More than 1,600 people sign a letter to the PM urging him not to allow abortion for Down's syndrome in NI
More than 1,600 people with Down’s syndrome and their families have signed a letter to Boris Johnson urging him not to allow abortions for the condition in Northern Ireland.
‘Better off dead’
The proposed plan for the law in Northern Ireland would see abortion for disabilities, including Down’s syndrome, available right up to BIRTH. We promote a society so much of “equality” yet this equality no longer extends to preborn children in the womb.
In 2016, there were 52 children with Down’s syndrome born in the Province, with one baby from Northern Ireland aborted in England and Wales.
In contrast, 90% of babies prenatally diagnosed with Down’s syndrome in England and Wales are killed in the womb. 100% are killed off in Iceland, 98% in Denmark and many more countries discriminate against these innocent, joyful and extraordinary human beings. In fact, preborn people with Down's syndrome aren't only discriminated against because of their disability. They are KILLED because of it. What a horrific reflection on the culture of death our world has allowed and celebrated in the name of "choice."
When you legalise abortion, you change the culture of a country utterly. You change how we think about life, how we think about disability and how we as a society relate to each other so that absolutely horrifying things can be done to preborn babies – and born babies - behind closed doors that in a few weeks could be living, breathing human beings.
Disabled peer Lord Shinkwin said that allowing abortion for conditions like Down’s syndrome in Northern Ireland would send the message that people born with a disability are “better off dead”.
Nicola Woods, whose seven-year-old son Daniel has Down’s syndrome, said: “People are deluded if they think this won’t have a negative impact on the Down’s syndrome community”.
She added: “People are keen to advocate for equality once babies are born, but not for the unborn child with a disability.
“Unborn children with disabilities are most vulnerable before they are born, where screening and abortion is the norm. Northern Ireland protects them and we want it to stay that way.”
The value of a human life cannot be ranked based on the number of chromosomes a person has.