ABORTION AND CHILD NEGLECT PUT TO TEST

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, February 9, 1992                   TAG: 9202100189
SECTION: HORIZON                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
ABORTION AND CHILD NEGLECT PUT TO TEST
NEAR THIS anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, I'd like to propose an alternative to abortion that should appease the abortion proponents.
If you are convinced that abortion is an answer to unwanted, abused and neglected children, please read on. Why not let these children be born and then put them on a probationary status? We can wait for a predetermined period of time, perhaps five years.
At the end of this period, we could evaluate the situation. If indeed abuse, neglect and misery are apparent, at that time we could utilize a painless method of death.
This shouldn't be a problem for abortion proponents, as they themselves cannot decide when life begins; so what does it matter whether death occurs three months post-conception or five years after birth?
If any abortion proponents do have a problem with this, perhaps they will then understand why so many pro-lifers have a problem with abortion. The only difference is that, chances are, more of these children will live. We accept the fact that a blade of grass is alive; why not an embryo with a functioning heart, nervous system and potential if not actual identity? MARGARET KELSO ROANOKE

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB