Is Death Better Than Suffering?

Almost everyone, pro-life or pro-choice, agrees it’s wrong to kill a toddler. Pro-choice people usually think there’s some crucial difference between abortion and killing toddlers. It’s helpful to bring those differences to the surface and discuss them directly.

Rarely, you might encounter someone who says, “Yes, we should kill the toddler to prevent her from suffering.” They might not be serious, but we recommend you act on the assumption that they mean what they say. You can say you’re glad that the two of you have figured out the core reason you disagree about abortion: it’s not because you disagree about women’s rights or fetal development, it’s because you disagree about the general ethics of killing. Then, we recommend you drop the abortion topic until you can reach agreement about toddlers.