Fuck you. Have you ever met anyone with Down Syndrome? Fuck you.

I've never got to know someone well, no. And I'm not saying people currently alive should be treated with anything but respect.

But does that respect mean we should urge people not to abort their unborn child should they discover s/he has down syndrome?

If your point of view is that all abortion is wrong, regardless of the circumstance, then fine. But how can you say children with disabilities should be born if it's ok for pregnancies caused by incest to be aborted? Or rape? Or any other legitimate concern?

Women should be free to choose whatever they want in this matter. But for someone to advocate that she should keep her down syndrome child when they wouldn't advocate just as strongly for any other reason (too poor to provide a good future, don't want to put up for adoption, product of rape, whatever) seems hypocritical. I think asking a doctor to not prefix his explanation of his discovery with, "I have some bad news," to be manipulative and wrong.

I understand how what I said would be very hurtful to anyone with friends or family who have down syndrome. I admit I was being purposeful offensive. I'm not going to apologize, though.

People with down syndrome may live as full lives as those without. Such may be said about most who are aborted.

I still approve of abortion, however.

I approve of abortion too, in certain circumstances. People should have the legal right to abort their kids because they're retarded, gay, don't meow, or whatever the fuck. I would argue that they have the ethical responsibility not to do it frivolously or for selfish purposes, but you can't legislate ethics on that scale.

I would almost certainly abort an anencephalic child. I would probably abort a child diagnosed with Tay-Sachs. It's a matter of where you draw the line. I would not abort a child with Down Syndrome, and I would encourage people in similar circumstances not to, though I wouldn't condemn them if they did. What I objected to most of all in this essay was the snide and hypocritical tone, thinking that it's somehow a moral failing to choose to raise a child with Down Syndrome, while being self-righteous about people who would (theoretically -- I'm with you about the gay "gene" uncertainty) choose not to have a gay one.

Michael Berube, a pro-choice father of a child with Down Syndrome (who, by all accounts, is a <a href="http://www.michaelberube.com/index.php/weblog/comments/jamie_does_his_french_homework/">kickass </a> kid), has written a good essay on this subject:

http://www.michaelberube.com/index.php/weblog/liberals_in_their_own_words/

It's not that I think abortion should be proscribed in all circumstances. My parents tested me for Down Syndrome when I was in the womb, and if I had had it, they would have aborted me, because they thought they were too old to have raised a retarded child. I don't think I would make the same choice in the same circumstances, but I think it was absolutely their choice to make. But to snort derisively at people who think it might actually be a good idea to raise a Down Syndrome child rather than cutting short its chances is to be a giant asshole.

I know you're in giant asshole mode for most of these essays, and that's where they get a lot of their punch; most of them roll off my back, but this one struck close to home. I'm not furious, just annoyed and pissed off. I've worked with a lot of retarded people, some of whom are worse off than the majority of Down Syndrome cases by a factor of magnitude, and I'm glad they're on this planet. To categorically write them off is to betray a common ignorance. You could fix it if you felt like it, but if you don't, I'll just keep curling my lip if you keep shooting your mouth off on this particular subject.

I think calling any of my rant postings or opinion posts as essays gives them far too much worth. I'm not sure being in "asshole mode" gives anything more punch, but it is what I enjoy to write. I'd like to think this tone encourages people to refute my arguments and up the forum activity (would you have responded if I'd simply linked the article and said I'm not sure these advocates are being genuine?) but in reality it probably scares away as many people from replying as it does prod them to. If being thoughtful or facetious was as easy as being a dick I would be--but these are our forums and we pay for them out-of-pocket without any ads. If I get to be an asshole anywhere it's here, dammit.

I still hold my point of view. Not that it has any real weight--I have no interest in being a parent and never will. I strongly dislike any responsibility. I think most people shouldn't be parents.

I think everyone--even Jack Thomson--should be treated with respect. I have no doubt that people with mental disabilities can lead completely full lives and enrich the lives of those around them. That said, if they never existed, how would you miss them?

If you want to reply with "Whatever, fuck you." I'd completely understand and honestly wouldn't hold any hard feelings against you. You might want to save some fuel for the "Selective breeding: If it's good enough for potatoes, it's good enough for people" topic I may or may not write in the future :)

No, no, not at all. Like I said, I knew you were in hot air mode, so I responded in kind. I still totally respect you and am amused by your rantings far more often than not. I got no sympathy for the credit card chumps, so safe ground there.

More potato fucking posts, please!

{squiz}
M.

Fucking potatoes:

http://www.homemade-sex-toys.com/vibrator/

Hot.