Do you think it's cruel that a couple in London wants to create a deaf child using science since they are deaf

Question

They want to use science to force their next kid to be deaf, since the parents are deaf.

If they do this, wouldn't it be child abuse of the highest order? Sentencing them to a pre-determined lifetime of disability?

Will this open the door for homosexual couples to create a litter of homosexual kids, and thereby populate the earth with more and more homos?

And will it be "cool" to have birth defects and everyone will want a deaf, dumb, and blind kid?

Answer 1

It's so cruel and such an unatural thing to do. This comes from parents who do not wish the best for their child. It's like saying "i'm born without legs, and my husband was too. so lets make sure our kid doesn't get them"......SICK.

Answer 2

Yes its cruel and unethical.

Answer 3

That is seriously messed up!. What a couple of @-holes.

Answer 4

I'll probably be shot down for this, but I've seen quite a few documentaries about deaf people and they seem to be an bit "precious" about being deaf. I dont think our genetic engineering has gone so far as to be able to "order" a deaf child. Makes you wonder though; would they want to create a child with spina bifida or congenital heart disease etc., just because they suffered from it. Probably shouldn't say suffered. It'll be read as judgemental !!

Answer 5

Yes, the couple are cruel and selfish. They are thinking only of themselves. Every child is entitled to a life free from disability deliberately inflicted on him/her while in the womb. Because they are deaf themselves, the couple know the hardships and suffering the child would have to endure. They are devoid of humanity.  I fear for the safety of the children they already have who could become the subject of scientific experiment at any time. Social services should act quickly to protect these children and take them into care.

Answer 6

On one hand, yes it is cruel to subject them to a lifetime of disability, and it's selfish not to give them the same oppurtunities as everyone else just because they, as parents, are deaf.

On the other hand, it won't be fair on the parents or the child if communication is hard due to the parents being deaf and the child not being deaf.

As a parent it would be awful if you couldn't hear your child speak ect, but if they were deaf they wouldn't have that issue.

It's also good if the parents are unable to speak due to deafness, as deaf people do not hear the sounds that others make, and so they cannot imitate them. If their child were not deaf, but neither parent could speak, then it's increasing the communication problems. Whereas if they are all deaf, then it wouldn't be quite as much as an issue.

Answer 7

Wow, I haven't heard of this.  No, it's absolutely wrong!  I thought parents want better for their kids.

Answer 8

For a child to be born deaf is one thing

but to deliberately engineer a deaf child is

unforgivable!!

Life is difficult enough if you have all your senses

and to deliberately rob your child of one of its senses

is criminaly insane.

Far from being allowed another child this couple should

be sterilised.

HOW DARE THEY EVEN CONTEMPLATE THIS.

Answer 9

I think that it's wrong........

Answer 10

Good question and agree with you-it is cruel and it is not great being born deaf!

Answer 11

Doing that is wrong...

Not that there is anything "wrong" with the parents being deaf... But why would you want to force something that can be negative on your CHILD?

Doing this would be like saying "I want to sever my baby's spine so they are in a wheel chair like his mommy and daddy."

How about "I'm going to sever my baby's optical nerves so that s/he is blind like their mommy and daddy?"

That is retarded...

Since homosexuality is about who you love and whom you want to take to bed, I don't care about people making their kids g*y or not...

Being Homosexual isn't TAKING SOMETHING AWAY from a child... Taking away one of their four Basic Senses...

Taste

Touch

Hearing

Sight

Who you want to fu*k isn't a BASIC animal sense.

This is like the episode of Law & Order SVU a few weeks ago... Where a little person was upset because a fertility doctor refused to implant an embryo because it was determined that the child would be a little person...

The type of Dwarfism the mother had wasn't a 'Disability' because she was perfectly healthy so I woudln't have a problem with her making her baby a little person... Because the baby wouldn't be in pain, wouldn't end up deformed, wouldn't be denied any basic human experience...

But to force an ACTUAL DISABILITY on a child is WRONG...

Flat out wrong.

Answer 12

Personally, I feel we should accept the life that comes to us, regardless of its disability, etc.  On the other hand, I find it interesting how vehement the answers are to this question.  I would assume most answerers are hearing?  

Just look at how obnoxious the question is phrased (eg. "homos" and "deaf, dumb, and blind").

If you are opposed to aborting a fetus for any reason, that is understandable.  But if you accept aborting a fetus for a disability, but do not think the Deaf couple should be allowed to abort a hearing fetus,  I have two points.  

1. Deafness does not have to be a "sentence".  There is an amazing, rich Deaf culture, language, and history that Deaf people can experience.  In fact, most Deaf adults, when asked if they would want to recover their hearing, answer no.  They happily choose Deafness.  Deaf adults that are part of the Deaf community, do not see their Deafness as a loss, but rather a gift of language, culture and community.  

2.  Think about how quick hearing people are in "fixing" their deaf children's hearing (when most Deaf adults prefer Deafness).  Why do hearing people get to choose "hearingness", but Deaf people don't get to choose Deafness?  I recognize we "know" that to hear is better than to be deaf, but this is an assumption of hearing culture that is not shared in the Deaf community.  Try to see it from a new viewpoint for a minute.

Before you rail against this couple, research the wonderful "Deaf world" and perhaps you will change  your perspective about how Deafness is a deficit.

Answer 13

Hard question.

Do you know why they want a deaf child?

I don't think it is cruel necessarily, but I don't think they should go through with the process.

On one hand the child will not know what it is like to not be deaf so he or she will not miss anything.

On the other hand, the parents should accept their child for who he or she is.  If the parents are afraid that they will not be able to care properly for a non-deaf child because they are deaf, then they should consider adopting a deaf child.  

In a sense forcing their next child to be deaf would be depriving the child from his or her rights.  I don't think parents should be allowed that kind of control over their children.  Parents should care for their children, not control them.