Comments on: Swine Flu and the Abortion Debate

By: How to Drive the Culture of Death Crazy in One Simple Lesson | Catholic Exchange

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:04:11 +0000

[...] and speaking of the swine flu, Amanda Hess just reported that that the ordeal of swine flu victim Aubrey Opdyke, whose horrific suffering [...]

By: Erica A

Erica A — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:35:35 +0000

I second (fourth?) the comments above--I am glad Bryan Opdyke made the choice he did, but the question should not have been posed. Barring specific instructions from Aubrey Opdyke to save the fetus at all costs, I can't comprehend how Ms. Opdyke's physician(s) found it appropriate to warn the husband he may "have to" choose between his wife and his "baby." The fact NYT chooses to portray it as some tragic decision Mr. Opdyke was forced to make is an abhorrent (and, I hope, aberrant) perversion of "choice" if I ever saw one.

By: Magnetic Crow

Magnetic Crow — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:52:35 +0000

I agree with Lindsay and Daniel. People who think that a fetus with little to no chance of viability (or any fetus at all, actually) should have MORE HUMAN RIGHTS than those of an adult woman are psychopaths. To give that choice to anybody but the woman herself is inexcusable-- saving the mother absolutely should be the default.
I'm relieved to hear that Andrea is recovering.

By: Danielle

Danielle — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:05:19 +0000

I second Lindsay's comment, and I'm glad I wasn't the only one shocked that the doctors in the Times article would present such a choice, the woman or the baby.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:25:17 +0000

Her Name is Aubrey NOT Andrea. Please Correct this where you have it in Bold print. Thank you.

By: Swine Flu and the Abortion Debate – The Sexist – Washington City Paper | SWINE BIRD FLU

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:33:53 +0000

[...] the rest here: Swine Flu and the Abortion Debate – The Sexist – Washington City Paper SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Swine Flu and the Abortion Debate – The Sexist – [...]

By: kza

kza — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:11:29 +0000

Well she didn't actually die unlike her child. So sux to be that baby I guess.

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:12:04 +0000

Thank you for this blog post. I found the NY Times article jarring on several levels, starting with the claim that the loss of the baby was the worst part -- from Andrea's state od health, that doesn't seem so clearcut to me -- and then, most of all, the passage in which the husband was asked to choose between his wife and his unborn child. That really horrified me. Why would the default not be the wife??? and do husbands commonly have the legal right to make this decision?

Anyway, I googled to look for discussion of it, and found this post. The other article you discuss introduced an equally disturbing angle to the story.