Joys, Struggles and Scare Tactics: On Down Syndrome and Abortion

By Published on September 11, 2015

It’s tempting to make neat calculations based on what we know in the abstract about Down syndrome. But once an actual child enters into the equation — with all of his strengths and foibles, quirks and habits — we don’t get the answer we expected at all.

As Ohio considers a bill that would outlaw abortions following an in utero diagnosis of Down syndrome, Mark Schrad, a political science professor at Villanova University, has taken to the pages of the New York Times to speak against it. Schrad’s voice carries weight because he and his wife received a diagnosis of Down Syndrome eight years ago for their unborn daughter — and chose to welcome her into their family.

I, too, have an eight-year-old child with Down syndrome — a sweet, funny, energetic little boy — but I disagree with Schrad. In fact, I recently testified in favor of similar legislation before a Senate committee hearing in Indiana.

Read the article “Joys, Struggles and Scare Tactics: On Down Syndrome and Abortion” on thepublicdiscourse.com.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Like the article? Share it with your friends! And use our social media pages to join or start the conversation! Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, MeWe and Gab.

Inspiration
In the End, We Get What We Want
Jim Tonkowich
More from The Stream
Connect with Us