Perhaps one of the saddest things I’ve heard in recent memory is what atheist Richard Dawkins said about children with Down syndrome.
On Twitter in August, Dawkins said that an unborn baby with Down syndrome should be aborted and that it would be “immoral to bring it into the world.”
Dawkins was debating this issue with some of his one million Twitter followers. When one of his followers tweeted, “I honestly don’t know what I would do if I were pregnant with a kid with Down’s syndrome. Real ethical dilemma,” Dawkins replied, “Abort it and try again. It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice.”
I first heard about Dawkins’ remarks on Facebook from someone I know who has a son with Down syndrome. She was horrified by what Dawkins said, since her son is a wonderful person and an important part of her family.
After delving into this matter further, I found some information about Down syndrome and what has been happening with the screening of pregnant women. I feel more people should be aware of these issues and talk about them with their family members and friends.