Who’s insignificant?

Christine Flowers’ Nov. 2 opinion piece, Where political discourse goes to die, protests “the vicious nature of the attacks against Ben Carson” partly by pointing out that “the incidence of abortions triggered by rape is statistically insignificant.”

I wonder if Carson, who has separated conjoined twins through surgery, would consider the incidence of such birth abnormalities so “statistically insignificant” that research for childhood maladies would better be focused on “statistically” significant ones. And I wonder if a parent of conjoined twins or the mother of a rape-engendered pregnancy considers statistics.

More pertinent for public policy, I wonder if compassion and intelligent legislation should be withheld from all citizens except those who are “statistically” significant.

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 7:02 PM with the headline "Who’s insignificant?."