Chris Rosebrough agrees that the best defense is a good offense.

Well, it does not get much more offensive than THIS.

HERE is the original.

I recently read a comment disparaging slippery-slope arguments. In general, I would say I agree with such sentiment – primarily because predicting the angle, destination and path of the slope is often up to the random will of the writer.

One particular exception to this rule, I have always held, is in the realm of society’s treatment of life.

I remember, still rather vividly, having abortion explained to me back in 1980 (yes, I’m old) at a junior high speech meet, where I was to give an extemporaneous speech (30 minutes prep after receiving the topic) on the topic. I don’t recall a word I said, except for making a prediction that if, as a society, we were willing to kill off the most innocent of human beings – whose only crime was existing – that eugenics and euthanasia of the aged and infirm could not be far behind.

[Also, I had just watched Logan's Run on VHS, so I had sci-fi on my side as well. How can you lose with such backing? (OK - I'm pretty sure I didn't win the meet, but I got a "thanks for participating" ribbon.)]

All Is Not Well

All of this has come fast-forward to me in the last few weeks, as I’ve noticed a number of stories which seem to bear out the slippery slope of the devaluation of life. Some deal with those at the beginning of life:

1) Ever since Sarah Palin was introduced to much of America on August 29, there has been a good deal of discussion on her youngest child, Trig, who was born with Down’s Syndrome. Since this time, I’ve become more acquainted with the statistics, which suggest that 80-90% of parents who know they have a Down’s child choose to abort that child. What I hadn’t expected was to hear a number of calls about how “irresponsible” and “selfish” it was for Palin to give birth to Trig – with one writer stating that “it is crucial to reaffirm the morality of aborting a fetus diagnosed with Down syndrome”, and that bringing a Down’s child into the world just creates a drag on society

2) Last week, we learned that a number of Chinese milk producers have poisoned at least 10% of the milk supply and 14% of the formula supply by diluting the milk and supplementing it with melanine, which fools common analytical tests via the appearance of higher protein content. As a result, 6,000 babies have become ill with kidney stones (if you’ve ever had one of these – and I have – it’s one of the most painful things you will likely experience, aside from childbirth), with at least four dying. And here’s the rub – only children whose parents can afford additional medical care (in a socialist system, mind you – what’s up with that?) are being allowed to receive that care for their afflicted children.

3) Finally, there has been a renewal of the discussion around abortions which produce live births, taking what was already a political football and ratcheting up the stakes. Basically, the discussion seems to have forced many in the pro-abortion camp to treat abortion not as a “choice to terminate a pregnancy”, but as a “right to a dead baby“.

A Duty To Die

But at the other end of the life-scale, it seems that we’re entering Logan’s Run.

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