Disjunction Exposed: The Troubling Divide Between Murdered Infants and Late-Term Abortion
In a chilling case from Iowa, a young woman, Taylor Blaha, has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after drowning her newborn daughter in a bathtub with the assistance of her boyfriend, Brandon Thoma. The tragic incident unfolded as Blaha and Thoma, fearing that the cries of their baby, Kayleen, would attract unwanted attention, decided to silence her for good. Their motive? Avoiding involvement from the police and child services, which could have resulted in the loss of custody over their 2-year-old son.
The harrowing details of this case are enough to send shivers down one’s spine. The thought of a mother deliberately smothering her own child, ignoring its cries and denying it the precious gift of life, is deeply disturbing. As a grieving parent who has experienced the loss of a child myself, the callousness displayed by Blaha is particularly horrifying.
Blaha and Thoma already had an existing child and a future ahead of them, despite their economic struggles in the Midwest. Regardless of their hardships, they were not insurmountable enough to justify snuffing out a human life. The overwhelming response to this case is one of condemnation and the recognition that Blaha committed nothing short of murder.
What makes this case even more unsettling is the disjunction that exists between how we perceive this act of infanticide and the controversial issue of late-term abortion. In certain states, including New Jersey, late-term abortions are legal and celebrated as a woman’s choice. If Blaha had terminated her pregnancy 24 hours prior to giving birth with the help of a physician in New Jersey, she would have evaded any legal consequences and may have even been hailed as a strong, independent woman. This glaring contradiction in our ethical standards is deeply problematic.
A society cannot function when it operates on such blatant ethical contradictions. We have a woman who will rightly be sent to prison for drowning her own child, yet we turn a blind eye to the mothers and physicians involved in late-term abortions who essentially commit the same act. This double standard raises important questions about the inherent value we place on human life.
It is crucial to reassess our understanding and treatment of late-term abortion. While the rights and choices of women are important, they must be balanced with the sanctity of life. The key is finding a middle ground that respects a woman’s autonomy while also recognizing the moral significance of a developing human being.
The case of Taylor Blaha highlights a disturbing disconnect in our society, where a woman can face imprisonment for murdering her child, while others are celebrated for terminating pregnancies. It is a disconcerting reality that demands introspection and reevaluation of our ethical standards, norms, and political perceptions. Only then can we hope to bridge this disjunction and create a society where every life is valued and protected.
