Editor’s Note: October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month, a time when The Jerome Lejeune Foundation encourages recognition of the contributions of caregivers, families, and medical professionals, as well as the individuals with Down syndrome themselves. We are continuing to publish new and previously published accounts of families with children with Down syndrome. This article was first published in October 2019.
This can be considered an instance of the adage, “Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while.” Snopes is arguably the most self-important “fact checker” in existence, yet is riddled with biases so profound that, if they were paint, they could cover an entire house. Nevertheless, they did get one thing right, and it involved a favourite Snopes target. The President of the United States, Donald Trump.
This question was actually posed and answered in October of last year, but it is particularly pertinent given that October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month. The question posed by David Emery was as follows: “Did Trump Say People with Down Syndrome Too Often Face ‘Terminations of Their Lives Before Birth’?”
It is acknowledged that it would be challenging to overlook the fact that this is what the President said. Nevertheless, it is worth noting. In this regard, Emery delineated the inquiry as follows:
In October 2019, during a month celebrated annually since the 1980s as Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Snopes received inquiries about the authenticity of a quote attributed to US President Donald Trump. It had been shared on social media in the form of a meme as follows:
Emery states that the quote is correctly attributed. The quote is comprised of two sentences extracted from Trump’s presidential address on 1 October 2019, delivered during Down Syndrome Awareness Month.
He then proceeded to repost the entirety of the presidential message and to discuss the topics of abortion and Down syndrome. Emery’s analysis concludes with the observation that, according to the most recent data available, the rate at which parents choose to terminate a pregnancy after a Down syndrome diagnosis is approximately 68 percent in the United States. A 2015 study estimated that between 2006 and 2010, approximately 3,100 Down syndrome-related elective pregnancy terminations were performed in the United States annually.
I would like to extend my congratulations. The President’s 2020 message for Down Syndrome Awareness Month was reposted here.
Daniel Miller is responsible for nearly all of National Right to Life News' political writing.
With the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, Daniel Miller developed a deep obsession with U.S. politics that has never let go of the political scientist. Whether it's the election of Joe Biden, the midterm elections in Congress, the abortion rights debate in the Supreme Court or the mudslinging in the primaries - Daniel Miller is happy to stay up late for you.
Daniel was born and raised in New York. After living in China, working for a news agency and another stint at a major news network, he now lives in Arizona with his two daughters.
