Comments on: Eugenics Too Close To Home: Tomato Lichy, U.K. Activist

By: Uncle B

Uncle B — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:59:27 +0000

“there but for the grace of God, go I”

By: Chris Paul

Chris Paul — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:36:34 +0000

Interesting. Have linked to your post. Just how many deaf couples are involved in IVF?

By: Mishka Zena

Mishka Zena — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:36:21 +0000

The topic should shows Lichy, not Livy.

It is the same person. It is very different when we know that person, doesn’t it? : /

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:31:38 +0000

Your topic shows “Livy” as Tomato’s surname.
There was a Tomato Lichy who used to email me in the past. Two different men?

By: Deaf People & Genetics: Media Coverage | Stop Eugenics!

Deaf People & Genetics: Media Coverage | Stop Eugenics! — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:48:50 +0000

[...] Peter Bracken: Is deafness a disability? Bionic Ear: UK IVF Couple Wants Deaf Child Mishka Zena: Eugenics Too Close To Home: Tomato Lichy, U.K. Activist Mishka Zena: Should Deaf Parents Have a Deaf Child? The Not-Quite-So-Friendly Humanist: Reverse [...]

By: » MEDIA WATCH: A Cacophonous Din of Ignorance & A Sane Voice [More Linx]

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 21:44:35 +0000

[...] Eugenics Too Close To Home: Tomato Lichy, U.K. Activist [...]

By: Mishkazena

Mishkazena — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:56:54 +0000

MM, since you are not Culturally Deaf, it’s understandable that you don’t share the same views. However, the Culturally Deaf, especially those from Deaf families see deafness deeply integrated in their lives and community. I was referring to those people and yes, they do have the right to propagate their people, just like Hearing people, do, African Americans, and Native Indians. We’ve seen the problems of these minorities being integrated completely to the mainstream, only due the prejudices and stereotypes of the Dominant majority, yet we don’t see any active eradications of these minority. Yet disabled groups are deemed valuable contributors to the society.

One thing many people fail to understand is that Culturally Deaf people are so adaptive with a language and culture that they do not feel handicapped at all. Their deafness isn’t a life-threatening condition. Yet their viable embryos are not permitted to survive at all. In this bill, these embryos are deliberately identified and removed, even though the Deaf couple may not ask them to run DNA tests. The Deaf couple may not want to make any choice in selecting any embryo, yet the state is running active interference

By: MM

MM — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 10:02:14 +0000

I support deaf and HI rights now, and do what I can when I can, I don’t however feel obliged to support the right to deaf children, or maintaining the ’supply’ of more deaf people, IF, a viable choice option exists.

I would be the same if they ID’d a gene that caused terminal illness, or a life of pain and suffering, and my ‘choice’ of child would be one that didn’t have those genes, it’s because I would want the child to have the best start in life, not because I think deaf people are a waste of space, or unworthy of life.

As deaf people few if any of us had any real choices as to how deaf we are or become, our parents didn’t. The natural selection point isn’t really valid either because deaf people too, take things to offset a disabled foetus too.

If choices are soon to exist, then we have to accept the fact, and appreciate whatever choices the parents then make. I think it is factual that deaf people carrying the deaf gene, producing deaf children, will not be sufficient, to save deaf culture, because there are so few of them. (I think around 2% ?).

Obviously this is all based on the point IF a real choice is given. In that respect I think few hearing parents would go for a deaf or a disabled child, they don’t need a ban by the state, just the choice. Are we to oppose that choice ? what right do we have ?

Once again emotion has taken the question away from the uncomfortable reality we could choose no to a deaf child too…. It would be a choice certainly with those who have had bad experience being deaf, and for those who were never within the ‘Deaf’ community in the first place..

By: Deaf258

Deaf258 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:37:20 +0000

Opps, a typo! I meant to say “Gattaca” but the point remains the same.

By: Deaf258

Deaf258 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 07:53:49 +0000

I guess if the hearing, non-disabled people keep oppressing the disabled, the world will soon be like what you see in the movie, “Gattica!”

If you have not seen it, rent it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gattaca
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119177/