The controversy over child killing among Amazon tribes in Brazil

Re:The controversy over child killing among Amazon tribes in... by cdoxsey on Sunday July 01, 2018 @12:44PM (#17436296)

I used the phrase "the West" because the practice happens in the US, but is more common in Europe.

The analogy stems from an instrumentalist view of what it means to be human and the expectations parents have that children are for their own pleasure. IE: a down syndrome life isn't worth living because such a person can't be a meaningfully productive member of society, or a down syndrome child isn't one I want to have because of the long-term burden I will have to bear.

It's not mental gymnastics to make that connection. The only reason it isn't obvious is because abortion is a taboo subject.

FWIW a 10 week old fetus is a lot more than a "blob of cells": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sivegxcp2Bk .

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:The controversy over child killing among Amazon tribes in... by rbanffy on Sunday July 01, 2018 @01:49PM (#17436601)

While a 10 week old fetus is not a blob of cells, having some major structures forming and hinting at their definitive shape, the brain is still very little more than autonomic functions.

Also, there are a multitude of reasons why a couple would want to terminate a pregnancy for a genetic anomaly, from the social burden to the financial burden or the notion that their child with a congenital condition will not lead a life they deem worth living. At this point, when the fetus is not a person just yet, it's their choice to make.

Would you have a child knowing they'd be condemned to a premature and painful death?

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