Petition Against Screening For Autistic Embryos!!

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Who´s to decide what´s superficial and what´s not? Is it okay for a parent to abort a deaf child? or a handicapped child? In some Asian countries, there is a shortage of girls, because so many were aborted. These things do happen! Once again, I state my position: I can understand it if the problem is coming from the mother; if the mother was raped, or her health is endangered, or she isn´t ready or just doesn´t have the means for a child. But when we decide on abortion based on the child, and who that child is, that opens a whole new set of moral issues for me. In any case, I´m glad I was blessed with life. There are too many autistic people who are dear to my heart. I don´t think we should be killed off.

ah, now I understand. We are the issue. We are blessed. I am not attacking your beliefs. I do not however, believe that life is necessarily sacred. I know I might get verbally attacked for this statement. We have overpopulated this planet, polluted it, raped its resources, now the debate is about our blessed lives. I had admitted to a woman that I was placed on the autistic spectrum and she immediately changed her tone to me, she said "bless you". I was special to her because her son is Autistic. She has as special place in her heart for disabled people. I asked her if I sneezed.

I digress.

Life is sacred after it has a chance to live it. Maybe this discussion is tangled up in the belief in God. That is possible too. I do not have that either. I did not abandon the belief in God. I am sticking to my upbringing. I was raised atheist. That is why I still think that this is one of the most interesting threads on here. I don't think that mentioning this in context takes away from my point, I think its OK to test for genetic malady. abort for genetic malady. abort for personal reasons, that includes genetic problems. BTW, if you don't believe that abortion is murder, how would abortion be "killing" them off? Remember, this discussion is hypothetical, there is no way of isolating a gene for autism as of yet so don't worry. The petition is ridiculous propaganda with an obvious agenda and fear attached to it. It is meant to mislead and misdirect the discussion. Science and research is a good thing usually, not a bad thing. It breaks my heart when it is taken and misrepresented in the wrong ways. I was brought up around science. my parents both are doctors. I too have several Autistic people in my family, I would not like to see them killed but if I never would have known them, or they would never have known me, then........... maybe there would be another forum to discuss some other social problem that two other people would discussing. hypothetical.

Seconded.

Its not a person till its born.

third

Autism isn't really genetic. Petition or no petition. Sorry.

even fragile x syndrome, which involves maybe hundreds of repetitions of one base pair in one site on the x chromosome, only produces autism about 1 in 4 times, if I recall right. There already is amniocentesis screening for this condition.

Identical twins are usually both autistic if one of them is. but not al the time. So it can't just be genetics, even if genetics do come into the picture, which it appears that they may.

So it would be hard for there to be a genetic screening for autism in utero.

This thread is mostly hypothetical. It revolves around abortion debate and less around autism. It would seem as though autism does run in families. I have several relatives with asperger's and others with sensory integration difficulties who have no asperger's diagnosis. Anyway, you're right, it can't be just genetics, it seems like there would be many factors but I would be very weary of this turning into a vaccination discussion. That road has been traveled far too often.

I will briefly overview what will transpire with concern to autism abortion should it fully develop.

1. Developing life forms will be destroyed just as any other life form (fetus, mesh of tissue or baby) is destroyed if chosen to.

2. It is up to individuals with autism whom choose to have a detected in the womb baby with similar traits to have that baby.

3. As most of the awareness having to do with autism is negative, though positive awareness's exists, most medical professionals will inform in a negative way about what autism is as to suggest to abort.

4. Autism, even if a prenatal test is developed will not go away but may reduce as a result.

5. The social judgment of inferiority and the societal collective desire to not have anyone like yourself to exist is emotionally hard to cope with. For those that understand and comprehend this, programs should exists for counciling.

6. I find this issue perplexing and emotionally harmful to myself. Autism is not something separate from me but part of my collective self and I could not imagine life as myself without parts of me that do not physically hurt such as the autism part of me not existing. I am happy in life and my quality of life has improved with services but quality of life for myself and others would be improved regardless of negativity if culturally inclusion was the spirit of society and not so much the individual gain and get out of my way to survive mentality money brings with it. Bottom line is all this has to do with money and none of it has to do with the appreciation of the manifestation of life as it is and in all it's unique forms. Autism is not cancer but I am sure some with autism who cannot speak would like to.

gina-ghettoprincess, personally, I can see how there would be a potentially negative outcome(s) from this in that, potential parents may choose to abort the child but, that in itself is a matter of choice with such parents though. Yes, I can recall how when they put in place the screening for the gene which causes, Down Syndrome a great deal of propesctive parents went about having the screening and in some cases when the results cam out their child(ren) had the potential may have chosen the abortion adoption. I'd like to state that not all parents are like that and it's not accurate to say, that such would be the result with this screening.. (hmm) Still, I'm keeping my eyes & ears aware of all that goes on in the world relating to all autistic people..

ProfessorX