-JR wrote:
This is in response to Henry Williams's thread questioning MemberSix:
To play devil's advocate here, MemberSix never explicitly stated any intention of getting rid of anyone autistic.
Nor implicitly.
I was at serious pains to point out that eradicating the genes is not eradicating LIVING Autistics.
The sole point was to eradicate suffering.
-JR wrote:
Ridding the world of autism does not exactly imply wholesale abortion. I don't think MemberSix ever advocated abortion, maybe I'm wrong. I don't think MS is advocating anything evil.
To clarify my own opinion:
I think the idea of gene manipulation is ridiculous from the get go, as there are TONS of "traits" considered "autistic" that can be found in "normal" or NT people. To theoretically "fix" everything autism is associated would wipe out a good portion of many future accomplishments that would be accomplished by autistics, or those with several traits.
If anything, we as people should be pushing for technology that can bring the voice of autistics to the forefront. I'm thinking along the vein of the communication device that Amanda Bagg uses. Researching technology that can help autistics help and speak for themselves should be priority number one.
Wishing for the eradication of certain genes isn't evil in my eyes, I don't see reason to react as if MS was evil. It is simply misguided.
Many major diseases will be eradicated by gene manipulation.
Autism causes severe suffering to many, many people and their families.
Why pretend it's some sort of blessing to a baby - or child - or adult - indeed, to humanity at all ?
26 Aug 2008, 1:10 pm
