Hi,
Let's look at other movements-the people in their respective movements
decided what was right for them-others didn't decided and/or develop
their agenda.
Why should we act differently?
Phylllis Rubenfeld
On Mon, 30 Aug 1999, Stephen N. Drake wrote:
> On Mon, 30 Aug 1999, John Homan wrote:
>
> > Good morning all,
> >
> > Who is Stephen Drake? The synopsis of what Peter Singer believes and says,
> > and the following critique, were obviously not written by Peter, nor
> > authenticated by him for that matter. We need to know who Stephen is if he
> > is the author, so we can do some 'bias-weighting'. Most bias is in choice of
> > selection, and hence omission.
>
> The question of who I am is a fair one. Thank you for asking.
>
> I'm a PWD - a survivor of attempts by the doctor who delivered me to
> convince my parents it would be best if I was left in a corner of the
> nursery to die. According to him, the brain damage I had would prohibit
> me from leading any kind of meaningful existence.
>
> For over 13 years, I was a worker in a system that is allegedly meant to
> support people with developmental disabilities. Of course, anyone who has
> been around "services" for people with DD for more than an administrative
> walk-through, it's pretty obvious that most "services" in this country are
> more about "control" than "support".
>
> Since 1990, when I started my masters degree in "special" ed, I have
> managed to get involved in a number of highly volatile topics and debates.
> I have the privilege of getting hostile mail from a wide spectrum of
> people: the founder of the Canadian Right to Die Society, some people with
> strong "right to life" views, the inventor of a device designed to deliver
> painful electric shocks to kids to control their behavior, parents who
> have placed kids in facilities where electric shock and food deprivation
> are called "treatment", the head of a major advocacy organization for
> people with hydrocephalus, a parent whose main mission in life is to get
> the right to kill her disabled daughter, and others.
>
> When not actively pissing people off, I work in research and activism.
> I've been following different aspects of the pro-euthanasia movement for
> over 5 years now. Singer represents one of the radical edges of that
> movement.
>
> Having said all that, let me ask a couple of questions:
>
> Do you think a summary by Singer would be free of bias? Or might he
> tailor the nuances to specific audiences?
>
> Who do you think has the authority to make critiques of arguments for
> major public policy changes with respect to who lives and who dies?
> You've asked -- and I've answered -- who I am. Who are you asking me to
> be?
>
> > Do not read into this that I am a Singer fan. Read into it an attempt to
> > bring clarity, transparency and accountability into the discussion.
>
> The texts the fact sheet was based on were:
>
> Rethinking Life and Death -- which is concerned almost exclusively with
> when it is permissible to kill PWDs
>
> Practical Ethics -- which puts that discussion in the context of Singer's
> larger thouight
>
> Should the Baby Live (with Helga Kuhse) -- to a lesser extent because it
> is older and Singer's thought has evolved.
>
> With respect to clarity, transparency, and accountability, I'd urge you to
> work your way carefully through those books. They are not good
> leisure-reading, but it is well worth knowing what is being advocated.
>
> Stephen Drake
> The bell-shaped curve would be good for sledding on.
>
>
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