well somebody is popping these balloons with little smiley faces and eyes. Somebody has engaged in the anthropomorphizing of these balloons to cosmetically have more humanity then even an human embryo, which cannot smile, emote or stare in your direction. These two entities , embryo’s and balloons in this example are very different. This equivalency is misdirection and should be immediately discarded.
To go into more detail Clause 14(4)(9) the Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill if we are talking about persons not being allowed to reproduce because their gametes are not acceptable then then balloon analogy deceives because it implies that the sex cell is a human. If that were the case then the mass holocaust of each gamete that didn’t immediately get an opportunity to fertilize would make the man with the highest daily sperm count the biggest murderer in history.
In the case of generating diseased people from embryos for the sake of randomness or some idealistic premise, you sacrifice the happiness of the individual for the ideal by making them live with this disease.
You seem to imply all Deaf people are unhappy because we have this horrendous disease, called Deafness? This is precisely the mindset by the Government and medical profession we hoping to eradicate. Because we are Deaf therefore we can’t be happy?!? The wordings set out in the Bill are very wide-reaching and it implications have over-spilled onto conditions, which are not life-threatening, including being Deaf. We people are just different - not living a life of unbearable pain, have deformed physical traits, crap quality of life, or even in vegative state. We don’t want your pity. We want your respect.
I don’t support some neo-holocaust program to eradicate deaf genes at all. But a sperm is not a person. If an adult wishes to screen out specific traits that should be their right. In ensuring a sperm that carries a gene for deafness is not allowed to fertilize we are not committing homicide because sperm have no rights. The balloon video thus is somewhat misleading in that case because of the mass destruction of gametes per day.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to produce humans with various disabilities even if particular individuals or naturalist lobbying groups assert that “they” themselves do not experience any anguish from this particular disorder. Their experiences are unique to them. It seems selfish to want to make deaf children when a child should be able to CHOOSE deafness at a later date if such a lifestyle appeals to them.
You have my utmost respect, but i think we all need to respect those that come after us and let them choose for themselves.
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January 14th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Inaccurate analogy in that those balloons have yet to be inflated and the eyes and mouth drawn on them.
January 31st, 2008 at 1:47 am
Good point! Why don’t you make the accurate one?
January 31st, 2008 at 7:15 pm
well somebody is popping these balloons with little smiley faces and eyes. Somebody has engaged in the anthropomorphizing of these balloons to cosmetically have more humanity then even an human embryo, which cannot smile, emote or stare in your direction. These two entities , embryo’s and balloons in this example are very different. This equivalency is misdirection and should be immediately discarded.
January 31st, 2008 at 7:27 pm
To go into more detail Clause 14(4)(9) the Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill if we are talking about persons not being allowed to reproduce because their gametes are not acceptable then then balloon analogy deceives because it implies that the sex cell is a human. If that were the case then the mass holocaust of each gamete that didn’t immediately get an opportunity to fertilize would make the man with the highest daily sperm count the biggest murderer in history.
In the case of generating diseased people from embryos for the sake of randomness or some idealistic premise, you sacrifice the happiness of the individual for the ideal by making them live with this disease.
February 16th, 2008 at 7:57 am
@Rafe re last paragraph, last comment:
You seem to imply all Deaf people are unhappy because we have this horrendous disease, called Deafness? This is precisely the mindset by the Government and medical profession we hoping to eradicate. Because we are Deaf therefore we can’t be happy?!? The wordings set out in the Bill are very wide-reaching and it implications have over-spilled onto conditions, which are not life-threatening, including being Deaf. We people are just different - not living a life of unbearable pain, have deformed physical traits, crap quality of life, or even in vegative state. We don’t want your pity. We want your respect.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I don’t support some neo-holocaust program to eradicate deaf genes at all. But a sperm is not a person. If an adult wishes to screen out specific traits that should be their right. In ensuring a sperm that carries a gene for deafness is not allowed to fertilize we are not committing homicide because sperm have no rights. The balloon video thus is somewhat misleading in that case because of the mass destruction of gametes per day.
I don’t think it’s a good idea to produce humans with various disabilities even if particular individuals or naturalist lobbying groups assert that “they” themselves do not experience any anguish from this particular disorder. Their experiences are unique to them. It seems selfish to want to make deaf children when a child should be able to CHOOSE deafness at a later date if such a lifestyle appeals to them.
You have my utmost respect, but i think we all need to respect those that come after us and let them choose for themselves.