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[quote=Anonymous]Those who say this is not about eugenics are so mistaken, it's frightening.  I'm so grateful to the PPs who have correctly cited the nature of the eugenics movement, and I just want to add a couple more points:

Eugenics was a widely embraced and celebrated intellectual movement in our own country for the greater part of the first half of this century.  Compulsive sterilization laws were upheld by the Supreme Court (Buck v. Bell, "three generations of imbeciles is enough"), Planned Parenthood was founded as a eugenics organization, and the eugenics cause was split into "positive" and "negative" methods:  "positive" eugenics encouraged reproduction from the fit, and "negative" eugenics discouraged reproduction from the unfit, AS WELL AS limiting assistance or support to the poor, the underclass, the less intelligent, and the physically/mentally disabled.

After WWII, the movement quieted down a little, due to the "excesses" of the war, but it did not go away.  Compulsive sterilizations continued all across our country for many years.  But reproduction was not the only area of influence, though reproductive technology assisted eugenics decisions:  about 90% of Down Syndrome babies are aborted, the assumption is that when spina bifida is detected, abortion is the solution, and PDG is becoming more widespread.  Eugenics is a mentality that every human being is NOT deserving of equal respect and care.

That is what is at work here.  I'm certain the PR department of the hospital went into spin overdrive to cover their doctors' words, but intellectual disability coming into the calculation about quality of life prognosis?  Absolutely, that's an issue.

I remember when I was a little girl in Indiana, a couple who gave birth to a Down syndrome baby decided to withhold medical care.  Other families begged to adopt the baby, who needed a simple corrective surgery in order to be able to eat.  The parents refused, and were backed up by the Supreme Court of Indiana.  The baby starved to death after seven days.  Look up "Baby Doe" from Bloomington, IN.

My heart breaks for this family.  I can't know all the facts, but just the implication that their little one's life is not worth as much is a terrible burden.[/quote]

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