In order to debate with compassion, empathy and humility you first must have compassion, empathy and humility. It’s becoming increasingly clear Dawkins possesses none of these qualities.
Before people started following this sort of shoddy “moral” advice, it was not uncommon to meet people with Down syndrome, many of whom were leading productive and happy lives.
Maybe it’s Dawkins who is truly suffering.
Editor’s note: At the suggestion of a commenter, the title of this post has been changed from “Richard Dawkins gets owned by parents of Down Syndrome kids [pics]” to “Richard Dawkins gets owned by parents of kids who have Down syndrome [pics].” Please read this comment from Twitchy reader Jason VanHalle:
Hey Moderator! I swear I’m not trying to be a troll or pick a fight with anyone, but those of us in the community of people with special needs really prefer “person-first” language. It’s a little thing, but putting the condition first in speech implies that it is the only characteristic of a person that is important. So we say “My daughter who has Down syndrome” and try to avoid terms like “Downs baby” and the like. We also understand that people who are well intentioned just might not see or understand the difference, and that’s fine – I would still want to tell Dawkins to gore himself to death with a rusty spork if he suggested that my “daughter with Down syndrome” didn’t deserve a chance at life.
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Related:
‘Abort it and try again’: ‘Revolting’ Richard Dawkins on unborn babies with Down syndrome
Richard Dawkins on morality of abortion: ‘Any fetus is less human than an adult pig’
