Your early morning call

WAKE UP AMERICA !

I've just read two blogs on the embryology issues in the UK, where HAVE you been ? This is OLD news, yesterday the first part of the embryology Bill went through our parliament (All in Favour ? ... Moooo !)....more parts of the BILL are being voted on today re abortion.

For those that were obviously out of town at the time, here is the repeat from the first time I blogged the interview, the first time it was aired on deaf.read.



Basically it is about the right under IVF, for deaf people to be able to choose a deaf embryo ID'd against that of an alternative hearing embryo if I'd. The state says the hearing embryo should be preferred option, but COERCION is not in the Bill, and so far no deaf couple undergoing IVF have expressed a view. The couple on the video are NOT in the IVF program, but have clearly stated they do not want a hearing child IF they undertake IVF, but a deaf one. There is no presentation from them to undertake IVF. Given their view, it is highly unlikely they would get accepted for state provision.

Natural selection means they would get no guarantee of a deaf child, so curiously have demanded a right to USE genetic manipulation to select a deaf child while still opposing the concept as discriminatory against deaf culture.. The IDC (British), campaign has marched already and a petition is online to our Prime Minister, however the voting on the Bill will be OVER before the petition time to sign to, is up ! So far it has managed just a few hundred signatures only, the first 200 of which are ignored.

The whole issue is about IVF, it does in no way effect choices otherwise, the UK sponsors of the Bill blamed American deaf lesbians for setting 'designer deaf children' precedent, by using known genetically deaf donors, to get a deaf child, the bill was thus worded to prevent UK deaf trying to do the same with IVF, since the guide to IVF help for pregnant women is for prospective babies to be disability/serious medical issues free when, wherever possible, they declared the deaf gene a serious medical issue..

Deaf responded by declaring deafness is NOT an issue, there has not been widespread agreement on this aspect, either by hearing, or, by the deaf themselves, with serious division taking place between acquired and born deaf who appear at loggerheads over the issue. Acquired deaf people, Hard of Hearing and hearing parents seem unanimous in stating they want the choice if it exists for a child to NOT be deaf. As this issue can ONLY be addressed by parents, it is highly unlikely anyone will take note of cultural objections.

There are claims the deaf campaign has managed to get the wording changed that deafness is not a 'Serious condition' it remains to be seen if this will have any effect on the voting outcome...

THE VIEW:

"Opponents had said it was wrong to use fertility treatment to create children as a means to an end for others."