What Happened to the Value of Human Life?

Does life matter? Not that long ago we would have all been able to easily answer this question, but today it's not that simple. Those who advocate for ‘inclusivity, diversity, and kindness’ also advocate that a baby has no value until they are born. They say those with disabilities are burdens on society. They think it is moral and merciful (not to mention economical) to offer those with mental illness state-sponsored suicide. How can one who prides themselves on empathy place such little value on human life?

We live in an entitled society where value is centered solely around ourselves. What makes me happy, what do I want, and when can I get it? Those blessed with wealth seem to believe anything and everything has a price. And if one has the money to pay-no request, no matter how grotesque is off the table. We can buy the use of a woman’s body (for sex or surrogacy).  We can purchase bodily organs (like kidneys). And sadly the practice of buying and selling humans (also known as slavery) is still an evil we must contend with. So how can we call ourselves a moral civilized society when we have such little regard for our fellow humans?

In a recent Wall Street Journal poll only 30% agreed with banning abortion after 15 weeks. After 15 weeks the baby is fully discernible as a human in an ultrasound. You can clearly see a wiggling body with a head, nose, arms, legs, and if you are lucky you might spot the baby’s sex.  With all the science and data we have on human development in the womb the majority still think we should be able to kill a baby after over 3 months of pregnancy! Some don't even believe in any restrictions at all and endorse abortion up to the moment of birth.

The earliest known premature baby to survive was born at 21 weeks, 5 days. As technology improves and babies can survive earlier in the gestational period how will we rectify this? How can we say we agree with abortion so late in pregnancy when the baby can survive out of the womb? Will we say killing a viable baby is better than saving his life based on some false notion of “women’s rights“?  

Speaking of women’s rights, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend of mothers openly hating motherhood. They claim to love their children but simultaneously hate being mothers. They encourage other women to forgo it. It's terrible, they say. You always play second fiddle to your kids. Yes, along with adulthood comes responsibility. And responsibility includes taking care of others. At some point, most of us will have to put our desires aside and look after others whether we have children or not. But that's now considered an undue burden. If I have to take care of an elderly parent, a newborn baby, or pick up the slack from a co-worker with a family emergency-my rights are now being violated. Anytime we put someone else’s needs above our own it’s a travesty. And these mothers believe their child’s reliance on them is a travesty so great no other woman should have to endure it.    

I used to be rabidly pro-choice (and I mean rabidly), so I understand why women may fear motherhood or view new abortion restrictions as a loss of rights and bodily autonomy. But creating a family is one of the greatest joys and maybe even the purpose of our existence.  Sometimes my kids make me wanna jump out of a window. But so do my other family members.  Sometimes people I work with or even stories I see in the news make me feel this way. My point is people are going to wear on you. Unless you live a life of total seclusion, people will annoy you. There is no escaping it. To demand a life free from inconvenience and suffering is an exercise in futility and a hallmark of privilege and immaturity.

But where does this lack of responsibility and disdain for putting others ahead of oneself come from? It seems exclusive to the West. In most other societies, families are close and highly valued. Children are a great blessing. And the elderly are revered. As hard as it is to take care of others, it's part of the circle of life in most other counties. Oddly this extreme narcissism appears to be coming primarily (though not exclusively) from the ‘be kind’ crowd. The same crowd who says women should throw their rights away so men can play pretend. The same crowd who insists you get the Covid vaccine even if it kills you (literally). The same crowd that claims to be so concerned about our welfare that they’ll recommend (in progressive countries) suicide for those with mental illness. This ‘kind’ crowd inexplicably believes that having to take care of another human is unjust. Inconvenient burdensome people are an inequity that the government must address. 

But human life should be valued! Whether that human life is inconvenient or not. Those who are sick, disabled, or have some genetic abnormality or disability, matter. And we are sadly living in a culture that doesn't seem to think so. 

I’ve heard many people reference those with down syndrome and other disabilities as a reason to have an abortion. They say it is better to end the life of a potentially disabled child or a child with down syndrome rather than give that child a shot at life. Until recently this mindset would have been condemned, now it is celebrated. What about those who obtain disabilities through car accidents? What about those who obtained significant war injuries, do those people no longer matter? 

In Canada, they have one of the most liberal assisted suicide laws in the world. Beginning this year they planned to allow people who have minor disabilities or who have only a mental illness to commit state-assisted suicide. This has been paused due to public outrage. A man who was recently able to obtain assisted suicide ended his own life despite his family’s pleas with only one significant concern; hearing loss. Many organizations have criticized the Canadian government's law as inhumane yet clothing companies are producing glamorous ads endorsing it. 

According to some reports, the sixth leading cause of death in Canada is assisted suicide. Our fact-checking friends claim this is misleading because assisted suicide is not listed as the cause of death so it's hard to measure (convenient, right?). A veteran who was reaching out to the Canadian VA for assistance last year was offered the option of assisted suicide even without mentioning suicidal ideation. Of course, this was ruled as a ‘mistake’, a mistake that seems to be made with increasing frequency. These stories are becoming more widespread as the government sees the costs of state-assisted suicide as more economical than treating humans with dignity. This again shows the lack of value we as a society place on human life.  

The West used to be the standard for freedom and quality of life. People from all over the world (including most of our ancestors) flocked to the USA for opportunity, liberty, and to pursue the life of their dreams. Although millions still flock here, the American dream is fading. American culture, which billions of people would enthusiastically emulate worldwide, is fraying at the seams. Countries all around the world facing severe population decline are encouraging families. They want more life-not less. For the first time in American history, we may find ourselves on the ‘wrong’ side of it. Let's hope we can reverse course before it's too late.