I agree that there is a difference between the criteria used to judge a song between audiences/listeners, and singers who might choose to sing the song, so you will get no argument from me there.

And I did criticize Marion's work--I said I found it maudlin, and that if it was written in the abortion debate context she provided in her introduction to the song here, that her worst fears about the song being exploitative and manipulative, were fully realized. That's what this thread has been about. She didn't provide the abortion debate background when she started this thread. She merely provided the information about the couple's choice to have a full term delivery, and keep the baby with them as long as it was alive.

I would also argue that if you aren't parents yourself, you really wouldn't be able to fully grasp the implications of the decision (well, ok if you are in obstetrics you could), nor empathize completely with the agony of receiving such devastating news, or about the gut wrenching pain involved in making the decision on how to proceed. Any suggestion that deciding to try for a full term delivery is more noble and courageous than choosing to terminate the pregnancy as quickly as possible (especially in these medical circumstances, where it is absolutely certain the fetus would never be viable outside the womb), is pretty despicable and appalling. I'm sure I'm not the only parent who would react to such a suggestion as that--especially if the songwriter and/or singer of the song has never been pregnant themselves.

Please Marion, tell me you have been pregnant yourself?