“Plans To Make Denmark A Down Syndrome-Free Perfect Society.”

[cappie]

Here’s a recent Danish headline: “Plans to make Denmark a Down syndrome-free perfect society.” The Danes want to promote aborting fetuses with Down syndrome, so their society will be free of such people around 2030. One bioethicist describes it as a “fantastic achievement.”

At least the Danes are raising this issue. In North America, it’s estimated that more than 90 per cent of unborn babies with Down syndrome are aborted.

The ethics issues that prenatal screening raises will only increase as the range of tests expands, they’re safer for the woman, cheaper, easier to use and presented as routine medical precautions. But not all tests have medical goals. The latest – identification of a baby’s gender at seven weeks of pregnancy – raises fears of sex selection, which has resulted in millions of missing girls in India and China. These “deselection” decisions affect society itself. Many young men, for instance, can’t find a wife.

The British riots provide insight regarding actions by individuals that cumulatively threaten society: Unlawful assembly and rioting are such crimes. The same can be true of individuals “choosing” their children. So what limits should we place on their doing so in the interests of society?

Widespread, publicly endorsed and paid for prenatal screening to eliminate people with Down syndrome implicates values of respect for both individual human life and human life in general, and respect for disabled people. Collectively, these decisions implement negative eugenics regarding disabled people. It’s a “search and destroy” mission to wipe them out.

What kind of society might result from endorsing a belief that a society without disabled people is “perfect?” The use of science in the search for human perfection has been at the root of some of the greatest atrocities.

Offering routine prenatal screening sends a message that a woman is conditionally pregnant, until she’s told there’s “nothing wrong” with the baby – the fetus is certified as “normal” – or, even, is the “right sex.” This contravenes the value that parental love is unconditional – we love our children just because they’re our children.

A societal-level message is: “We don’t want you in our society unless you measure up to a certain standard. You’re only a potential member, until you’ve passed the admission test we’ll pay for with our tax dollars.”
And what about the “everyday ethics” of screening? Many physicians are not competent to obtain informed consent to all prenatal tests and carry out follow-up genetic counselling. Physicians also tend to be very pessimistic in predicting the impact, for instance, of Down syndrome on the child, and usually see no possible benefits from having such a child.

People who could inform them otherwise are often silenced. Audrey Cole, the mother of a 47-year-old man with Down syndrome, writes: “Our voice will, inevitably, be dismissed as the whinings of a ‘special interest’ group. I have never been able to understand why my feelings as a parent of a wonderful, caring, gentle man can be so easily dismissed as ‘special interest.’ I am frightened of the times that seem to be coming.”
And how will women who refuse screening be regarded? Will families who “choose” not to abort when “abnormalities” are discovered be seen as socially irresponsible?

In deciding about the ethics of prenatal screening, we should recall that, for all of us, “the well are only the undiagnosed sick.”

[url="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/deselecting-our-children/article2136096/print/"]http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/opinion/deselecting-our-children/article2136096/print/[/url]

[Lil Red]

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Jesus, I trust in you.
Jesus, I trust in you.
Jesus, I trust in you.

[CatherineM]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, There's something rotten in Denmark. One of my childhood friends had a Down Syndrome child. He just turned 15, and I guarantee you that she doesn't wish he hadn't been born.

[cruciatacara]

Next comes screening for eye color and hair color and height and skin color and before you know it we have the Twilight Zones show, 'Number 12 looks just like you' - which was the final 'perfection' - changing every person through plastic surgery so that everyone ended up looking like one of the acceptable numbered appearances in the book of choices.

Didn't Plato have some kind of vision of a perfect society where no one had any 'defects'?

And of course, why should old people be allowed to live since they are no longer perfect looking - then we have Logan's Run where everyone who reached the age of 30 was put on the Carousel that led to death.

Science fiction is becoming reality. Pray, pray, pray.

[Vincent Vega]

I completely agree. Let's end the plague of those inferior [s]jews[/s] handicapped (sorry, mixed up my accepted prejudice-du-jour) once and for all.

[cruciatacara]

Look, while we're at it, we can screen for any imperfect humans - anyone with any genetic disease whatsoever... Asperger's, Bipolar, Heart Disease, Hyperthyroidism, Asthma, heck, with a little more research, scientists could learn to screen for anything at all... I wonder who would actually make the grade???

Certainly not all of our scientists (or even bio-ethicists) are perfectly free of all genetic imperfections, are they?? hmmmm Maybe we should just abort ALL babies, knowing that none of them are going to be perfect!

[MissScripture]

I find it really sad that people can't see the inherent worth of a human being.
And what about the babies that sustain injuries during birth causing things like cerebral palsy? Are they going to encourage they are killed right after their born? You know, since they've just been born, it's not like they're REAL people yet.

[Archaeology cat]

Lord, have mercy. They may succeed in killing those with Down syndrome, but it wouldn't be a perfect society. They'd be missing some wonderful, vibrant people.

[quote name='USAirwaysIHS' timestamp='1314073050' post='2293631']
I completely agree. Let's end the plague of those inferior [s]jews[/s] handicapped (sorry, mixed up my accepted prejudice-du-jour) once and for all.
[/quote]
Hitler went after those with Down syndrome, too, didn't he?

[Maximilianus]

Diabolical

[Laudate_Dominum]

Disturbing. This is a trend in other countries as well, sad to say.

[Papist]

There was another country in Europe that had such a philosophy in the 1930-40s.

Edited August 23, 2011 by Papist

[LaPetiteSoeur]

This is frightening. I don't understand abortion for any reason, and never will, but I ESPECIALLY don't understand it for those with genetic disorders, diseases, etc. What's next? A fetal test that tests for future risk of cancer?

[Byzantine]

My sister has autism, which is worse than Down Syndrome, and let me tell you: she is a much more productive member of society than many people will ever be. Free smiles!

Edited August 23, 2011 by Byzantine

[Ice_nine]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' timestamp='1314080018' post='2293649']
Lord, have mercy. They may succeed in killing those with Down syndrome, but it wouldn't be a perfect society. They'd be missing some wonderful, vibrant people.


Hitler went after those with Down syndrome, too, didn't he?
[/quote]

I believe at a certain point he was pretty much going after anyone. Jews, catholics, homosexuals, disabled people, elderly, gypsies, anyone who wasn't a "full-blooded" German was liable to get the axe.

This is disgusting. You would think after all those wonderfully insightful great works of science fiction a la Brave New World that people would be smarter.

[Vincent Vega]

[quote name='Archaeology cat' timestamp='1314080018' post='2293649']
Hitler went after those with Down syndrome, too, didn't he?
[/quote]
Well they're inferior, aren't they?