Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utcsstat.UUCP Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!utcsstat!laura From: laura@utcsstat.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Abortion, another view. Message-ID: <790@utcsstat.UUCP> Date: Mon, 18-Jul-83 16:55:39 EDT Article-I.D.: utcsstat.790 Posted: Mon Jul 18 16:55:39 1983 Date-Received: Mon, 18-Jul-83 18:58:25 EDT References: <168@teltone.UUCP> Organization: U. of Toronto, Canada Lines: 56 David Heppner writes: The Myth of the "Unwanted Child" One of the most frequently heard excuses of the "pro-choice" groups is, "it would be unfair to bring another 'unwanted child' into the world." Actually, there is no such thing. Once a baby is born it will never be unwanted because of the extreme shortage of newborn babies available for adoption. It is obviously not the child's happiness and well-being that is of utmost concern here...but that of the parents. I am afraid I have some news for you, Dave. There are LOTS of unwanted children. If you ever travel in Central America and mention that you are from Canada or the United States, there will be *literally hundreds* of mothers who will want to give or sell their children to you. Some of these will be motivated by "wanting the best for the child" but a lot are not. In addition, in Honduras, San Salvador, Guatemala and poorer parts of Mexico, (presumably in other countries where I have never been as well) infanticide is COMMON. One of the best things I ever did was to help fix cleft lips and cleft palates among children in Central America. You get to meet children whose mother has kept them in a closet since they were born because they are ashamed of their cleft lip. You meet a child who would have had a twin sister, except that the midwife told the mother that there was a "good" twin and a "bad" twin, and that after you had identified the "bad" twin (full of evil spirits) you should kill it. But, let us forget about the rest of the world for a bit. I have some more bad news for you. There are other unwanted children, even in your own town. They are the TEEN AGE CHILDREN who were adopted while babies by foster parents who now regret the decision. Surprised? So was I. On the other hand, in the Toronto area is a group of parents (about 200 parents) in all who feel that they have been had. they adopted a child and the child didnt turn out. They are the parents of adopted kids whose children are up to their necks in trouble with the law. Some are murderers. Some are drug-dealers. Some are guilty of robbery. Some are dead. The current consensus of every psychologist who has viewed the situations of all the Toronto parents is that it was the ADOPTION ITSELF which produced the bad children. The parents may have contributed to the children's dilinquency, but any adopted child is at a very high risk to be immoral, or rather amoral. I can post the current theories on why adopted children do not turn out. It would be a very long message, so unless people are interested, I will stop here. I honestly only know one person who has adopted a child and does not regret the decision 18 years later. I honestly know more than 20 people who regret it, including my parents. If we are going to get a huge number of adopted kids because we ban all non-theraputic abortions then we are going to have to learn how to raise them. It seems to be an entirely different problem from one of raising kids in general. And I dont know anyone who has the answers. Laura Creighton utzoo!utcsstat!laura