation to provide for his or her children until these children are equipped to provide for themselves.”
Uh, nu-unh.
Dems think the GOVERNMENT has that obligation. In fact, they are doing everything they can make sure that your children belong to the STATE, which contractually, your kids probably do.
Pro-abortion, pro-sodomy, pro-drugs, pro-open borders, anti-conservative...
Sounds like your libertarian soul mate.
Unfortunately, you've lost all entertainment value as a punching bag.
I don’t think this will play well with most Americans.
Maher, the world’s most famous libertarian, brings a pro-abort Objectivist on his show.
You must be so proud.
>>This will not go over well with most Americans.
Only the ones who aren’t too busy - too busy super-sizing themselves into consumer oblivion, to notice.
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