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Genetic Testing For Geekiness?
Paul Johnson writes "MSNBC is carrying an article wondering about how to handle a possible future genetic test for autism. Raising a severely autistic child is a heartbreaking grind, and many people (and legal systems) consider termination to be a reasonable choice where the fetus carries other genetic disorders such as Downs Syndrome. But this might also prevent the birth of future geniuses too. The article flippantly uses Bill Gates as an example (Gates is widely thought to have Asperger's syndrome), although Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison are also thought to have been similarly "different". And there is some reason to believe that "geekiness" in general is actually the place where autism shades into 'normal'."
While I certainly do not know if Gates has Asperger's, his difficulties in social settings are nearly as legendary as his genius, so it's possible.
legendary genius?
One of my favorite things to ask people:
Would you rather have a child who is:
A son, who is flamboyantly, out of the closet, limpwristed, bigger than life homosexual...
Or
A daughter, who is such a slutwhore that she puts the girls in Times square to shame.
I pick daughter.
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For fuck's sake, people!
I'm a geek. I have a 142 I.Q, I program computers for a living, I program OTHER computers as a hobby at home, and I live for video games and anime. I enjoy science fiction and I find most people boring and unimaginative. This makes me an eccentric pain in the ass, and it's true I'm somewhat antisocial, but I am DEFINITELY not autistic.
I am further not afflicted with "ASPERGER'S SYNDROME", which apparently is the hip thing to say your kid has out in Cali these days.
What in the FUCK is wrong with our society these days? Do we really have to tear down everyone with above-normal ability by painting them with the autism brush??? Is it really that hard for all you 100 I.Q's to accept the fact that there are people out there who are much smarter than you and DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM???
Seriously! FUCK ALL YOU PEOPLE! I wish all my intelligent brothers and sisters would figure out how to build a starship so we could get OFF this rock and leave all you dim bulbs to jock-breed yourselves back to the stone age. You want sports? FINE. We'll take physics et al and leave you to your devices.
I swear. I accept the fact that you pricks felt the need to torment people like me all through school, but enough is enough already. Go back to the sports bar, I think there's a game on.
Farewell! It's been a fine buncha years!
Babies as young as 25 weeks premature have survived to be healthy adults outside after care and treatment in the NICU. That is far earlier than most terminations!
...and some research even indicates it may very well make society a better place to live in.
Lies! Judging from the actual numbers, it looks to me like the majority (54%) of abortions are performed prior to 8 weeks of gestation, and especially before 10 weeks (77%). At 10 weeks, the fetus is about 1 inch in length. It's just a ball of stuff that in a few weeks will become a human.
Unwanted pregnancy sucks, but it's not the end of the world. A culture that values only the convience of now, and the "benefit of the species", is very likely going to be a very unpleasant place to live long term.
You are extremely naive. You probably haven't had sex yet, but I'd say you are in need of a good near-pregnancy scare or two. Even the most careful people have them now and then. It certainly makes you think about what you would do.
Compassion is a very valuable force in society, which pays more than it costs.
Yes, but what if the compassionate thing is to prevent another unwanted baby?
The imperial Roman culture of the Augustian age would have suited you well, you're a fascist babykiller, etc, etc...
You're nuts if you can't differentiate between destroying a ball of tissue the size of a marble and killing fully-developed beings.