Hitler believed in eugenics and therefore instituted the euthanasia policy that led to the deaths of thousands of people with disabilities, and also the attempted elimination of people of the Jewish race. Millions of people died in Nazi Germany due to the instigation of the eugenic philosophy.Most people agree that we should never return to that dark time in human history. Yet, today we have the new promotion of eugenics, except that it is now wrapped in a new package.
An article from the BBC News explains how a fertility clinic is now charging a special fee to select the traits that parents prefer for their children.
The clinic does not guarantee perfect success all the time, but their techniques improve the chances of parents designing their baby.
Link to the article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7918296.stm
Wesley Smith has produced an excellent commentary on this story that can be found at:http://www.wesleyjsmith.com/blog/2009/03/new-eugenics-selecting-embryos-for-eye.html
The concept of Eugenics is like a pandora's box. Everyone dreams of the perfect child and scientists seem to be striving to eliminate the imperfect human genes. But what will this mean for people born with disabilities or other imperfections? Will these people be viewed as less than human? Will we decide to euthanize people with disabilities to save them from their "suffering?"
I am not suggesting that this represents a slippery slope, I am telling you that we have slipped down the slope and we are now looking up at our inhumane decisions.
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