Saturday, September 13, 2008

It seems everyone has an opinion about Gov. Sarah Palin's decision not to abort her son Trig when she learned he would be born with Down syndrome.

When did Down syndrome come to be seen as such a horrible disability? I grew up with an aunt who had Down syndrome, so maybe that's why I never saw it as a disability, but some who have been writing and speaking about it make it seem as if it's a horrible disease and a massive burden on the families of those who have it.

I am pro-choice, but when 90 percent of pregnancies involving Down syndrome are aborted, this seems more like selective breeding. Michael Gerson ["Trig's Breakthrough," op-ed, Sept. 10] said "parents report that genetic counselors and physicians emphasize the difficulties of raising a child with a disability and urge abortion."

Isn't a child who has autism or

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder just as challenging? How far are we from a gene test that identifies these disabilities, and would doctors still recommend abortion? Considering how many children are found to have these learning disabilities, we'd be close to wiping out a population.

Maybe instead of encouraging parents to abort simply because a fetus has Down syndrome, doctors should make it a practice to educate parents and inform them that it isn't a death sentence.

MICHELE FORDEMWALT

Washington