Assuming I understand your point and that these suicide bombers had a
developmental disability, of course such people do also have "misguided
passions." It is quite something else to suggest that it is
discrimination to therefore "disallow that disabled people can break
laws, be extremists, commit acts of terror." In many civilised justice
systems there _is_ an allowance for actions committed under some kind of
mental incapacity or lack of full capacity and therefore being less able
to make reasonable decisions for oneself, resulting in diminished
culpability. The extension of what you appear to be saying Michelle, is
that such people should feel the force of the law equally to anyone else
- some kind of "inclusion?" A civilised society treads a careful balance
between supporting and guiding people with impaired capacity and
allowing them to make certain decisions for themselves. Allowing them a
right to equally engage in breaking laws, including acts of brutality is
ultimate neglect of their welfare.
It is another leap to make from this use of mentally impaired people to
discrimination of all disabled people, in the way you suggest, because
many people with disabilities have no mental impairment.
It is, I think highly likely that some people with impaired capacity
have been manipulated to be suicide bombers at different times, given
the low social value that is attached to people with disabilities
everywhere, perhaps in particular in a country where it seems the
fittest only survive. And, yes, Larry, economic rationales have a long
history in the abuse of people with disabilities - your example is quite
plausible.
Cheers
Erik Leipoldt
Michele Taylor wrote:
> I'm a little concerned, too, by the reactions which all (as far as I
> can tell) assume that if the women were, indeed, learning disabled
> then they were being used against their will or knowledge. Is it not
> possible for learning disabled people to have such misguided passion,
> too? Is it not a discriminatory attitude if we disallow that disabled
> people can break laws, be extremists, commit acts of terror?
>
> Michele
>
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