George Will presents a convincing argument for and a sometimes moving portrait of raising a Down syndrome child through the person of his son, Jon. But typical of Will, he cannot leave it at that. “Jon was born before Roe v. Wade inaugurated this era of the casual destruction of pre-born babies.” Anyone acquainted with Roe v. Wade will remember its central tenet is that a person has a right to abortion until “viability,” which is defined as “potentially able to live outside the mother’s womb, albeit with artificial aid,” usually placed at six or seven months. Will mentions prenatal genetic testing, but fails to note that it takes place long before viability. He is wrong to talk of “babies,” and I’m sure he is very wrong to use the adjective “casual.”
