After reading the article titled, “To spare their babies, women opt to abort” (BDN, June 13), we were compelled to respond. The article so clearly demonstrated the hopeless despair indicative of the culture of death threatening our society. Several points need to be challenged.

We are particularly concerned about the unchallenged premise put forth in the article about those with Down syndrome. Two of the babies described were predicted to have Down syndrome. As the parents of a Down child, we are alarmed at the faulty information influencing these mothers.

It is incredible in this day and age to view the life of those with Down a worthless and full of suffering. Ask any parent of a Down child and he or she will tell you stories of how this child has blessed their own family and the lives of others touched by these children.

Statistics show that in cases where prenatal testing shows a possibility of Down syndrome, about 90 percent of these children are aborted. It is nothing more than discrimination against the disabled in its clearest form. How sad that there is no room in the lives of these parents for any child who is not privileged, planned and perfect.

There is a not-so-subtle theme permeating the situations described in this article, that is the idea that suffering has no value. Since suffering is intolerable, we should, therefore, do away with those under our care if we know they will suffer.

So, when a child is injured in an accident, a spouse comes down with a chronic disease or an elderly parent is suffering from arthritis, will these unfortunates be the next to go? And what is the message to the poor siblings to these aborted babies? Will they be eliminated next if suffering comes their way?

One mother in the article is quoted as saying: “The last thing I wanted to do was to murder my own child.” She is then quoted as saying: “This is something we did out of love and respect for him.”

If arranging for the death of an innocent child is a sign of love and respect, we are living in a morally bankrupt society. On this premise a case could be made for any murder at any time.

There is a suggestion that aborting these children was a gesture of caring. We would suggest that, instead, it was an ultimate gesture of control. Any parent tries to control, to some degree, what happens to a child.

However, we cannot protect our children from suffering. To take their lives away to protect them from suffering is to say that there is no value in a life with any suffering. Is it playing God to suggest that, when any human suffers, life is not worth living, and that life should be snuffed out?

Rather than playing God, it is more like playing the devil.

Lastly, the article says of Marie Becker, “Her son disgusted her; she wanted him out of her body.” Then it says, “She loved him. She wanted to protect him.” These are such blatant contradictions that it is obvious that she was not thinking coherently.

In another citation, it is said that one of the mothers “could not bear to imagine surgeons cutting open her daughter’s tiny chest to rebuild her heart.” Yet somehow she could imagine the abortionists destroying that same daughter?

As the parents of a Down child, we hope these reflections contribute to an understanding of how the thinking in this article paints an unfair and distorted picture of the lives of those with Down syndrome.

Furthermore, we hope you reject the manner of thinking reflected in these despairing parents.

Thomas and Jean Beale are residents of Bangor.