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The public presence of little Trig Palin is a powerful witness to the sanctity of human life, and the knowledge that this little infant with Down syndrome is bringing such joy to his family is upsetting those who believe that babies such as Trig should never be born.

The facts are daunting. It is now estimated that between 80 and 90 percent of all unborn babies diagnosed as likely to have Down syndrome are aborted. The availability of prenatal testing presents parents with the possibility of aborting the baby and starting over. The statistics now speak for themselves - the vast majority of parents are choosing to abort under these circumstances.

But the visible presence of Trig Palin in the arms of his parents or one of his sisters is resetting that equation, at least in terms of the public's emotions. The sight of little Piper Palin licking her hand and flattening Trig's hair during their mom's acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention is likely to stick in the public mind years after Trig's hair is again unstuck. It's hard for even the most ardent abortion defenders to insert an argument against Trig's precious life at that point. Or, at least we would think so.

At least one highly-placed source objects to the whole picture. Writing in The Globe and Mail [Toronto], Dr. André Lalonde, executive vice-president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, explained his worry that other parents might feel pressure to follow the Palins' example.

As the paper explains:

Dr. Lalonde said that above all else, women must be free to choose, and that popular messages to the contrary could have detrimental effects on women and their families.

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"The worry is that this will have an implication for abortion issues in Canada," he said.

Taken at face value, the paper seems to be suggesting that a decision to keep the baby contradicts the doctor's assertion that "women must be free to choose." In other words, the only "right" choice would be to abort the baby.

Given the relatively few words quoted from Dr. Lalonde, it is possible that his quote is not fully representative of his position. If this is true, he should certainly make this clear. A look at the Web site of the SOGC indicates that this statement might well be representative of his position.

The group has announced its clear opposition to a proposed Unborn Victims of Crime Act - an act that would allow courts to consider an unborn baby as a victim in assault or murder cases. Such laws are not uncommon in the United States, but the SOGC has taken the position that, once an unborn baby is recognized to have a legal existence and right to live, the entire question of abortion and "reproductive rights" takes on a new frame.

The descent into the Culture of Death is fueled by language such as found here - that a woman might be "pressured to keep the baby" in light of Trig Palin's visibility. At the same time, the inherent evil of such abortions and the slander against humanity represented by the abortion of these babies comes to bright light in Trig Palin's little face.

Maybe Dr. Lalonde and his colleagues are right to be worried. The entire question has been reset by one precious little infant.