International Down Syndrome Day

The 21st March is International Down Syndrome Day. It is celebrated around the world to recognise the unique contribution that persons with Down syndrome [DS] make to our community. The aims of the day are to promote awareness and understanding, seek support and to achieve dignity, equal rights and a better life for people with Down syndrome everywhere. People with DS are loved and valued members of their families and are active participants in the educational, social and recreational activities of their community.

As the international community celebrates Down Syndrome Day it is tragic that our own government in February last year introduced a national screening programme to detect babies in the womb who may have DS. The government is confident that it will result in fewer babies being born with DS. Overseas experience indicates that 90 per cent of babies with DS are aborted as a result of the screening programme. Women who have a baby with DS are encouraged to terminate the life of that child.

The government clearly has decided that babies with DS are not welcome in New Zealand. This is eugenics that proclaims that only the perfect may be born. . Right to Life contends that the government has decided that children with Down syndrome are not valued or wanted in our community. Its intention then is to encourage families to abort children with Down syndrome. The insidious option to terminate the life of the child will ultimately become a duty to kill the child before birth.

The screening of unborn babies for Down syndrome with a new national screening programme is a further manifestation of a culture of death. It is a search and destroy programme that has as its sole objective the termination of the lives of unborn children.

Human life begins at conception and at that point the newly conceived life is endowed by its Creator with inalienable human rights, the foundation right is a right to life. Our human rights are both inalienable and universal. The termination of the life of the unborn child is a violation of the human rights of the unborn child. A child does not forfeit its right to life because it has Down syndrome. An abortion is the ultimate discrimination against those with a disability.

We should be aware from recent history that Nazi Germany started its eugenics programme by murdering babies with DS, they then went on to kill the mentally ill , the handicapped and ultimately Jews. If we do not learn from history we are then destined to make the same calamitous mistakes. Is this the path that New Zealand is now on. The Nazi’s called the extermination of the Jews, “The final solution,” the New Zealand government is calling the national screening programme targeting the elimination of babies with DS “Quality Improved Programme” …!!

The screening programme denies that unborn children with Down syndrome have an important contribution to make to the family and society, they should be valued, loved and respected.

Society should be aware that with the acceptance of eugenics and ultimately it may be expected that with the rationing of diminishing health resources that health care for the disabled will be restricted. Eugenics is a mortal threat to our society, today medical science can implement increasing genetic screening. Which is the next genetic group to be classified by government as not being welcomed here?

The government should withdraw the screening programme and promote a culture of life by ensuring that families who have unborn children with Down syndrome receive compassion and are given all the encouragement and support needed to bring their child to birth. After the birth of their child, they should be provided with the services necessary to assist them in providing for the special needs of their child.

Ken Orr

Spokesperson,

Right to Life New Zealand Inc.

© Scoop Media