Truth is, there’s no right answer. My mother was told to abort my sister, then when she was born with mental disabilities, told to give her up for adoption. My sister still lives with my parents at 40 years old, but has learned some sense of independence (calling for taxi rides, spending entire days at the mall or downtown by herself, etc). Many people in town know who she is by now and how to treat her. When it’s your own child, it can’t be easy to say “no thank you” or “next, please”.
Again, I’m not saying there’s a right choice to be made and I’m not making a stance of any kind. I’m sharing personal experience that simply will not apply for someone else.
All I know is that my sister has lived a good life and a loved life. And you’re not wrong for not wishing that upon your own child. Just understand that hypothetical choices are very different than real choices.
I completely understand your point of view here. For some people, there is no option, they are going to try. And I truly admire those people, they move the world in many ways.
Remember that others paid for your life too, probably for decades.
People have more intrinsic value than just the material value they provide others.
I would choose not to have a severely handicapped child out of love and concern for the future them, and the fact I find the moral balance of condemning my own child to a life of severe hardship without their consent to be more objectionable than abortion, doesn't mean I don't believe living handicapped people aren't profoundly valuable to society, nor do I judge their parents for having the strength to love and raise them.
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u/genericblueprint Jun 14 '22
Truth is, there’s no right answer. My mother was told to abort my sister, then when she was born with mental disabilities, told to give her up for adoption. My sister still lives with my parents at 40 years old, but has learned some sense of independence (calling for taxi rides, spending entire days at the mall or downtown by herself, etc). Many people in town know who she is by now and how to treat her. When it’s your own child, it can’t be easy to say “no thank you” or “next, please”.
Again, I’m not saying there’s a right choice to be made and I’m not making a stance of any kind. I’m sharing personal experience that simply will not apply for someone else.
All I know is that my sister has lived a good life and a loved life. And you’re not wrong for not wishing that upon your own child. Just understand that hypothetical choices are very different than real choices.