When I Was Young

From My Paper, My Say
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 11, 2008

I REFER to the column, “They still deserve kindness and respect” (my paper, Sept 9).

It was a great article and I would like to commend Ms Jill Alphonso for putting her views forth.

A foetus is a human being at a certain stage of its development.

Therefore, terminating a foetus’ life is the same as terminating that of a human being.

While abortion might not be a crime where it is permitted by law, whether it is moral or not is a different issue.

I am uneasy at the thought of abortion, as it is the killing of a human being who is capable of feeling pain.

I agree that abortion should not be carried out for frivolous reasons, such as wanting to have time for holidays or to stay slim.

However, abortion is not a means of family planning. Those who do not wish to conceive should be aware of the measures they can take to avoid it.

Perhaps such women have taken the necessary measures but received unexpected results.

Have they considered giving up their baby for adoption?

Aborting a foetus with severe defects might be a rational choice. But what if the baby is healthy?

I would have a hard time giving the correct advice.

As Ms Alphonso says, abortion is a painful topic, and no one should take it lightly.

With Singapore’s low birth rates, I would prefer to see a woman giving her baby up for adoption rather than aborting it. There are many who are looking for babies to adopt.

Mr Richard Woo