There seems to be a start to an all out war against abortion in Canada–both national papers have published articles that attempt to discredit abortion by introducing wedge issues.
Trouble is –judging by the comments and letters- most do not seem to be able to effectively discriminate between the fetus and a living being. Referring to victims of Down syndrome and severely handicapped children, much is made of the intimate connection that develops between parent and child no matter how serious the affliction. There is no question in my mind that such is so –consider our own Lavinia.
But there is nothing in nature that encourages a similar affection towards the fetus. We are genetically driven–as are most creatures–to take loving care of our offspring–a necessary drive to ensure species survival. But the signals that
arouse concern for a baby are entirely lacking in the impersonal fetus.
True, there are many intelligent young people who use contraceptives till they are emotionally able, both financially and emotionally to raise a child, who are understandably concerned about the welfare of their foetus and these are the people we should fully support since it is not easy these days to bring up a child, considering low wages and the cost of housing are heavy burdens to carry .They need all the help they can get.
But it matters greatly whether a child is wanted or not. It is scary to think there are people out there who can become emotionally concerned over the contents of a stranger’s uterus. Talk about invasion of personal privacy. Does a man in Chicago have the right to affect the personal life of a woman in Calgary?
Andy Mulcahy