North Dakota becomes the first state to ban abortion because of Down syndrome

9 times out of 10, if a mother gets a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome, she will choose to kill that child. A life will be ended, merely because the baby has one extra chromosome. And it isn’t a situation unique to Down syndrome, either — mothers will often choose to abort their unborn child if a birth defect is found before the baby is born, even for something as minor as a cleft palate or a club foot.

Thanks to one judge in North Dakota, a tiny step has been taken to change that. North Dakota has now become the first state to ban abortion because of Down syndrome according to ABC News.

A federal judge has dismissed part of a lawsuit challenging a new North Dakota law that blocks abortions based on unwanted gender or a genetic defect, such as Down syndrome.

The state’s sole abortion clinic in Fargo, backed by the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, filed the lawsuit in June. That suit also challenges another new measure that bans abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected; it was temporarily blocked in July.

… U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland granted the Red River Women’s Clinic request to drop the gender and genetic defects part of the lawsuit on Monday. The clinic has said the ban doesn’t affect it because it doesn’t perform abortions for that reason.

Hovland dismissed that portion of the lawsuit without prejudice, meaning the clinic can revive a legal challenge later.

It may indeed be a very small step. But it’s an important one. Someone who has an extra chromosome, or any other birth defect, does not deserve to be robbed of their chance to live simply because they are different.