This Blog considers assisted suicide/euthanasia, bioethics, human cloning, biotechnology, radical environmentalism, and the dangers of animal rights/liberation. My views expressed here, as in my books and other writings, reflect my understanding that the philosophy of human exceptionalism is the bedrock of universal human rights. Or, to put it another way: human life matters. (The opinions expressed here are my own and not necessarily those of any organization with which I am affiliated.)
The Terri Schiavo debacle did not arise in a vacuum. For years, the bioethics movement has strived to deprive some people of their moral worth, based on not yet developed or impaired cognitive capacities. The danger of such thinking is becoming crystal clear, as I demonstrate in this article in National Review Online.
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 7:51 AM
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I am a Senior Fellow in Human Rights and Bioethics at the Discovery Institute and the author of 12 books, including A Rat Is A Pig Is A Dog Is A Boy, which is relevant to the issues considered by this blog.
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4 Comments:
G. Walker's attitude explains why disability rights activists are so terrified by recent events. Once some of us can be dehumanized as worthless, there is nothing that cannot be done to them. Eugenics anyone?
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Wesley,
I am only just beginning to wake up to some of the underpinning issues of this Schiavo case. When I first got really involved I was led to seek out the Scientology connection on matters pertaining to the brain injured being non-persons. Your article regarding an exchange with Bill Allen was illuminating.
A few weeks ago I say a "debate" between this Bill Allen and one of the senators, I think it was Dr. Weldon. The body language of Bill Allen was very interesting because to me he seemed to be uncomfortable with the real issues. He of course, kept up the mantra that Terri was not cognitive etc. despite the evidence to the contrary.
On the other hand I had been in some discussion with Dr. James about what I had discovered about the case, and he alerted me to the fact that these bioethicists were producing statements that are so very chilling and dangerous.
Your article has brought out the finer points of what is wrong with bioethics, especially the kind that is favoured by Peter Singer. I had read a lot of what Peter Singer had to say on the issues of abortion, and other life matters. It always seemed to me that he had more interest in chickens being housed in a big barn that any interest that is related to human life.
If my cat and dog can communicate with me,letting me know when it is feed time, when they want to go outside, when it is time to play, and all those other forms of communication (including a woof of thanks for the morning treat) then people like Terri who have a human brain also have the means to communicate in other ways.
This makes what happened to Terri under judicial seal something that is quite dangerous to those who have mental and physical disabilities.
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