The news that Google and Autism $peaks are teaming up to make a huge genome database makes me feel like a mutant hearing that Stryker, Trask Industries, and Senator Kelly are all teaming up to create a mutant database.
How about everyone pay attention to this stuff.
It’s horrifying that they are aiming the whole program at parents who believe their children “need to be cured.” There are children whose information is going into this database with their parents’ consent but not their own. And when those children grow up they likely won’t be able to remove that information, their personal information, from that database. Also, what of all those that are being treated and sign consent forms but don’t realize exactly what that form might entail? A person may need help when living with autism and that person who needs help might not realize that that person “helping” them is actually treating them like someone who isn’t “normal,” someone who shouldn’t exist.
Not only all that, but one of Autism Speaks’ goals is ending autism by developing a prenatal test for it so that autistic people aren’t born at all. I’m pro-choice, but trying to “improve” the human race by eliminating a vulnerable population is terrifying just in principle. People just being receptive to the idea sets a horrible precedent.
Claw makes a perfect point every time she speaks.
Also, if you watched and enjoy X-Men and can empathize with the characters and what is happening to them look at this, IN REAL LIFE, and see that it is the very same situation. This is an issue that needs to be confronted NOW.
It should not be forgotten that screening has been used to selectively abort fetuses with Down syndrome for years now.
This. People who are all “how is this bad???” seem to be willfully ignoring not only the huge history of Autism Speaks harming autistic people, but the entire historical precedent that has been set which have valued disabled existences as inherently Lesser, and therefore disposable.
And people who burble and chirp about how no bad could come of it because they’ll respect privacy and consent 1.) don’t understand coercive power dynamics between the medical field and the disabled and vulnerable, especially those who have their guardians/caretakers/parents making the decisions for them and 2.) need to read the story of Henrietta Lacks.
This is awful. Does anyone know if there is a petition against this, yet?