Unjust Sacrifice Essay

750 Words3 Pages
Imagine being faced with a situation of, 'which child to sacrifice so another can live?'. Is it worth killing one of your children to let the other survive? The article "An Unjust Sacrifice," written by Robert Sirico, is an argument against the separation of conjoined twin girls from Malta. Sirico introduces the Toulmin Argument using the claim of policy which asserts that specific plans or courses of action should be instituted as solutions to problems. The twins, Jodie and Mary, are connected at the pelvis; Mary is unhealthy and would die if separated from her sister. However, the procedure would save the life of Jodie. The girls' parents opposed this medical separation and are unhappy with the British courts and doctors' . The author states “there is not justification for deliberately destroying innocent life” The parents of Mary and Jodie should have the right to do what they think is the best for their children. Although no actual studies were done, the hospital said that if the twins continued to be connected that there was an 80 to 90 percent chance Jodie could not survive more than a few months if she continued to support the weak heart and lungs of Mary, whose brain is underdeveloped. Mary was born with a body incompatible for survival, and if separated , Jodie would have a chance at a full and normal life. Sirco states, however, “utilitarion considerations like Mary's quality of life is not the issue. Nor should doctor's expert testimony, which is subject to error, be considered decisive.” The court is just practicing the more practical of the two options by keeping the stronger of the two children. The article explains about sacrificing the life of Mary, a tiny 8-week old baby. Throughout the entire article, the author hardly addresses the sister, Jodie. I feel that Sirico puts the spotlight on Mary throughout the article to give her a face
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