US Couple's Vote on the Life or Death of an Unborn Child

16 week 3-D ultrasound of 'our little alien'

A shocking story, here. A couple in the US are putting it to an online vote to decide whether to have their baby or to abort the child. Pete and Alisha Arnold decided that deciding upon the life or death of their child is a bit like that moment in the gameshow 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?' when you get the chance to 'choose 50:50', 'phone a friend' or 'ask the audience'. The baby, of course, only gets one lifeline.

Pictured (left) is a scan of the baby at 18 weeks. According to the site, named, shamelessly, www.birthornot.com, 'December 9th is the last day we could legally get an abortion in our state. This vote will remain open until 2 days prior to allow for the procedure if decided.'

Interestingly, the couple have been posting 3-D ultrasound scans of their unborn child, describing the image of the unborn child at 16 week as 'our little alien'. How touching. Still, credit where it is due, they do acknowledge, at least, that this is a baby.

'At my 16 week OB check they did another ultrasound and baby’s development is still on target. Lots of fetal movement and the hematoma was smaller once again. Baby “Wiggles” heartbeat was at 164 bpm and I got to hear it on the dop tone as well. The nurse even informed me how the staticky crunch noises that I hear are the baby’s movements.'

Quite a few comments have appeared on their Wordpress blog, nearly all pro-life. A part of me wonders whether this couple are actually pro-life and are teasing those in favour of abortion. I really hope that that is true, because otherwise, if they are seriously using a 'democratic poll' in order to make a decision of life or death for baby 'Wiggles', then perhaps this is one of those occasions when social services genuinely should take their child from them at birth and give the baby to a couple who will show him, or her, true parental love and care. Otherwise, I'd be expecting in a few months, a new poll replacing this one, asking, "Shall we feed it...or not?"