We must protect the lives of those who cannot defend themselves
Our Lady of Perpetual Help parishioner Robbie Steiner of New Albany speaks during the “I Love Life” conference on Nov. 10 at his parish. His speech earned the third-place award in the National Right to Life oratory contest in June. (Photo by Mary Ann Wyand)
By Robbie Steiner (Special to The Criterion)
NEW ALBANY—Sixteen years ago, my mom gave birth to Tommy, my younger brother and best friend.
Tommy happens to have Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder which results in developmental delays and mental retardation. I consider myself very blessed to have grown up with Tommy. Words cannot describe how much I have learned from him. I cannot imagine my life without him.
Yet, there are citizens of our country, even this community, who think that Tommy should not have been born. They feel that people living with his condition are not acceptable members of the human race. This ignorant belief has resulted in a present day holocaust in our country which must be stopped.
Every day, innocent and helpless babies with Down syndrome are being killed off by people who want to “cleanse” our society from imperfections. It has been estimated that 80 to 90 percent of babies conceived with Down syndrome are aborted.
Why is this happening? It is because medical professionals are not properly informed of the value of people who happen to have developmental disorders. Prenatal testing for Down syndrome has become the norm in order to give parents the option of terminating their affected pregnancies. Proper counseling is not given by medical professionals, which results in rash decisions on behalf of new parents.
According to a recent news release from the National Down Syndrome Congress, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now recommends that all pregnant women be screened for Down syndrome in the first trimester. This recommendation is for the sole purpose of giving parents the option to abort early in the pregnancy. There are no health benefits for parents who find out their child has Down syndrome in the first trimester.
The biggest problem is not the testing, however. It is the way doctors convey the news of a diagnosis to parents. Dr. Siegfried M. Pueschel, an internationally acclaimed developmental pediatrician who raised a son with Down syndrome, speculates that the personal views of doctors can influence distraught parents.
Many medical professionals are unaware of the quality of life that people with Down syndrome have and allow their own concepts of disabilities to influence the choices of new parents. Many doctors feel that abortion spares people with Down syndrome from painful lives. But killing people with Down syndrome before they have a chance to live certainly does not do them any favors.
Typical human life is not without difficulty. We all have to face our own unique challenges. The truth is that people with Down syndrome can live dignified lives. They may have a harder time with the tasks they undertake, but the struggles they face are not much different from those you and I deal with on a regular basis.
Many doctors also think that the presence of a child with Down syndrome in a household will put stress on the family. This could not be further from the truth. A 2003 study of children who had siblings with Down syndrome showed that the subjects had better relationships with family members than most children their age. In addition, a 1992 study showed no correlation between divorce rates and the presence of a child with Down syndrome in a family.
My family is as blessed and content as they come. My brother, Tommy, has taught us the true value of human life and has made us aware of the importance of acceptance. He has drawn us together as a family, not pulled us apart. I would not want any other person for a brother.
Another common myth that plagues the medical community is that people with a developmental disorder cannot live happy and enjoyable lives. People with Down syndrome can actually enjoy their lives as much as those of us without disabilities. I would dare to say that many enjoy their lives more than the rest of us do. Everyone I know who has Down syndrome has a knack for finding joy in the simple aspects of life that most of us overlook.
Perhaps our society is intimidated by this ability to be happy. Our culture does not find value in simplicity. No one seems to get excited about a sunset, a ride in the car or a visit to the grocery store. When people with disabilities find pleasure in these things, most of our society chooses to feel sympathy for them rather than joining in their delight. Is our country afraid of people who like to be happy?
I personally find it appalling that the American medical community promotes the eradication of persons with disabilities. By allowing this to happen in our society, we are condoning a holocaust with the brutality and magnitude of that which occurred in Nazi Germany.
Is the medical community concerned with promoting health care or is it attempting to “cleanse” the human race of all imperfections?
When did it become acceptable for us to decide which babies are fit to live and which are not?
What doctor has the right to tell a mother that her baby is not up to American standards?
The fact that such activity is going on in my country makes me sick. The United States was founded upon the belief that all people deserve the same basic freedoms—life being the most basic of them all. Our Constitution does not include an exception for people with developmental disabilities.
How can we decide who has the right to life and who does not?
The question remains: What can we as members of society do to stop this holocaust?
First and foremost, each of us must promote the culture of life on a personal level.
When you see people with disabilities, go out of your way to show them respect. Let others around you see your attitude so that you may be an example of the love our country should have for its most vulnerable citizens.
Also, write to your congressmen and women. Tell them that you are ashamed of your fellow countrymen. Let them know that allowing our doctors to kill innocent children is intolerable and hypocritical.
At every chance I get, I try to help others understand the value of all human life. I encourage all of you to do so as well.
We live in a country that boasts about its freedoms and liberties for all people, but a nation that kills its weak is a cowardly one. Let us not be that nation.
How can we hope to fight off the terrorists who want to eradicate our country when we cannot even respect our fellow countrymen?
The old slogan, “United we stand, divided we fall,” rings loud and clear. If America insists on being self-destructive, it has no hope.
Let those of us who realize the seriousness of this problem go out and make a difference. Let us give hope back to our country by protecting the lives of those who cannot defend themselves.
Be an advocate for the unborn. Make the rest of America know that we will not tolerate a nation that kills.
(Robbie Steiner is a member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany, a 2007 graduate of Our Lady of Providence Jr./Sr. High School in Clarksville and a freshman majoring in political science at Indiana University in Bloomington. His essay won first place in the Indiana Right to Life oratory contest and third place in the National Right to Life oratory contest in June. He presented his speech during the “I Love Life” conference on Nov. 10 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany.) †
