The Happy Killers

This so-called "man" just killed his two sons, with their mother's approval. Here is what he had to say for himself and his wife: "We don't feel guilty. We don't feel ashamed. We're not even really sad..."

Cold-blooded murderer? Legally speaking, no. They weren't really his "sons" yet. They were just "midterm fetuses," two of four such objects that had mysteriously appeared in his wife's body. There being room for only two fetuses to co-exist safely, the other two had to go.

Did these fetuses just show up out of nowhere? No. In fact, these people went through enormous expense and effort to create their children via in-vitro fertilization (IVF). They allowed a doctor to implant five young humans in the mother's womb, gambling that not all would survive but that some would. Four did. Two of these would have to die in order for the others, and the mom, to avoid complications and possibly death.

Which two? He admits it was an agonizing choice. There were two boys and two girls to choose from. One of the deciding factors was that boys are more likely to have Down's Syndrome when the father is this man's age, 47. Since we know that people with Down's Syndrome are not really human and their lives have no value, the boys drew the short end of the stick.

The author tries to tell us what an agonizing decision it was. I'm sure it was not easy. But the fact is he asked for it. He and his wife knew when they tried IVF that there was a high chance of multiple pregnancy. They knew complications were likely and that the doctors might recommend abortion. They knew the father's age created the above-average potential for genetic abnormalities. They forged ahead anyway. They created life knowing they would probably have to end it as well. And they were OK with this.

It is truly sad that many people who want to have children find themselves physically unable to do so in the normal way. Is IVF really the answer? If your ultimate goal is to have children, why go to all the expense and risks of IVF when thousands of kids wait for years to be adopted?

The answer, of course, is selfishness. Parents like these want their own children. They want to be pregnant, have baby showers, go to the hospital, and have kids that are genetically "theirs." These things are so important to them that they will wait years, spend thousands of dollars, and possibly still remain barren, before they will consider adopting a child who is not "theirs."

So we end up with thousands of kids rotting away in foster care or institutions, and with excess fetuses being killed by their selfish parents, who pay fertility doctors massive amounts of money to do the dirty work. Exactly where is the logic in this?

Answer: there is no logic. There is only evil. Please don't be part of it.


Hat tip: Mark Gordon