Thread by redk.
Claire will never read these words. But at least she is alive and brings joy to her many friends and family members. You see, Claire is a survivor. She survived one of the most ruthlessly effective extermination programs in modern times.
Claire has Down syndrome.
Most of her Down syndrome brothers and sisters never got to be born. In the United States, more than 90 percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. (In some other countries this number reaches 95 percent.) But apparently this isn't enough for those who would eradicate these defective persons. The problem is that the current methods for diagnosing the Down defect are ultrasound, biochemical exams or amniocentesis. But amniocentesis is expensive, invasive and potentially harmful to mothers and ultrasound may not be accurate. . .
Thread by narses.
When I became a board member at Planned Parenthood of the Inland Northwest a few months ago, I was trained in my calling; but nothing could have prepared me for the letter to the editor by Hans Neumann of Spirit Lake that appeared on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Mr. Neumann, whom I have not met, began with a rant, "Elections have consequences. We lost; they won, so they can do what they want for now."
As a clergyman for most of my adult life, I do not accept "them and us" divisions among and between people with differing views. Planned Parenthood supports keeping abortion legal because it protects women's health and lives. However, we never try to convince someone who opposes abortion they are wrong. Instead, we trust people and seek the middle ground. We understand that the only way to reduce the need for abortion is to ensure people have the family planning information and services they need to apply their own moral compasses and make their own decisions. . .