In this paper I will analyze the relevant readings I have completed on the subject. Moreover, I will offer the relevant reasons to justify and prove my position. Eventually, I will present the possible arguments against my point of view.
First of all, Rebecca Kukla and Katherine Wayne offer a profound article on the prenatal testing. This article is unbiased and presents both positive and negative dimensions of such testing. Therefore, it is stated in the article that pre-natal tests often lead to abortions as long as parents are eager to have a “designer child”, adjusted to their own tastes and expectations (Kukla and Wayne 2005). As the result, the authors suggest that there is a need to define clearly, which traits and diseases are permissible to be tested for and aborted. Evidently, this list should include more severe and dangerous conditions than Down syndrome (Kukla and Wayne 2005).
Apart from it, Carl Elliot in his article “Is Ugliness a Disease?” criticizes the fact that medicine nowadays is more focused on the social issues of beauty than on curing diseases. This article is highly relevant to the present paper, as long as it condemns artificial social standards of a “happy” life: “Medicine is now being used in the pursuit of happiness” (Elliot, 2003). It is clear that children with Down syndrome do not fit in the model of “perfect” people. The author finds it unacceptable that the medicine help to pursue contradictory ideals. In my view, this issue also includes prenatal screening of Down syndrome and the subsequent abortions.
Judging from my experience, I believe that the abortion is the result of a loss of a human dignity. When the social standards of beauty, happiness and success are oppressing the expecting couple, the family may find an entire row of arguments that would justify the abortion of the fetus with Down syndrome. Such cases also include the issue of the surrogacy contacts as long as it is not the question of surrogacy. It is the question of a human life. Therefore, I consider the abortions to be the crime against humanity
On the contrary, some people may say that the children with Down syndrome will not have an opportunity to live a happy life, full of adventures and emotion. Moreover, they also argue that the contemporary society is not designed to comprehensively accept and include such people, when they grow up. Nevertheless, the people, affected by Down syndrome do not realize that they are incomplete, excluded or unhappy. They smile, they laugh and they communicate. Therefore, they are human beings. Their right to live a life is undeniable.
However, millions of people angrily refuse to even consider the facts, which may cause them discomfort. Instead, they prefer to kill the fetus in abortion. They are the ones who will not listen to the evidence and reasoned arguments. The very humanity of the fetus is denied only because he is in the womb. People should be patient and tolerant towards diseases.
One more aspect to analyze within this Paper is the question of Ms. Tygert. Genetically speaking, she is the mother of the unborn child. Therefore, she may not be forced to kill it via contract, even if the prenatal screening diagnoses Down syndrome. I believe that surrogacy contracts, similar to that, which was concluded between Ms. Tygert and the Rogers, should not be allowed to include provisions forcing the surrogate to make an abortion in case Down syndrome is diagnosed.
In my opinion, it is unjust to decide that healthy people are superior to people with diseases. Actually, it can be stated that all of us, who do not possess any disabilities, won the genetic lottery. Every argument for abortion of the fetus with Down syndrome is aimed at justifying the vanity and selfishness of people, who are not ready to accept the beauty and diversity of life on the planet. All in all, beauty is in imperfection.
Works Cited
Elliott, Carl. “Is Ugliness a Disease?” Guardian 2003, retrieved from
< http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2003/aug/26/healthandwellbeing.health1 >.
Kukla, R. and Wayne, K. “Pregnancy, Birth, and Medicine” (2005), retrieved from
< http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2011/entries/ethics-pregnancy/ >.
