Dear editor,
Lim Kyoung-hee wrote in the Letter to the Editor section on Dec. 22 that she "would like to examine the problem (of abortion) without considering the humanity of babies that are not yet born."
The problem is that Lim cannot separate a baby from its humanity, that is, until she kills it. I also submit that “humanity” is not the best choice of words. Humanity is abstract, a baby is concrete. I will use the expression ‘a human’ because that is, both scientifically and philosophically exactly what a baby is: a human.
From the moment of conception the fertilized egg is a human. It cannot become an oak tree, a dog, or even a monkey. From conception through gestation and birth, it becomes a human. This is an existential fact and an essential fact. For Lim to deny that a baby is what it is, a human, is simply a lie.
This is the same lie that is used by all murderous regimes to justify destroying humans on massive scales. The Turks dehumanized the Kurds. The Germans dehumanized the Jews. The Japanese dehumanized the Koreans.
The pro-abortion movement advocates dehumanizing unborn humans. This is not a shrill exaggeration. Since the legalization of abortion in the United States in 1973, over 49.5 million humans have been killed before they were born.
Of those 49.5 million, 93 percent were killed for social reasons, not for any medical reason. The majority of abortions (38 percent) are performed on women who earn between $30,000 and $59,999 ― a range at which a child is certainly affordable.
In that sense, Lim's letter is right on the mark, when she claims that abortions are performed for financial reasons and for physical or mental disabilities. Put plainly: parents kill their children out of selfishness and vanity.
Having a baby in Korea is not expensive compared to many countries, but it means fewer Louis Vuitton bags and Gucci shoes. Having a baby means getting a mini-van instead of a BMW coupe.
Many parents are ashamed to have children with disabilities. I have been fortunate to know several people with Down's syndrome and their families. Every single parent of a Down's syndrome child finds it challenging, for sure, but also incredibly rewarding. For Lim to say that these people have only misery in life is absolutely offensive and bespeaks her hatred and ignorance.
We should all be thankful for Lim's letter, however, because she has exposed the pro-abortion and pro-choice advocates for the vicious and inhumane brutes they really are.
Matthew Smith
Seoul