Nancy Rodriguez, a 32-year-old contestant on “Love is Blind” explained why, should her child be diagnosed with down syndrome or other physical or mental defects prior to birth, she would opt to have an abortion and simply, “try again and hope that the second time it’s better.”
“Love is Blind,” a show gaining popularity in recent years, attempts to emphasize the notion that love is not dependent on looks (which viewers should assume might include possible physical deformities). Contestants participate in dates from separate rooms, divided by a fogged glass wall. If two people decide to couple up, they have become engaged before ever meeting face to face. Once engaged, the couples have the opportunity to get to know each other on a deeper level, work out any differences, and eventually decide whether or not they would like to tie the knot or call it quits.
While in the final “decision” phase of the show, Rodriguez spoke with her fiancé, 27-year-old Bartise Bowden, she asked about having children, and expressed her desire to do so soon, because of the ever increasing risk of birth defects once she enters into her mid-30’s.
“What would you do if you did find out that your child had a birth defect and you could abort the pregnancy? Do you want to keep the baby?” Rodriguez asked.
“Keep the baby. F*** no.” Bowden responded almost immediately. “I could not . . . I just want to love that kid no matter what. Three legs, whatever it comes out is like going to be my — our — kid.”
Rodriguez, a speech pathologist, attempted to defend her position, claiming that she had seen “so much” in her line of work. She claimed, “A lot of times even just with down syndrome, there are so many complications, medical and also learning complications. I see the amount of trauma that it does to, like, the family. For me, if I knew that I could try again and hope that the second time it’s better, then I would go that route.”
Her fiancé was not even slightly persuaded by her eugenic sob story, and was incredibly up front with what he thought of the position she was taking:
“I would never, I could never do that,” Bowden said. “Especially knowing that we were trying to have a kid, just abort mission because they’re gonna have some challenges and we’re gonna have some challenges. I am mentally tough enough to handle whatever challenge that may present. And I just couldn’t ever pull the plug like that . . . I could not do that. I’m sorry.”
Both show contestants live in Texas, where abortion is illegal (making exceptions for medical emergencies) and discrimination based on fetal abnormalities is also illegal. What Nancy Rodriguez is describing, very simply, is eugenics. This essentially means, selectively tailoring your offspring to meet certain genetic qualifications that you find superior, and killing them if they do not meet your standards. It is morally reprehensible.
Bowden made sure to mention that he is pro-choice in certain circumstances, not realizing the clear contradiction. If it is wrong to terminate a pregnancy because of difficulties associated with down syndrome, then it is also wrong to terminate a pregnancy because of difficulties associated with having a child, financial, emotional, or other.
Nancy Rodriguez clearly doesn’t understand that children have rights as well. Having a child is never without complication or risk-free, and simply because there may be challenges associated with raising your kid does not mean you have the right to terminate their life.
In fact, Planned Parenthood’s founder, Margret Sanger, who revolutionized abortions was an avid eugenicist. She believed in “selective breeding” targeting “poor people, those with disabilities, immigrants and people of color,” according to the New York Times. The reality of abortion is eugenics, the procedure still preys on women who are poor, convincing them that their children are unwanted, undesirable, or incompatible with life because of conditions like down syndrome.
For years, the abortion industry has profited off their messaging that directly targets women of color and of a lower income, because they “need access” and “need” the ability to kill their children because of factors like economic status. It is blatantly racist, and if liberals or social justice warriors were interested in human rights, this would be the number one issue facing the country today.
No one has the right to selectively breed offspring, and discard any “unwanted” children.
