When we hear public speeches about «defending rights» and «compassion for the most vulnerable,» we must ask ourselves if those words are true or merely a mask for ideological interests.
We cannot deny that certain progressive sectors proclaim their sympathy toward people with autism when it suits them, while at the same time supporting the abortion of fetuses with severe disabilities.
President Donald Trump mentioned that the use of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) during pregnancy could be linked to autism.
In response, left-wing parties and figures expressed surprise, indignation, and displays of «solidarity» toward people with autism, claiming that this condition should not be seen as something that needs to be «cured» or eliminated.
However, that sudden sympathy is jarring if we recall that these same sectors have historically supported abortion and even assisted euthanasia in cases of disability.
Thus, the left argues that autism is not a disease, and that the autistic brain «is beautiful,» rejecting in principle the idea of eradicating it.
However, that view conflicts with their defense of the right to kill the weak one who is coming, the one who comes with some defect, the one who comes «complicated.» That hollow coherence is exposed when confronted with their real policies on safe, legal, and free abortion.
According to data cited in the article, a 2022 Pew Research study reveals that 68% of Democrats (in the U.S.) consider it acceptable to allow abortion when there are indications of severe disability in the fetus.
Additionally, recent laws in states like Minnesota have expanded abortion up to any stage of pregnancy, without considering that even if the baby is born alive after an attempted abortion, the state would not be required to provide life-saving medical care.
A former Massachusetts official went so far as to argue that children with defects should be aborted to avoid costs to the public education system and said: «your school will have to absorb the cost of special services.»
Beyond abortion, progressives propose assisted euthanasia (or «medical aid in dying») as an extension of individual rights, even for people with disabilities, under the argument of avoiding suffering. Data shows that, among liberal Democrats, support for that right reaches 83%, compared to 41% among conservative Republicans.
Organizations in the disability advocacy field have warned of the dangers of these schemes, pointing out the risks of coercion, medical errors, and the devaluation of human life. This newly discovered «compassion» toward autism is not genuine empathy, but an opportunistic response to a political controversy surrounding Trump.
It is not about truly loving people with disabilities, but using them as a flag when it is convenient. If the left were coherent, they should disaffiliate from their own parties and join the pro-life movement, which has always affirmed that every human life deserves protection, regardless of its limitations.
We must not forget that we live in a culture that has relativized the sacredness of human existence, that rewards comfort and the «right to well-being» above the duty to the defenseless. The abortion of a fetus with Down syndrome, or with any serious condition, is not a «reasonable adjustment,» but an act of violence against one who lacks the voice to defend themselves.
When someone proclaims «let’s defend autistics,» but promotes laws that allow the elimination of still-unfinished disabilities, it reveals that their love is not for man, but for power.
The truly compassionate stance is not to facilitate death, but to accompany, support, invest resources in prenatal care, medicine, special education, support networks for mothers facing difficult pregnancies. Medical, spiritual, and social help is what builds and respects human dignity.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official stance of Gateway Hispanic.
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