I don't know Daveb ... I remember reading the utterly superfluous information that there are 7 children by 5 different fathers in a BBC article. There is no doubt in my mind that the socio-economic status of the family will be colouring decisions. Whether it is a case for sterilisation ... I doubt it. What is possibly more interesting is a clause that has been proposed for inclusion in fertility legislation.
quote:New fertility legislation will make it illegal to use embryos with a known genetic abnormality in IVF treatment when ones without the same defect are available.
Except that what is proposed is not so much genetic engineering but selective implantation where if there is a choice between an embryo with say the genetic mutation that will lead to a deaf child and an embryo without the genetic mutation there will be no choice. The deaf community is up in arms about this. There are a number of reasons for this throwing down of the deaf gauntlet. One is that they reason that they should have the right to prefer a child that shares the same genetic deafness as its parents - as opposed to being forced to select a 'hearing' child. Another is that they feel that it is discriminatory to prevent deaf parents from preferring to select a 'deaf' child over a hearing child.
Within the deaf community deafness is not so much seen as a disability but rather as a passport to a whole different cultural world. I can, and do, admire the way in which the deaf community have empowered themselves and refuse to see themselves as disabled. I must admit that this screeching 'discrimination' has set my teeth on edge. Even so I can see why this clause should give rise to concerns even though I have entirely different reasons for these concerns.
"Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety" - Benjamin Franklin
A good reason for Eugenics?
Posted - 16/03/2008 : 18:38:04
