“Each is to count as one, and none is to count as more than one.” Peter Singer, a bioethics professor at Princeton University, has used this philosophy to assert his view on infanticide. He believes that it is justifiable to kill a newborn child if the child causes “suffering” to the parents because the child needs more care; therefore, he or she counts as more than one. Wow! Am I glad that my parents are actually caring and loving because I was annoying when I was younger. I’m sure I caused them some stress having to deal with me, but they never chose to kill me, and for that I am extremely grateful. Of course Singer does not use the temperate cases of an annoying two-year-old running around as his example. Rather, he tries to magnify his viewpoint, citing children with chronic diseases or defects, such as a child with Downs Syndrome. Contrary to Singer’s claim, a mother and father have a natural responsibility to love and care for their child and to recognize the potential a newborn baby has for his life regardless of his circumstance.

All humans have needs, but the ultimate need that we have is to love and to be loved for who we are, not for our usefulness. Not only as children, but also as adults we long for relationships where we can provide for others and they can reciprocate for us. When a child is born with a disability, he needs a special kind of love, which can only be given by the parents. The parents not only provide that love for him, but they basically need the child to need them. Otherwise, they cannot fulfill their role as parents and love the child back. The child, knowing he is cared for, loves his parents and feels safe with them. In this way, the relationship between the child and his parents is a prime example of loving and being loved.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that the reason infanticide is so egregious is due to the broken natural bond between the mother and child. A mother inherently possesses a physical bond with her child from the moment of conception and develops an emotional bond after the child is born through their experiences together. Oxytocin, which is released in the mother’s body after giving birth, strongly bonds the mother to her child. But this bond is not only chemical; she is told by her whole nature that this is her baby and he or she is meant to be loved. Parents then serve as their children’s nurturers and role models; Catholic parents are also asked to be catechists for their children. In order to set a good example and create a more compassionate world, they must teach their children that life is to be respected at all stages and of all backgrounds. The Catholic Church, especially under the leadership of the late Pope John Paul II, encouraged this culture of life, but many nations promote a culture of death by tolerating such actions as infanticide, euthanasia, or abortion. Infanticide defies the natural order of the bond between parent and child, but that does not mean there are not areas in the world where women are programmed to kill their baby under certain circumstances.

For the past three-and-a-half years I have attended an all-girls school dedicated to the empowerment of women. Thanks to my teachers, I have learned about the prejudice and discrimination practiced against women over the course of history. One of these practices is still prevalent today, and it has come to be termed: “gendercide.” This abomination is the preference of males in society due to their unjustly greater importance in many cultures. Female infanticide has been the cause of death for hundreds of thousands of baby girls thus far. This is due in part to the fact that female infanticide is mostly practiced in two of the world’s most populous countries: India and China. Alarmingly, in most cases, the women, the mothers of these girls, chiefly carry out this horrible act. How can we empower our future governmental leaders, doctors, lawyers, religious sisters, entrepreneurs, and entertainers if we cannot recognize our daughters’ full value and potential the moment she enters the world?

The Declaration of Independence emphasizes that all are created equal. If we are to apply this to Singer’s philosophy, here is how it should be read: “Each is to count as one, and none is to count as less than one.” I believe this was the original indication of the axiom before it was twisted by Professor Singer to mean that those under a certain age are inferior in some way. Pope John Paul II once said about those in a vegetative state: “No living human being ever descends to the status of a ‘vegetable’ or ‘animal.’ Even our brothers and sisters who find themselves in the clinical condition of a ‘vegetative state’ retain their human dignity in all its fullness.” Humans, flawed as we are, have no legitimate privilege to decide that another human being is inferior, regardless of his or her age, education, economic status, gender, health, or potential contribution to society.

Indeed, this is no time for apathy or complacency. But the years of struggle have not dimmed the ardor of those who fight for life. We have worked tirelessly — and we will continue to work until society recognizes that every human life is precious — from fertilization to natural death.