J Ho vs. The Hearing and Visually Impared

A few interesting new items have been rolling around in my head recently involving deaf and blind people. First came this report of a deaf couple trying to conceive a child. They are wanting to use scientific methods to make sure thier offspring is a deaf child. How does any civilized medical establishment even give the thought of intentionally disabling a fetus because of the parents' wishes?

Some argue that the parents have the right to make the child like the parents so the child will be able to adjust and 'fit in' with the deaf 'lifestyle'. Deaf isn't a lifestyle. Americans have a certain lifestyle that is different that a Japanese lifestyle. Terrain, culture, food, weather, location, and many more variables determine a 'lifestyle'. Homosexuality might be considered a lifestyle to some. But being deaf is a defect in the human body. It is not a choice. It is not following societal norms, dealing with what the land gives, or ancient teachings and customs thats makes a person deaf, it is a physical defect.

The child who can hear can't operate in a deaf family? Sign Language will be the child's first language. His second will be English voice. An impressionable child will have no problem handling both languages and will be able to communicate with his or her parents just as well as hearing persons. More is to be lost than gained by removing the ability to hear from a child. What if a paralyzed couple who can still concieve through in-vitro fertilization wants to make sure thier child is born without the use of it's legs? So to fit in with the parents. Would you think that is allowable? Or would you say, "It's not the same." Answer: It is the same.

Then this article came to my attention. So, now blind people want a re-designed American currency because they can't see the dollar amount. Again, the American's With Disabilities Act strikes again. Some people, including prominent disabled authors, believe that the ADA has done more to hurt than help disabled Americans. Here is a Penn & Teller "Bullshit" episode talking about this very argument: Part 1; Part 2; Part 3.

At what point can the government go, "That's enough. We've bent over backwards to give the largest disabled groups adequated access to all government buildings. You just are not going to stop. There will always be something that may not be 'disabled-friendly'."? There are things such as 'debit cards' that take the place of currency. Also, a blind person must have at least one trusted person to help with a system of handling currency. Since when does everything need to be changed to support a small population? Ever since the ADA. So Sign Language must be taught in all schools so everyone can be fair? So dumb people who can't add must be supplied a calculator by the government?

So in a few years all American currency will have braile and all the old currency will need to be removed, again; this time not to stop counterfeighting (like who would want to make more U.S. money, it's in the tank). Just increase the costs to all Americans for the very few: The American Way. Just to make sure the lawyers don't go sue-crazy.

Quoting a title from a Rolling Stones song: "You can't always get what you want." Not everybody can do everything. Deal.