By L.A. Williams
Christian Action League
April 1, 2021
“Children shouldn’t have to pass a genetic test to earn the right to be born” says Rep. John Bradford (R-Mecklenburg).
Bradford was one of seven speakers at a press conference held Wednesday to introduce the Human Life Non-Discrimination Act filed this week in the North Carolina House. The bill would broaden the state statute banning sex-selective abortion by prohibiting abortion based on the actual or presumed race of the baby or the presence or presumed presence of Down Syndrome.
Bradford said people with this chromosomal abnormality (three copies of chromosome 21) are “not individuals with special needs but individuals with special abilities.”
“It is important that society embrace that, and I believe this bill is a step forward to make sure we do just that,” he added.
Pat McElraft (R-Carteret), the bill’s primary sponsor, said it is estimated that 70 percent of all babies with a prenatal diagnosis of Down Syndrome are aborted.
“We are missing their wisdom, their smiles, their laughter, their hugs, the very presence of so many miracles,” she said, declaring the abortions a form of modern-day eugenics and lamenting the fact that so many life-and-death decisions are made on the basis of early prenatal testing that has been shown to be up to 50 percent inaccurate.
Another bill sponsor, Rep. Dean Arp (R-Union) told the media that the high rate of abortion for those with Down Syndrome shows that parents don’t feel as though they have a choice.
“I want those families to know there is support out there for them,” he says. “The Down Syndrome community itself is filled with love and support.”
Those at the press conference got to witness that love firsthand, when Melinda Delahoyde and her son Will addressed the group.
Melinda Delahoyde said Will, who works as a bagger at Whole Foods and has won more than 30 Special Olympics gold medals in swimming, is a blessing to all who come in contact with him.
“People with Down Syndrome show us the best of who we can be,” she said.
Similarly, Paige Brydon described her kind and gentle son Miller.
“I thought God had sent me a special needs child for me to teach how to live, but God sent me with special needs a child to teach me how to live,” she said. “We should not be so arrogant to assume who is worthy to live or not. We are not qualified to do that. Each and everyone has a purpose and an assignment on this earth.”
Describing herself as a conservative Christian physician, Rep. Kristin Baker (R-Cabarrus), another bill sponsor, echoed that sentiment.
“Regardless of genetics, race or gender, each one of us carries the distinct fingerprint of our creator,” Baker said. “We need people in Raleigh who recognize the intrinsic value of every human life, especially the most vulnerable.”
The Human Life Non-Discrimination Act, also known as House Bill 453, has been referred to the Committee on Health.