Within the abortion debate, there are some who argue that babies who aren’t white and healthy are much less likely to be adopted.
For those who make this argument, the question should be asked:
What exactly are you trying to say?
If the data shows there is merit to this point, are you saying we should be okay with killing higher percentages of Black, Latino, and/or disabled children?
Clearly, this is not the answer to the adoption problem.
Placing a baby for adoption means giving him or her an opportunity to continue living.
While no baby could ever be guaranteed to be adopted by a well-off family (or any family at all for that matter), it doesn’t take much effort that any baby out there would rather have a chance to make something of his or her life than have it ended at such a young age.
While it seems like there is already a significant amount of red tape involved in most adoptions and children with disabilities might require more care than usual, it is important to realize that we have a responsibility to protect the life of the child (whether inside or outside the womb) first and foremost.
While it is true that white children are currently somewhat more likely to be adopted, it is also true that there are approximately many more parents willing to adopt than children available to be placed [1].
There are always plenty of people out there seeking to adopt, and instead of thinking about whose lives we should end, we should focus our efforts on facilitating the adoption process for all children.
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References
[1] Rampell, Catherine. (2011). “Black Babies, Boys Less Likely to Be Adopted.” New York Times. N.p., 25 Jan2010. Web. 16 Jul 2011. http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/black-babies-boys-less-likely-to-be-adopted/
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Image from www.bbc.co.uk