The Washington Post published a sad commentary Monday about abortion and adoption by a Washington, DC, attorney who wished her birth mother had had the “choice” to abort her. Cynthia Landesberg was adopted from South Korea and had two adopted children. But her view of suffering and the value of human life, including her own, is disturbing and regrettable. “As anti-abortion advocates ask adoptees who advocate abortion rights, ‘Would you rather have been aborted?’ the intent is to force us to say no. But for some of us, the answer is yes,” Landesberg wrote.
Born in the 1980s in South Korea, she said her mother gave birth to her when abortions were illegal, and there was almost no support for mothers in need. Decades later, she said she still doesn’t know how she ended up on the streets when she was only seven weeks ol and that she probably never will. Adopted by an American family, Landesberg later became a lawyer and had children of her own, two of whom she adopted from South Korea. LifeNews is now on TruthSocial. Then follow us here.
But she’s angry that pro-lifers are promoting adoption as a wonderful alternative to abortion and that America will soon see more babies available for adoption — like herself. “If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, pregnant people in the United States will have an equally unscrupulous lack of choice,” Landesberg wrote. “And the consequences could be severe for them and their children.”
While it means she wouldn’t be alive today, Landesberg said she wishes her birth mother had had the “choice” to abort her. She criticized society for thinking adoptions are like “fairy tales,” pointing out the trauma and mental health issues that birth mothers and adopted children often struggle with. She said she faced racism and bullying, and blames her adoptive parents for raising her “White.” “To those against abortion, don’t hide behind stories like mine. Adoption is not a fairytale solution. And adoptees aren’t here to be the balm on your pro-life conscience,” she continued.
She concluded:
If my birth mother had had a real choice, I might have been aborted, unconsciously reabsorbed into the earth. Maybe she would have raised me, and I could handle life’s everyday challenges without the baggage of adoption.
I wouldn’t question whether I was coerced into existence, bough,t or stolen for adoption. Or maybe I’d be right where I am now – but I’d know this was her decision. I wouldn’t be left with the pain she certainly felt.
Landesberg’s perspective on her life and other adoptees is sad and disturbing. It is abortion that devalues life, which increases their pai because it says society must destroy the lives of children if there is the possibility that they will suffer more than others.
As her column pointed out, adopted children often question their worth and struggle with self-esteem. But this is all the more reason to reject abortion, confirming these false beliefs. Instead,d focus on affirming and encouraging this individual while helping them receive counseling and treatment to heal.
Landesberg deserves to know—like any child—that her early childhood circumstances and her parents’ choices don’t define her life or worth. She is valuable, able to overcome suffering and achieve wonderful things, love and be loved, heal, and find hope for the future.
Some people indeed suffer more than others. But suffering in life is inevitable, and killing babies before birth is not a solution for the mother or child.
