Paddy Ladd email: UK bill to outlaw embryos with the Deaf gene.

Posted on November 25, 2007

Paddy Ladd granted me his permission to reprint his email for a call to arms to fight a bill currently going through the rounds in the UK.  Grumpy Old Deafies first broke the news about the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.  The bill as it currently stands is if a couple has an embryo that is found to be a carrier of the deaf gene, they will not be able conceive with the embryo, and will be forced to find another embryo that is not known to have any “abnormality”.

To my knowledge, this may represent the first genetics-based assault upon the Deaf. This bill smacks of eugenics in the name of improving the human race by hearing people deciding what makes up a normal human being.  Who is to say that being deaf is an abnormality?  If they (the hearing) saw how there is absolutely no barriers for the Deaf when sign language is used and we can have normal lives, this bill to outlaw the deaf gene is not necessary at all.  Do you see the majority of Deaf people running off to the nearest hospital to get an cochlear implant?  They don’t and there is a reason for that- we don’t find it necessary to function in the world.  This viewpoint of life should be respected by the Hearing establishment and not be interfered upon by bills such as this one.

If this bill passes in the UK, you can bet that there will be similar one that will be proposed in America within a few years.  It would be great if many people of the American Deaf community, including all organizations such as NAD, Deaf-based Agencies, State and Alumni Associations all show our support to the British Deaf as they face down this bill being pushed forward by the unthinking politicians/scientists.   They should not be alone in this.

We should stand behind them now because before you know it, we will be seeing the same thing on our own soil.

——– Paddy Ladd email ——————
Dear People,

Please forward this to everybody you know, and read the blog also. [link is above]

This is a very serious situation that no-one seems {again} to have been paying attention to.

Clearly serious lobbying needs to be established fast, and this is where hearing allies can have a specially important role, especially in contacting any relevant politicians/media allies. Ideally, letters from as many organisations and individuals as can be mustered, sent to whichever Lords are in a position to act on this, would be the minimum act of lobbying.

It also needs rapid intervention by the BDA, the EUD, the WFD, Deaf Studies personnel, national and *international*, and soon. I do not have email addresses for many of these.

It is also important to know what such organisations as RNID, UKCOD, NDCS and CACDP are doing to lobby against [or even for !] this amendment, and if the latter, to work to change this.

There also needs be a central person/group for these responses to be focused around. Sorry that can’t be me as I am overwhelmed with stuff already.

Thanks,
PL

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  • DE

    Jared, you are doing every Deaf people a favor by blogging this. One teeny request- can you do a vlog on this????

    I’m just so tired of the daily assault and abuse upon Deaf babies and people. They’d do away with us in an instant, given the chance. We give so much to the world— Paddy says Sign Language is a gift to hearing people. Wiping us out would rob them of that opportunity.

    Guess this is a low point, but we shall perserve and prevail.

    DE

  • http://profile.typekey.com/jarednevans/ Jared Evans

    I would create a vlog if I had the time :-) Hopefully, there will be others who are able to create vlogs on this urgent issue.

  • Julie F.

    No offense… but I think that using the deaf-can-do-anything argument could kind of backfire — not that many people outside our community would be really able to relate. Instead, we should focus on the bigger picture — namely how destroying embryos is just another form of killing. That argument would have much more widespread appeal among diverse members of our entire population. And it would probably pick up more speed in the media. Some may be offended that I suggest this, but keep in mind that it doesn’t matter what strategy you use, as long as you get the win that you want.

  • http://www.xanga.com/dianrez Dianrez

    It would not be useful to protest specifically the killing of embryos thought to carry the deafness gene…but to protest killing of ALL embryos.

    Advocating the destruction of embryos thought to be defective, and prohibiting women from carrying embryos that might (or might not) be carrying any one of several specific genes, is starting a slippery slope that could lead to acceptance of destruction of higher forms of human life.

  • BSL

    OK I fully agree with your sayings but if we want equal we have to give up DLA, DSA, free bus pass, DWA, ICA and other benefits???
    I am fed up poor deaf want seen as poor deaf pitifuls mean hearing look down on us!
    Equal mean we proud deaf culture and BSL and look hearing straight in eye and not ask benefit but rights OK?

  • drmzz

    Oh for goodness sake, they cannot play God. It’s like.. the world is ill cuz of Deaf people. Not!

  • http://xanga.com/barinthus Barinthus

    Wow that’s shocking! Yes, we Americans cannot stand idly. We need to find ways we can help our Brit friends.

    Curious, have Human Rights people made any comments? Or they think it’s perfectly ok?

    Disgusting!

  • Jean Boutcher

    Again?! It was the very same Great Britain who inroduced the USA’s eugenics to Hitler to wipe away deaf people during between 1930s and the World War II. I actually thought that the world had learned the lesson and recited, “Never Again.”

  • http://www.joeybaer.com Joey Baer

    Jared – Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention. We MUST continue to share those kind of information with each other to keep ourselves alerted. The more alert we become, the more active we will become.

    I concur with DE, do a vlog on this, Jared!

  • shocked

    I remember watching a program about this pre-implantation genetic diagnosis coming into use for preventing babies being born with syndromes. (was it 60 Minutes or 20/20?) They already do this to select gender.

    I did wonder if it would affect deafness as most babies are born to the hearing. kinda scary…would they screen for higher IQs?! Where will it end? Health care and insurance coverages is now more focused on preventation.

  • Anon

    Look…I believe we would have a right to object to this kind of decision only if there weren’t so many of us who receive monthly SSI checks. In addition, there are too many of us who cannot read nor write English. The school system has been failing the deaf community.

    Look at this from their point of view – they are simply trying to do us a favor by ensuring that babies don’t have to suffer the way we suffered (ability to get jobs and etc). FYI – I’m deaf and ASL is my primary language.

  • Anon

    I wish I didn’t hit “post” too soon. One more thing – please don’t get me wrong, I am not trying to criticize your position on this issue. It is just (sadly) inevitable. I am reminded (daily – day in and out) of my disability at my job. I depend heavily on the use of a sign language interpreter. Only if I could hear – I would be able to do more things, such as answering phones and dealing with clients on my own instead of having to cross my fingers in hopes that the sign language interpreter shows up on time.

  • Hmm, no name?

    To Anon 7:20am ~

    Then you ought to be removed? You wish you were to hear something for the job’s sake or for the hearing world’s sake, right? Then you be removed, because you are not necessary. How about that?

  • Chriz

    Jared-

    I agree that we need to mobilize and help the British Deaf fight back! Hopefully all Deaf worldwide will UNITE. You are right, if it passes in the United Kingdom, then it will no doubt be passed in other countries. To the people who think they are doing us “a favor” with this bill, we have to clearly and vividly tell them that we are a proud community and WE HAVE A HUMAN RIGHT TO EXIST!

    Is it possible for you to find out from Paddy Ladd or Grumpty Old Deafies or their “central person” where we should send letters to? What address, names of people? Names of media reporters, etc? Also, when is deadline for them to discuss or vote on bill? This information could be posted and will help organizations or individuals respond.

    Yes, agree with DE… VLOG pls!

    -Chriz

  • http://www.xanga.com/dianrez Dianrez

    To Anon:
    You are personifying the Hearing attitude toward Deaf people and are validating it in accepting it.

    Would you, if as a Jew, agree with Hitler in exterminating your people because you feel Jews get an unfair shake in life?

    You need an attitude change in your “if only” outlook. Each of us, once concieved, has a right to exist and make the most of our lives.

  • DT

    Jared, I was thinking that since this is such a crucial and sensitive topic, maybe Deafread, along with the assistance of the DR Editors could come up with several samples of e-mails that could be sent to these identified Lords in the UK Parliament, samples that are professionally written and would stand a chance to be read by these people. This tack, IMO, would be much more effective than the sending of well-meaning but too emotional e-mails protesting this.

    So do you think you and your editors could help frame some sample letters?

  • Anon

    To Hmm, no name? and Dianrez:

    As I stated earlier that I do not wish to criticize your position on the issue. I completely understand why we should object to this type of procedure.

    You really didn’t have to bring up the “religion” example. If you want to go there, then how about abortion? There are people who support the right to choose. Do we really have the right to decide the fate of our eggs? I am 100 percent certain you already have had it done or know someone who had it done. This is a gray area.

    Anyway, the reason I left my comments on Jared’s blog is because I don’t see a reason why we shouldn’t go into this direction. The deaf community is growing smaller by the minute, what with more deaf children getting “CI’ed” and mainstreaming in hearing schools.

    All we can do as a deaf community – is to continue on fighting to make it easier for the others to exist in the meantime (rights, equal access to education, job opportunities, better/qualified interpreters, captioned movies, etc).

    This is really inevitable. If not this particular procedure, there will always be something else.

    As there are millions and millions of hearing people who will not care what we think. In their eyes, we are disabled. In our eyes, we have a culture. There is no right or wrong.

    In addition, several of my friends cannot find jobs because they are deaf, even though they have already attained their Master’s Degrees in various fields.

    If you feel offended by what I said, I truly apologize. This is just how I feel. I am not trying to change your mind or anything. I am speaking from my experience as a deaf person in a hearing work place. I wish I could do more for the people I work with. I am also hindered from the chances of moving up the ladder because of my deafness. There is nothing I can do about it, except to stay positive and make the best out of it.

  • DT

    Jared, I did not write the comment immediately above; I wrote the one above it and it has Dianarez’s name on it instead of mine (DT)….the one that begins with “Jared, I was thinking that since this is such a crucial and sensitive……….”.

  • Hmm, no name?

    To anonymous,

    you are scaring me. I understand your frustation of not able to move up due to your deafness. I have been there. I even got entrapped because of my deafness. Not much choices for me here too for my master degree, really. What can I do about it?? I find a way to fight against those so-called hearing supremacies, and I need this for my sake. I am forunate that I do not work for any company meanwhile.

    Okay, so, “if only” is not healthy, really. It surely pulls you down. Discard those wishy thoughts, and focus what you can do for yourself. Think positively.

    Umm, for example, this guy, Jon Savage won’t let his deafness prevail his career, that he ended up working as temporary manager which became permanant, because his supervisor was impressed, and did not even bother to find a replacement for the manager position.

  • http://www.VeeSee.co.uk Susie Gratn

    Hi, If Paddy Ladd and Jared the global microband-builder would like to do me a video-story explaining about the Bill and its implications, VeeSeeTV would be happy to put this as a news item on its website and it in next News Programme on Digital and SKY Satellite TV. Best wishes, Susie Grant (susie@deafeatures.co.uk)

  • http://vlog.gwallgofi.com JGJones

    Susie Grant – this is a serious issue…not an “opportunity” to make money out of it – let’s face it, your site – VeeSeeTV is all about making money by charging people to see content.

    I’ll frankly prefer this to be spread as widely as possible – for free. Thus I’m perfectly happy to host all videos connected to this event off my own site – it doesn’t need to be on my own website – can be on theirs, no linking required or anything else and there will be no charges for this.

    I’ll cover all bandwidth cost myself because I believe such important information should be free to all to ensure as many as people hear about this as possible instead of turning it into a money-making opportunity.

    (I should also point out that my low opinion of Susie Grant is due to her very own comments from here… http://www.alisonbryan.com/thoughts/2007/04/veesee.html#comment-6122 Threats as an interpreter against a Deaf person is a big no no in my book)

  • thansen

    Thanks also to Paddy and Jared for bringing this up. My strong reaction to the story is that the State (the government of the United Kingdom in this case) should not have the power to make this decision. But you know, it is not just about the deaf gene. This goes way past the Deaf. It it is in fact a time bomb for the whole world.

    The most obvious case is the male-female birth sex ratio in Southern China. It is now above 1.3-1, in spite of the fact that choosing the sex of your child is strictly illegal in China. (If you don’t think this is serious consider being a boy in South China 17 years from now trying to get a date!)

    The question of whether the State, or indeed anyone else, should influence the conception or implantation of a “deaf embryo” is just one tip of a many sided iceberg which should be leading to a huge debate. This is all the more reason to carry on and pressure people to look at the view from the Deaf Community. It can perhaps lead in getting people to take this whole issue more seriously.