The Washington Post recently published a pro-abortion op-ed with the title “I would’ve aborted a fetus with Down syndrome. Women need that right.”
Written by Ruth Marcus, the piece was in response to the passage of a number of recent state laws that bar women from aborting their babies solely because of a diagnosis of Down syndrome. “These laws are unconstitutional, unenforceable — and wrong,” argues Marcus.
“I have had two children,” she explained. “I can say without hesitation that, tragic as it would have felt and ghastly as a second-trimester abortion would have been, I would have terminated those pregnancies had the testing come back positive. I would have grieved the loss and moved on.”
Citing Iceland and the fact that Down syndrome is practically nonexistent because of selective abortions, Marcus argues that two-thirds of American women would choose to abort their babies for reasons such as a Down syndrome diagnosis. She reasons that if you believe abortion is equivalent to murder, you are not forced to abort your child, but, “that is not my belief, and the Supreme Court has affirmed my freedom to have that belief and act accordingly.”
Marcus states that while she respects women and families who raise and love babies with Down syndrome, that is not the life she wants. “I’m going to be blunt here,” she writes. “That was not the child I wanted. That was not the choice I would have made. You can call me selfish, or worse, but I am in good company.”
The adamantly pro-life Chair of the House Republican Conference, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), quickly took to Twitter to refute Marcus’ op-ed. Explaining that she “struggled to put into words how offensive” she found the piece, McMorris Rodgers wrote:
When our son, Cole, was diagnosed with Down syndrome, my husband and I were given a long list of challenges and complications from his doctors. But when we looked at Cole, we still saw lots of potential.
— CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) March 12, 2018
Today, Cole is in the fifth grade. He finds joy in learning. He is a great big brother. He’s very personable and very motivated. He is in cub scouts and plays basketball. He lights up a room and people are drawn to him! He is living a life full of huge possibility.
— CathyMcMorrisRodgers (@cathymcmorris) March 12, 2018
McMorris Rodgers continued by sharing the stories of countless people with Down syndrome who are living full and wonderful lives. “They are a reminder to us all that we live in an extraordinary time in which we’re not bound by the conditions of our birth. We should be celebrating what every life has to offer. Every baby has a right to life, period,” she concluded.
