Freedom beyond Dignity

Abstract

She was a bit apprehensive as she walked toward the desk. The receptionist smiled automatically and asked Mrs. Redgate how long she had been pregnant. under eleven weeks, think. Good. You just made our deadline. The government said within three months after the last menstrual flow. Is it painful? No more than any other needle prick. You've given blood before? Just a needle prick through the belly. Mrs. Redgate had wondered what meant. The letters glared through the clinic window. She had also seen them on the letter from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Amniocentesis for Better Children. Oh. The letter said that didn't have to come, but it would be to my benefit? Yes. You see, should your fetus be deformed, or have any genetic defect, we will recommend that you abort If you refuse, the Court has ruled that no agency can help what if want to have the baby anyway? just couldn't help you. You couldn't get insurance or social aid. If you can afford the costs, that's up to you. read where some people had a baby that cost them $20,000 a year. Most people can't afford that, of course. That's why President Armstrong suggested that social agencies refuse to support babies found to be defective before birth. Then when the major group insurance companies backed him up, most states heeded his advice. Then the Court ruled that it was unconstitutional for people to be forced to pay for the support of someone else's baby. know it's scary, but in a democracy people should be free to choose. And if they choose not to support the defectives of other parents, it's their right not to do so. what about my rights? Don't have a right to have a baby if want it? Of course you do. But your rights mustn't interfere with the rights of others. If you don't have the amniocentesis done and you should have a deviate, then you must support it yourself. Deviate? Someone who's off the normalcy curve. what's normal? Right now, it's nearly perfect health. What about school? Will the schools take him? Not the public schools. It's unconstitutional to force normal kids to slow down. what about special schools? Again, it's not fair for the parents of normal children to be forced to pay for schools for the abnormal. Mrs. Redgate, you're missing the point. You see, medicine has moved forward. We all want people to be healthy, and we can almost guarantee that you will have only normal babies. Some things can go wrong, but if you submit to A.B.C. and we notarize the fetus as normal, you are cleared. If it is born with a defect that went unnoticed, the state will take care of your expenses. But only if it's been cleared under our quality control program. I thought that abortion was allowed so that people would have as much choice as they wanted. Didn't the Court rule that abortion was a person's choice, and that was the whole idea behind the movement in the 1970's? Yes, as recall. But think read somewhere that some guys in Public Health began to carry out costbenefit studies on the expenses related to some defects, and found that they'd save a lot of money if they could use abortion and amniocentesis together to eliminate all the deviates. At first, most people went along. But then some people began to object, and that's when Armstrong made his plea. Well anyway, don't have much choice have I? I'm afraid not. Now, your husband's name? He's deceased. Two years ago. They froze his sperm when he had his vasectomy. And about six months ago, got kinda lonely, and wanted a child. His child. It took three months. Three tries. Artificial insemination? Yes. But then the Court made that decision. If I'd known, guess wouldn't have gone through with it. Listen. The government has always tried to do what's best for society as a whole. And if sometimes that seems to interfere with a person's freedom, we've got to remember that stop signs, food laws, quar-