Unfortunately, we live in a society in which political correctness dictates that we must remain silent in the face of millions upon millions of children (of every racial group—more than 20% of white babies are born to unmarried mothers) raised by single mothers who are often poor, distracted, unprepared and stressed out. The fundamental principle in arguments about gay marriage deserves emphatic reaffirmation in this context: that children thrive best when nourished by a permanent combination (we call it matrimony) of one male and one female parent.

Rather than normalizing situations like that of Jessie Davis (who hoped to raise two children with no chance of marrying their father) as just another “family option” or “lifestyle choice,” we need to re-establish healthy norms – advancing the undeniable premise that most children will benefit from growing up in a stable, two parent, two gender household.

For pro-lifers, this recognition presents a painful dilemma: arguing that a baby deserves better than growing up as the child of a young, irresponsible, unmarried teenager will lead some people to push for abortion as a preferable alternative. The answer to such logic is two-fold:

First, it’s obvious that abortion has powerfully fueled, rather than reducing, the rate of out-of-wedlock birth. Before Roe V. Wade, less than 8% of American children arrive at unmarried households; today the rate is nearly 33%. By promoting the idea of sex-without-consequences, the easy availability of abortion led to more, not less, unmarried mothers.

Second, the notion that abortion represents the chief alternative to raising an illegitimate child ignores the powerful and positive option of adoption. Rather than removing the stigma against unwed motherhood, and encouraging single moms to keep and raise their babies, society should do everything possible to urge single, pregnant girls to give their babies the ultimate gift of love by arranging their adoption into loving, functional, two parent homes.

No one would argue that government should seize control of babies to remove them forcibly from their unwed mothers (except in the most dangerous and irresponsible circumstances). But by the same token, the authorities should do nothing to validate single parent households or to make it easier for unmarried women to keep their babies. The best interest of the child dictates a potent push for adoption, not single parenthood.

Since millions of Americans will now examine every detail of the Jessie Davis murder case, they ought to take a little time to consider this aspect of her situation. For two-year-old Blake, it didn’t represent kindness or generosity for Ms. Davis to keep the child and to attempt to raise him in her painful position. The more tender, loving, unselfish and, ultimately, more motherly decision would have been to place the child in a two parent home with vastly better odds of achieving happiness and success.