Running head: ABORTION

The Abortion Debate No One Wants to Have
Michael McManus
Baker College

There are many people with permanent disability’s that contribute to our society in very useful ways. In most cases, these people are viewed as being courageous. This kind of a reaction is typical but not always honest. There are a lot of people are uncomfortable around those that are considered “less than normal”. In her article The Abortion Debate No One Wants to Have, Patricia Bauer writes about Down’s syndrome and abortion. Bauer is a former reporter and bureau chief for the Washington Post. Bauer writes about some of those in our society who have an indifferent attitude about the relation between abortion and those with …show more content…

"First, it moves us farther down the road to seeing children as chosen for their genetic condition rather than given to us for their nurture and care. Second, the tests target embryos -- the most helpless of our children -- for destruction” (Strode, 2003). Still there are people who can’t, or don’t want to deal with the emotional and monetary expense of having a child with Down syndrome. There are some doctors who, after diagnosing a mother to be, actually discourage their patients from having the baby. “Thirteen percent of doctors attending pregnant mothers whose babies are discovered to have Down syndrome, this survey said, “emphasize” the negative aspects of Down syndrome and 10 percent said they “urge” the mothers to terminate the life of the baby” (cnsnews.com). About 90% of the women that are diagnosed having a child with a disability choose to terminate the pregnancy. There are advocates of people with Down syndrome who say that this will be detrimental. This could lead to less support from the government and less funding for research (Harmon, 2007). Margaret’s pediatrician backs-up this claim “on the west side of L.A., they aren’t being born anymore” (Bauer, 2005). Because of advancements in medicine and social policies people with Down syndrome can live productive lives. Bauer writes “Years ago, people with Down syndrome often were housed in institutions. Many were in poor health, had limited self-care and social skills, couldn’t