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REVOLUTIONARY COMMON SENSE LIBRARY
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21st Century Eugenics
Revolutionary Common Sense by Kathie Snow
www.disabilityisnatural.com
In War Against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race, author Edwin Black describes in horrific detail, “How American corporate philanthropies launched a national campaign of ethnic cleansing in the United States, helped found and fund the Nazi eugenics of Hitler and Mengele—and then created the modern movement of ‘human genetics.’” (www.waragainsttheweak.com) Of course, these efforts weren’t called “ethnic cleansing,” but “cure and prevention,” “strengthening society,” and other acceptable euphemisms. American eugenicists targeted a variety of groups—including people with disabilities—in the first half of the 20th Century. And while millions were being exterminated by the Nazis, the Americans continued their work, as they admired Hitler’s success. The American Eugenics Movement died a very slow death—it was discounted only after the Nuremberg Trials exposed the “science” of eugenics as the basis for mass murder.
Published in 2003, this book is an eye-opening window into the past and
the future. In one of the last chapters—“Eugenics Becomes Genetics”—Black
writes: “The world is now filled with dedicated genetic scientists ...[who]
fight against genetic diseases [and] help couples bear better children...Most
of the twenty-first century’s genetic warriors are unschooled in the
history of eugenics...Few if any are aware that in their noble battle against
the mysteries and challenges of human heredity, they have inherited the spoils
of the war against the weak.”
Black’s book is sadly prophetic, as evidenced by the Combating Autism
Act signed by President Bush in December 2006 and the January 2007 recommendation
from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) that “all
pregnant women, regardless of their age, should be offered screening for Down
syndrome.”
Known in polite circles as “cure and prevention,” these acts essentially
represent 21st Century eugenics: an effort to eliminate people with autism
and Down syndrome. These frightening developments represent the unabashed devaluation
of men and women and boys and girls—our fellow citizens—who happen
to have these particular medical diagnoses.
Is all genetic research potentially harmful? No—finding a cure for a
fatal condition can save lives. But autism, Down syndrome, and most other developmental
disabilities are not diseases, nor do they cause death. If asked, most people
with life-threatening conditions would probably say they support the cure/prevention
of their condition.
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But were people with autism or Down syndrome asked if they wanted to
be cured—or
if their births and/or conditions should have been prevented? Probably not—because
the “experts” would most likely say people with autism or Down
syndrome couldn’t understand the question, much less provide an intelligent
response! How do people with autism and Down syndrome feel about this—to
have others (including your own parents, perhaps) believe you’re not
okay the way you are, and they want you to be different? Shouldn’t
we care how they feel?
The Combating Autism Act was the result of energetic advocacy by
autism groups, parents, and others, and it authorizes nearly $1 billion
over the next five years for research, prevention, and treatment.
Children and adults with autism may soon be subjected to “new and improved” treatments they
never asked for, while researchers, scientists, laboratories, and others will reap
financial rewards.
But how else could that nearly $1 billion be spent? How about providing
children and adults with autism with communication tools, educating
teachers on how to include and teach kids with autism in the real world
of general ed classrooms, training employers on appropriate accommodations
for employees with autism, and/or providing individualized supports
for people with autism and their families? Why don’t we change the way we
think, instead of trying to change people
with autism?
The Combating Autism Act is also a response to the “epidemic” of
autism. But in Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of
Autism, author Roy Richard
Grinker, an anthropologist and the father of a child with autism, examines
whether a broader definition of autism, school data collection, “relabeling,” and
other factors have contributed to the “epidemic” status.
It wasn’t hard to see how this Act was so easily passed: parents
of children with autism have been portrayed as grieving, sad, unable to
cope, and more, while children and adults with autism have been portrayed
in ways that generate pity and other negative attitudes. Who’s responsible
for these portrayals? Advocates and parents! But adults with autism are
speaking out against these assaults, including the demeaning “puzzle” logo
used by autism groups (see www.gettingthetruthout.org). People with autism
are not like a jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece!
Back to the Down syndrome issue: ACOG does not include justification for its recommendation. The organization must assume parents wouldn’t want a “defective” baby,
which probably reflects the personal bias of physicians. And since the test
is estimated to cost at least $1,000 per patient, those who manufacture and
administer the tests must be jumping for joy!
While the major autism groups support the Combating Autism
Act, at least one of the major Down syndrome groups has come
out against the ACOG recommendation. Why the difference? Because
autism is “so different” from Down
syndrome? No. It seems this has more to do with the attitudes of parents about
their child’s condition. (But several parents of children with autism
have shared their anger that our government will be waging war against their
children!)
Can raising a child with a disability be difficult at
times? Yes, but so what? Aren’t our children worth whatever difficulties we might face? Most parents
recognize the benefits: my 20-year-old son with a significant developmental
disability has taught me so much—he’s made me a better human being!
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My heart aches for all those who are marginalized and
devalued under the guise of “cure and prevention.” It’s hard
to fathom how deeply this must hurt. How can we be so insensitive to others’ feelings?
But I’m also concerned about the reactions of the general public. For
example, if a general ed teacher thinks a child with Down syndrome shouldn’t
have been born (due to the availability of testing), will she see much
value in teaching the child? With the Combating Autism Act, teachers, employers,
or others may now have all the justification they need—authorized by
the federal government, no less—to exclude, marginalize,
and devalue children and adults with autism.
Disability advocates have justifiably screamed their
disgust at the recent news about the “growth attentuation treatment” of Ashley, the “Pillow
Angel.” But are those who support the Combating Autism Act and the ACOG
recommendation very different than Ashley’s parents?
During the American Eugenics Movement, some experts
targeted people who wore glasses, as it was thought
this “genetic trait” could lead to blindness,
an “undesirable” characteristic in the gene pool. Today, people
with autism and Down syndrome are being targeted. Who
will be next? We must
speak out and take action against the devaluation, marginalization, and the
genocide of people with disabilities which are perpetrated under the guise
of “cure and prevention.”
Would the world be a better place if there were no more people
with autism or Down syndrome? No, it would not. We would be a careless society. And we would lose the precious smiles, loving hearts, and
unique gifts of each and every human being who happens to have Down
syndrome or autism. We would also lose a part of our own humanity.
©2007 Kathie Snow; all rights reserved. Permission is granted for non-commercial use of this article: you may print this web page and photocopy it to share with others. Click here to download the PDF handout version of the article. As a courtesy, please tell me (kathie@disabilityisnatural.com) how/when you use it. This is the intellectual property of Kathie Snow and is protected by Copyscape: permission is required before republishing in newsletters, on websites, etc. Clip art from Adobe In-Design.
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Our words reflect the way we think, so let's get rid of descriptors like "handicapped, physically disabled, mentally retarded, learning disabled" and other words that focus on the condition instead of the person. People First Language promotes dignity and respect for all!
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