Selective Reduction is Killing

Not to long ago I came across a woman who was weighing her options after conceiving triplets with the aid of modern science.

She, unable to conceive naturally, turned to science in an effort to assist in the creation of human life. Months later, she is turning to science once again so that two of her unborn children will be "reduced," giving the remaining child a better chance at survival and to prevent her from having to care for more children than she wanted (her words). What a nefarious tragedy to annihilate what she deliberately conceived.

This woman keeps referring to the anticipated killing as a reduction. To reduce sounds much softer than to kill. Does using sugar-coated terminology distract from the calculated action which will end the life of two of her three babies? Changing words may comfort her but they won't comfort the babies who are already in the second trimester and able to feel pain. In a selective reduction, a needle is inserted into the heart of a baby and either air or chemicals are injected, which stop the heart. The babies, who have no choice in the matter, can't even fight back to defend their own lives. They are at the mercy of their mother - the one who is supposed to love them the most, and the one who is supposed to nurture and protect them. To intentionally inflict bodily harm and destruction on them belies instincts that are generally inherent in most mothers.

The woman I'm referring to has complained about getting more stretch marks and gaining too much weight since she has to ingest more calories than normal. She doesn't want too many children-two would suffice--and thinks that reducing will ease her burden. Did she even consider the consequences of her actions? Why should her babies, innocent in all of this, be the ones to suffer and die for the deliberate choices she and her husband made?

Is creating them just to destroy them responsible, compassionate parenting? Aren't we, as so-called enlightened beings, better than this?

Sadly, the one baby that will be "allowed to live" is not permitted to do so because he is wanted as the unique human being he is, but merely because he is the luck of the draw.

It is statistically confirmed that the most dangerous place to be in regard to the preservation of one's life is in the womb of a mother, who is told that if she doesn't want her baby she can take his life.
- Unknown