THALIDOMIDE BABIES Sm,—Queequeg asks what conceivable argument there could be
for denying the remedy of legal abortion to the mother of a thalidomide baby, It is the same argument whereby we can never assume the right to take innocent life without fear of setting
the spade to our own graves. The pro-abortionist is always a well-meaning man, but, where fundamen- tal priqciples are at stake, good intentions are not enough. No one can deny that the baby is innocent; he did not ask to be conceived, nor to be deformed with drugs. Some may claim that lie is not strictly human on the grounds that he cannot live apart from his mother and is not fully formed. But, as a paralytic often cannot live without an iron lung, and the process of formation continues long past the womb, neither of these grounds appears to be relevant. It is difficult to' see what characteristics essential to human nature are lackine to an embryo; it is not enough to assume that because he cannot be seen he is therefore inconsiderable.
It is true that the pro-abortionist will insist on certain safeguards; that the child should not be able to live a normal life, that distress is caused 10 his mother, that he could make no contribution to society and that if he were fully able to appreciate his condition he would concur in the decision. How: ever these are not safeguards of principle but 01 relative judgment. I Would suggest, for instance, that mental defectives are a far more suitable sub- ject for elimination. Their deformity is certain instead of merely a probability, and, while they could make no contribution to society, Queequeg himself may be limbless for all I know; it would make little difference to his copy, though it might to his views on abortion. The value of such a judgment rather depends on. who is judging. I could argue that 'Jews caused. distress to their neighbours, polluted .society ao.d would undoubtedly concur in their extermination f they could see their position from the point of view„ of the Gentile. Queequeg, at least, could not eau me a murderer, but merely deplore my judgment' Indeed he could do no more if I had the power t°, eliminate him, and no doubt my reasons for that process would disqualify his opinion on the subject. The principle of the inviolability of innocent life may be an important one, but from where does stem? I can only answer that, as a Christian. I believe that each human was created by God for a," immortal purpose and a high dignity and that 0.e holds his life in trust for Him who was its sour,7L,; m I can only make a guess at why a loving God neil pain in the world, but do know that He chose ,' share it for our sakes. To a Christian, abortion its. a spit in the face of Almighty God; law we claim that we know better than He how manage the world. in rejecting III'
QUENIIN DL 1 +. 'WW1 I 3 Durrington Park Road, Wimbledon, SW20
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