To be upfront I am entirely anti-abortion in all circumstances (with the exception provided by the principle of "double effect" where the abortion
is consequential rather than directly intended/carried out.)
Whilst the case is particular to Sweden it is an international problem in which the US can, unfortunately, not claim any moral superiority. The
practice does take place in the US, most usually among immigrant populations, which has provoked the
"Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act" currently being reintroduced in Congress for a
second time after time ran out when it was first introduced late last year.
It is interesting to note, if not horrific, that a Planned Parenthood intern, Clint Waltman, had the following to say after it was first
introduced:
the bill aims to "prohibit discrimination against the unborn on the basis of sex or race, and for other purposes." The implications of such a
measure are that federal law would recognize abortion as immoral, as well as recognize developing cells (the "unborn") as live children with gender
and race.
A purely symbolic gesture, Fortenberry's bill is yet another attempt to change the rhetoric of the issue of abortion until the opposition can achieve
an outright ban.
...
The Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act is yet another attempt in a long line of Bush-era steps to prohibit a woman's right to choose, and Americans need
to be vigilant of the continuing changes in political landscape which will be catastrophic for families.
...
It's anti-abortion affirmative action and now we have cell mass nondiscrimination.
Source: CBS News
The implications highlighted by Mr Waltman are significant, except perhaps for different reasons. If, as we are lead to believe, it is not a
"girl/boy" but just a bundle of cells then objection to it might be as futile as objecting to any abortion. However, if (as has already been said a
few times here), there is some revulsion at the barbarism of such gender selective abortions how can we be encouraged to accept any abortion? Is
male/female more important than "wanted"?
It's the old line of when a friend/relative tells you they are pregnant you don't worry about what they're going to give birth to - you know its
going to be a child (not an elephant, etc.) so the scientific definition of what is being aborted is known, it is a "human life".
