One Woman’s “Bunch of Cells” Is Another Woman’s Beloved Child

In his column today , Ross Douthat captures well the paradox of how we view the fetus today in America:

In every era, there’s been a tragic contrast between the burden of unwanted pregnancies and the burden of infertility. But this gap used to be bridged by adoption far more frequently than it is today. Prior to 1973, 20 percent of births to white, unmarried women (and 9 percent of unwed births over all) led to an adoption. Today, just 1 percent of babies born to unwed mothers are adopted, and would-be adoptive parents face a waiting list that has lengthened beyond reason.

Be sure to read the rest of it here .