Comments on: Eugenics in today’s society

By: admin

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:26:39 +0000

Catherine,

I’m glad you found it as well. I have been so consumed with taking care of my daughter these days that I haven’t been blogging like I wish I had been.

I obviously can’t speak for every parent. I can’t honestly even completely speak for myself. I guess I’d do what my logic professor would have done to me and answer with a question.

You have a child, you have the most beautiful, perfect child possible. They are happy, healthy, thriving and wonderful. Then one day something happens. For our purposes the something doesn’t even matter. What matters is what the something does. It leaves your perfect, happy, healthy child changed. Not a little bit changed, catastrophically changed. They have brain damage, they have physical limitations. They will never be able to function in society as we know it without some kind of assistance. Clearly your child will outlive you. What happens then? Knowing this is going to happen would you go back 10, 12, 15, 17, 28 years and change everything and not have that child? Has it changed the value and impact your child has in your life? In the lives of those around you – family, friends?

You plan. You make the best choices you can to make sure your child has friends and associates that can assist them. You do what you can to plan for them financially. The reality is that maybe we’re in a slightly better position. I have known for more than a decade that my daughter would need assistance for the remainder of her life. It has allowed me to methodically start a plan that gives her the greatest potential whether I am here or not.

For what it’s worth, your question didn’t come off as criticism, but rather a reasonable quest for understanding. Honestly, the reality is if you are a parent, whether your child has special needs or not, you always have to ask is how your child would survive if you were not around. The difference is the level of planning required.

I hope this in some way helps. I would be very interested in the outcome of your paper Best of luck.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:25:06 +0000

I found your post because I am researching eugenics for a paper I am writing.
You raise interesting points and I am glad I read this. My one question for you or any parent who makes the choice to continue with a pregnancy knowing their child will face a lifetime of health issues and high health costs is this – what happens to that child should something happen to you and/or your spouse? Should the child outlive you, what happens then? This is in no way a criticism, I am sure it is a question that many parents have to ask themselves. How do you provide for the child that cannot provide for itself?

By: Rosalee

Rosalee — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:09:12 +0000

Hello,
Well I read your article and while I think you make some excellent arguments, I think that you may be confused about the full meaning of the term eugenics. Personally I have studied the subject intensively and I have found that unless you see both sides of this concept you can not justly write about it as a whole. What I am referring to is the contrast between Positive Eugenic and Negative Eugenics. Both make up the theory of “eugenics” as a whole and while people are quite familiar with Negative Eugenics (the Nazis incorporated some of this approach into their actions) very few I find are familiar with the other side which also has it’s downfalls but has a surprising bit of merit as well.
Let me explain briefly here for those who do not know, the difference between the two types of Eugenics. Negative eugenics approaches the concept of improving the human race from a perspective of afterthought. That is to say after a child has been born ( or a fetus discovered to have) a medical issue then it is time to terminate this life that has already been created. Or if that person has reached adulthood then it is the right action to sterilize them to prevent another individual from being born less than medically sound. This response is of course both inhuman and morally wrong. Positive Eugenics however takes a different approach, it comes from the perspective of preventative measures to ensure that more individuals are born medically sound, both mentally and physically. This eliminates any opportunity in the future for a parent or doctor to have to make the decision as to weather a life that has already been created will be allowed to continue to live. Rather it improves the chances that every birth can result in a fully healthy child.
I would hope that in the future those who would seek to comment on a concept such as eugenics would educate themselves fully and understand that while every theory has it’s downsides there is generally a kernel of knowledge that may be worth something especially if put into modern context.
Such is the case I believe with Positive Eugenics, though it is a flawed concept there is something we can take from it, that being that with current methods of genetic testing and with our myriad of other modern methods of determining the risk of genetic conditions, who wouldn’t want to examine the risks before hand and therefore ensure they had a healthy child.

Now on another point I have a question for those others who left comments here. It is a subject of debate that I have often noticed on blogs such as this. The question is “if given the option with your next child would you choose one who is as you put it ’special’ or would you choose a child who is medically sound in every way?”

I have just one more comment to make, that being that I object to the use of the term ’special’ for a child who is disabled in someway or another because I think that rather than stating that child is an equal to other children which I think is the goal of the terminology, it rather elevates that child above others or at the very least sets them aside in a category of “different from others”. This for me is upsetting because I believe that the parents are inadvertently changing the the light that the world sees their child in. Also I believe all children are special and are equally a blessing, none more than others regardless of what health status they possess.
I hope that you will consider my input and if you like you are welcome to respond/ my email is as follows:
Rosaleehamilton@gmail.com. I would be happy to hear you thoughts and answer any questions you may have.
Rosalee

By: Steph

Steph — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:52:36 +0000

Thank you. I share your view completely.
Well done. Truly.

By: Lynn Goodfriend

Lynn Goodfriend — Wed, 07 May 2008 21:17:30 +0000

David Tolleson is my brother. It is wonderful to know that someone HEARS what he says. He is full of compassion, and he knows what he is talking about…he’s got a good head on his shoulders, even for a big brother. You wrote a wonderful article. You sound like a great mom.

By: Emily

Emily — Sun, 04 May 2008 16:02:52 +0000

This is a wonderful contribution to BADD and an excellent post. This is such a touchy subject and so hard to address without polarizing either side of the abortion debate; you have done a remarkable job of not taking a stance on abortion, but addressing specifically the ethical concerns presented inherent in prenatal testing.

I really respect your ability to do this – if everyone could we might be able to have more productive discussions about ethics in genetic testing and the impact it can have/ has had on society.

Kudos!

By: Terri

Terri — Sun, 04 May 2008 13:38:43 +0000

I also posted on this topic for BADD. Any “ism” in people with power/authority can be a very dangerous thing.

By: Kyron

Kyron — Sat, 03 May 2008 20:25:49 +0000

Thank you all so very much for your thoughtful comments. I appreciate your visiting as well as your feedback. I am glad especially that no one felt it to be judgmental because without question I do NOT want to judge anyone and the choices they make for their lives. I merely think that the choices being made should be as informed a choice as possible.

All the best,
~Kyron

By: Barbara

Barbara — Fri, 02 May 2008 03:41:03 +0000

My hearty compliments.

By: Ruth

Ruth — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:17:17 +0000

I think your post really celebrates the lives of children with disabilities – and speaks volumes as to how they enrich our world – their families, of course, but much more than that.