by Sherry Antonetti
Catholic Stand
Man, that implies so much. That those who survive the Rubicon of the womb, they were desired,while those who did not, were not. Except it isn’t true. If you look at this world, there are plenty of children who suffer from neglect, from abuse, from the long tentacles of pain of parents who for whatever reason, do not “want” their children. If all children could only exist as long as their parents “wanted” them, most would be dismissed at some point during the ugly years. Some people like Dr. Peter Singer bio-ethicist at Princeton (cough, cough) have gone so far as to advocate this position, that those children deemed lacking in sufficient personhood, i.e. wanting, by their parents, can be legitimately disposed of up through the age of, at last check, two. But I’m sure the number is negotiable if you can make the case.
Want is insufficient. Want does not last forever. Wanting does, but not the want itself. Wants change. Wants fade. Wants are met. New ones take their place. And wants even when sated, do not satisfy forever. You may want a child, but do you want this one…the one you get? What do you Want the child for? If children are only tolerated while they are wanted, what happens when wants fade or change?
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