The Daily Mail of the U.K. has this story of young women having abortions and wanting to be sterilized to "save" the planet.
Had Toni Vernelli gone ahead with her pregnancy ten years ago, she would know at first hand what it is like to cradle her own baby, to have a pair of innocent eyes gazing up at her with unconditional love, to feel a little hand slipping into hers - and a voice calling her Mummy.
But the very thought makes her shudder with horror.
Because when Toni terminated her pregnancy, she did so in the firm belief she was helping to save the planet.
Incredibly, so determined was she that the terrible "mistake" of pregnancy should never happen again, that she begged the doctor who performed the abortion to sterilise her at the same time.
He refused, but Toni - who works for an environmental charity - "relentlessly hunted down a doctor who would perform the irreversible surgery.
Finally, eight years ago, Toni got her way.
At the age of 27 this young woman at the height of her reproductive years was sterilised to "protect the planet".
Incredibly, instead of mourning the loss of a family that never was, her boyfriend (now husband) presented her with a congratulations card.
I've always been surprised that doctors won't perform sterilizations on young women who want them. I'd rather a woman get sterilized at 20 because she doesn't want children than to have abortions at 22, 24, 25, 29, and 34 because she was one of the women that either didn't take contraception properly or who was simply one of the oopsie statistics.
I understand, to some extent, the argument doctors make about not sterilizing young, fertile people. After all, young adults have a horrible track record for good decision-making. And there's always the chance these women could change their minds.
But there are also many doctors who make a fine living reversing these sterilization procedures. Or adoption. Don't forget adoption.
So, as aghast as the Daily Mail is about women wanting sterilizations for silly reasons (my one baby is going to destroy the planet!), I cheer them for the decision not to bring offspring into the world for which they are unwilling to care. After all, if they are so selfish that they think having offspring is selfish, wait until they expect other people's children to be paying for their social services for the elderly.
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