Signs of the times

An American couple, Pete and Alisha Arnold, have set up a website www.birthornot.com to ask for readers’ votes as to whether they should abort their unborn child, which is, apparently, perfectly healthy.

They have uploaded scan images to the site. The unborn child has been nicknamed ‘Wiggles’.

In inviting your vote, the site says ‘By voting on whether to continue or abort an actual pregnancy, you are doing so much more then simply telling an elected representative your feelings. You are actually changing something in the real world.’

Currently the vote is in favour of abortion. Mrs Arnold writes: 'I'm not convinced that I want to change the status quo. I feel that as I age I've actually gotten more selfish and set in my ways.

'I'm afraid that I will eventually regret starting a family and "settling down", as they say.’

It might be that the site is some sort of self-publicity, which would itself constitute a sign of the times. There are claims on it that the pro-abortion vote comes from a 'sick humour' website. Or it may be that people are concerned as to what this couple's reproduction might do to the human genetic stock.