Kevin Stilley on Down Syndrome Holocaust
If you haven’t already read it, let me encourage you to read Kevin Stilley’s post on the Down Syndrome Holocaust. Nothing I can think of would improve what he has said or how he has said it.
http://www.kevinstilley.com/down-syndrome-holocaust/
Mr. Stilley,
Thank you for your perspective, but please allow me to disagree with you on one point… I believe that your child will be “perfectly healthy” even if he or she has Down syndrome. God has a purpose for each life He creates and I believe He creates children with Down syndrome for many reasons. We are ALL born with what others would consider “less than perfect” qualities, yet God creates each of us uniquely and with a specific purpose in mind for our lives. As a society, I believe we must stop placing a level of value on others based on our own perception of “perfection.”
Our nation already places such a stigma on the particular characteristic of Down syndrome that the majority of women abort when they find there is a possibility of this in their unborn child. This indicates to me that we are not far from forcing abortion on these women or determining other characteristics that our society deems undesirable and forcing abortion in those instances as well.
Much of the stigma about Down syndrome comes from a basic lack of education, I believe. The truth is that children with Down syndrome CAN and DO learn and succeed in society. They do graduate from high school (and many from college) and live independently. I have a beautiful 7 year old daughter who is reading at a first grade level, yet some would suggest that I should have aborted her because she has Down syndrome. We currently do not utilize any government supports or receive any publicly funded money to help provide for her education or care. I believe that my daughter provides a great benefit to the world around her in MANY ways and she is not a “burden” to society as some might have suggested she would be. In contrast, many have told me of the blessing she is to them and to their children.
Yes, it is a great tragedy that so many children with Down syndrome are being aborted. I wonder if someday we might realize a need for them in our society and find a void or problem that is caused from having so few of them left. I also wonder how some can work so hard to save certain animals from extinction, yet a unique variety of human life is being extinguished without any outcry whatsoever. God please forgive us.