Prayerfully Considering All the Options

When Sarah Palin's youngest child was diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, she and her family made the choice to have the baby. All we're asking for is to have the same choice and to prayerfully consider all options in such a circumstance.

Editor’s Note: The following is a submission received during our
Pro-Choice Republican Essay Contest. We are delighted to feature the
voices of Republican voters who shake off party orthodoxy and embrace
pro-choice principles. Their views, of course, are theirs alone, and
don’t necessarily reflect those of the site.

When Sarah Palin’s youngest child was diagnosed with Down’s Syndrome, she and her family made the choice to go ahead and have the baby. All we’re asking for is to have the same option of choice and to prayerfully consider all options in such a circumstance.

My wife and I are the same age as the Palins, and my wife homeschools
our three children.  My company just cut me back to part time and we
can’t afford health insurance, so we are very blessed to have everybody
healthy and enough resources to put good meals on the table without
public assistance, thanks in part to our backyard garden and our local
co-op.

As everyone knows, the chance of having a Downs Syndrome child goes up
with age; if we were presented with a similar situation, we might make
the same choice
as the Palins, but we might not.  We would prayerfully consider, as a
family, what would be most fair to our other children, and what we
could reasonably offer the new child under our present circumstances.
We would also consult our doctor about the challenges of raising a
special needs child; If we chose to end the pregnancy, it would not be
a decision taken lightly, and I resent the pro-life stance that the government should make the decision for us.