Dealing With Overpopulation

In response to “Two by Two, We’ll Fill the Planet” by Benjamin Zuckerman, Commentary, Oct. 31:

If human life can be said to have a Blue Book value, this new politically correct environmental ethic has us depreciating rapidly, or at least priced to move. In his article, Zuckerman paints a dismal landscape of the distant future when 10 sextillion of us will occupy postage-stamp-sized plots and struggle for survival in a sea of toxic waste. The statistics to support his assertions are impressive. Everything looks dandy on paper, but he completely sidestepped the moral implications of his vision. That’s what frightens me.

The birth of a child, once considered a blessing, is now seen by many as hostile to the environment, irresponsible and inconvenient. From within the sepia cloud of euphemism and denial that is the pro-abortion movement, the concept of “quality of life” has long been used as a justification for the “termination” of millions of unwanted or potentially disabled persons. Likewise, the right-to-death crowd has provided a handbook for sick or elderly people to snuff themselves. Is this the final solution?

The problems of global population growth and hunger are indeed daunting, but a fundamental ethical question still needs to be answered. Are we to be permitted to live on this planet based on grace or merit? Zuckerman and others of like mind need to be very careful that as they rush to purify the environment and anthropomorphize the animal kingdom they do not rekindle the Nazi ovens with their good intentions.

MICHAEL R. ALLEN, Santa Maria