Should mentally-challenged people be sterilized?

â€¡ Bay Of Plenty â€¡

No but if they have kids, they should give it up for adoption, no questions ask. They shouldn't keep it but nor should they be sterilized.

Warren C.

I would expand on the sterilizing to include many more groups of people. What this country needs is A Veterinarian General !

Yarr

A lot of people out there should be sterilized but sometimes it is difficult to tell if someone is mentally disabled past the point of being able to care for a kid or just plain stupid. Honestly in both those cases neither should reproduce but it would be morally wrong to sterilize stupid people just because they are stupid. After all someone has to do the crappy jobs that folks of at least minimal intelligence would avoid. On the other hand, the number of 'oopsie' babies would probably drastically decline. Meh it is a toss up.

On the other hand it would help our overpopulation problem. Ironically poor people typically have more children than people who can probably afford them. I mean, the poor can't afford to do much else besides pop out babies because there is welfare for children but there is no such thing as welfare for people who want to travel (since reproduction is a right and traveling is a privilege).

On a lighter (and very random--because this just popped into my head): Mentally defunct people reproducing = leaving a floater in the metaphorical gene pool haha.

Arthur

Its the only kind thing you can do for them. Also cystic fibrosis people as well and I am NOT a Nazi

Barbie

I don't think they should be steralized, but if their disability has a strong enough negative effect on their ability to parent, then their kid should be put up for adoption. This is a good question. You should ask it in the people with disabilities section.

cricketlady

No, I don't think so. 99% of the children in CPS have not Been removed for this reason---or at least the parents don't have that diagnosis.

Crystal

I know a couple who have down syndrome and they have a 4 year old and a baby. They are somewhat capable of looking after the children otherwise the kids would have been taken away by now.

It all depends on the severity of their condition and how these disabled people are brought up (learning etc)
I personally think that some shouldn't have children because they are children themselves in a sense but then that would cross over should teens be having kids as they too are kids themselves.
it's a touchy subject.

Dogs are the kindest creatures

No but if they have kids they need to have a reliable family member/caregiver to help with that child.

(I knew a situation like that. the little girl turned out perfectly normal and Grandma raised her and continued to care for her mother. The girl just said that her Grandmother was more of her mother and her mom was more like a sister)

Partyplanner21

Who are we to say that because someone is mentally challenged, they shouldn't be allowed the same ability to bear children that we enjoy? If a competancy evaluation judges them able to care for their own needs, hold down jobs, and maintain relationships, then by all means--yes, they should be able to! Our society allows child molesters, murderers, rapists, abusers, and all manner of those unfit and unworthy bear children; by that comparison, I'd say most of the mentally challenged population is vastly more fit to be parents than those we consider "normal."

Jess

Yes. Give them steroids too.

Serenity71

I have known of this to be done because a couple married and they had no means physically. (nothing to do with money.) Of raising a child.

Its a very hard call, one I'm not sure I would want to make if asked when it cames to my cousin, but the thing is I have a cousin who is diabled to point she can't look after herself she never has been able to look after her own needs, there is no way she could ever raise a baby even though she technically could have one. Her mother would have had to do it. and she isn't very well, she has terminal cancer. So I would say the decision should at least fall to next of kin, the one who would be left with the responsibity of raising the child, it affects their life too. It would have to severe disabilites with no cure or way out. And there are certain conditions that even though they're not good, a person can still raise a child. (Epliepsy being one of them.) I'm referring to conditions that cannot be controlled or medicated and are on the extreme end of the list.

I know of people with disabities that do fine with raising a child, so I'm not all for it being forced thats for sure... too many grey area's.

Only a person faced with those choices would truly understand how hard it would be make that call.

MamaKate is an Aunt!

I agree with Botz. The very idea makes me feel ill. Eugenics (let's not be coy - that is what we are talking about.) is a gross violation of human rights. It never ceases to amaze me what people think of to do to others. Eugenics has been part and parcel with some of the worst events in human history. It is on par with genocide.

I find it sad that people prefer to play mad scientist dictators with people's lives rather than be supportive and compassionate communities.

"A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members."
~ Mahatma Ghandi

ETA: Wow! I guess soon we'll be discussing sterilizing people who make less than $20k/year, people who are overweight, people who have less than post grad education, people who MIGHT develop health issues. How far is it from "mentally disabled" to "physically disabled" to "socially disabled"? Who decides what is "undesirable"? Where do you draw the line? Personally, I think purposefully ignorant bigots should be sterilized first.

No one parents without any assistance and support. Everyone has help; be it public schooling, family babysitting or even just friends keeping them sane. Many adoptive parents wouldn't be parents at all without "help". Why should mentally challenged people be any different?

There is a system in place in the event that someone proves to an incompetent parent, whether they are mentally challenged or not.

Some mentally challenged people are WONDERFUL parents. There are also programs expressly for helping mentally challenged people parent.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/Mentally-Challenged-Single-Mom-Raises-Gifted-Daughter-62339552.html
http://www.post-gazette.com/magazine/19981118espirit1.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americans_with_Disabilities_Act

Lady Rowan

no they should not be sterilized. It's a violation of the most basic human right, to procreate. Where would it stop!

Pretentia

I am going to invite a million thumbs down here and play the devil's advocate. Lets say we are talking only about people who are unfit to parent - that is unable to look after themselves safely let alone be responsible for another life. Assuming the child would be ultimately removed from the home, breaking the mother/infant bond - isn't it better, from the perspective of the' primal wound' folks that they never be born at all?

I don't think that people should be sterilized, but I also think that not everyone should have kids. If we had a 100% side effect free, 100% easily reversible in case of scientific advances that could offset the disability method, then I would say a tentative yes - as long as we had also managed to find a way to do it without class or race profiling, and had the resources and technology and training to judge on a case by case basis. The real issue, as people have mentioned, is that its a slippery slope. What defines mentally-challenged? Is someone with a history of emotional issues at the same risk? What about those who we deem too poor? As human beings, we just aren't.... good enough to make this kind of call for other human beings. I am not comfortable making this kind of choice for other people because I sure don't want the majority making my choices for me. Mind you, that doesn't stop me from being uncomfortable with the idea of some people having kids - the severely mentally challenged, members of hate groups, people who have a kid to save a relationship instead of thinking through how much work a kid is....

BOTZ

Absolutely not! That's gross -- and I don't mean 'icky' I mean 'so wrong it makes me sick'.
People with disabilities are PEOPLE -- not... well, not anything else. *sigh*

Can I hazard a guess that the person who asked you that (so nonchalantly, it would seem) is over... um, at least 50 years old or so? That's something my APs would think was perfectly acceptable... probably even preferable. UGH! My a-mother had a sister who was severely mentally-challenged and she was sterilized when she was 14 (which was in 1938). She died at age 22.

My a-parents have a long history of favoring 'separation' from (in various forms) anyone who is 'different' in a way that makes them 'undesirable' (as defined by my APs themselves). It's really quite disturbing. I could give you 30+ examples. Thank gawd for NATURE, or I might have ended up just as cold and bigoted as they are.

Just because it has already come up in other answers here, I also don't think that a mentally-challenged person's/couple's child/ren should be apprehended just as a matter of course. There are plenty of people who are not 'naturally' equipped to parent (were not parented well, or at all, themselves; substance abuse problems; etc.) and they are given time, opportunity and support (in many forms) to learn how to be a successful parent -- why should it be any different for a person whose challenge is a mental one?

Yes, children must be protected. Yes, parents have rights -- even 'challenged' parents (whether mentally or in some other way). There is a fine line to be walked and it serves nobody's best interest to make blanket statements or policies that err on one side or the other.

Take care!

AnnaBelle

No. I agree with others who mentioned the "slippery slope" argument. Mandating fertility could be disastrous in the wrong hands, so we need to guard against serious human rights abuses.

It's difficult, though, because in situations where children are being affected (I can relate), there is a feeling of helplessness and frustration at the whole situation.

ETA: @Yarr: Your answer is disgusting and horrible. Just thought you should know if you didn't already.

Wannabe Swan

No, it's a human rights issue.

But, as another answerer said, the men who take advantage over metally challenged people should. It is unfair.

Erin L

No, I don't. Anyway, an adult with the intelligence of a 12 year old isn't helpless. The average adult reads at an 8th grade level. A person not severely mentally retarded may WANT to have an adult relationship and have children in that relationship, and they may be perfectly able to, and why shouldn't they be allowed to?
.

Bookwarm

There is an historic precedent to this. It was ruled legal in buck vs. Bell to sterilize the mentally disabled in America and many perfectly able minded people were sterilized against their will and knowledge. Generally I don't think we should ever force sterilization or birth control on a person, whether the justification is mental illness, youth, or lack of money(there are a few people who call for forcing birth control on teenagers and those on welfare). The only exception I could find would be a child/adult who is truly never going to pass the mental level of a very young child, and action is taken to stop menses, witch would of course sterilize her as well.

Walter Ford II

I think the men taking advantage of her & getting her pregnant should be sterilized.

I'm a guy and will acknowledge that women get the blame and short end of the stick when it comes this issue.

Some guys just zip up and walk away from responsibility. Its odd that its socially & legally acceptable.

Randy B

I think Canada is still paying out money for damages after having tried this back in the 50s or so. Didn't work then and was found by the Courts to be wrong so something tells me now that it still wouldn't work and would still be wrong (legally and morally).

Wellspring

Absolutely not !
Forced sterilization has already been tried and a shameful part of history. Twenty seven states had laws that involuntary sterilized over 60,000 citizens who were deemed "unfit". The list included; epileptics, diseased, blind, deaf, deformed, mentally-challenged, criminalistic, inebriated, feeble-minded, orphans, unmarried mothers, the homeless, and paupers. If Hitler hadn't adopted Virginia's sterilization law, and World War II, Eugenicists would have continued to add other groups to their list.
Not only is the mere suggestion of forced sterilization repugnant but the idea that anyone thinks they can decide who's fit and who's unfit is a scary path to tread - who should decide and who might be next on that list.

Sam

No...that's just wrong.

Opedial

I am going to say no. As with all of my choice type answers, I believe that any policy such as this is a human rights issue which leads itself to the "slippery slope" argument. One day it will be someone who functions as a 12-year old, but then someone might deem someone who has depression unfit, then the next person deems someone carrying genetic issues etc. etc. Some have suggested mandatory sterilization for women in Africa to help the population and AIDs crisis. So I would be scared where this would go.

In the end, we can't controld reproduction on anyone, including those mentally-challenged. We can still work on prevention, etc. We can maybe set up homes that if they do get pregnant, the children can live with their mom but get support, or at least live near the mom.

Thanks for the question.

yoyosissy

As a step-parent of a mentally retarded female. I agree with sterilization. Even though we love her, It is not fair to the family of that person to have to carry the burden of a child born from thier inability to realize they are not mentally equipped to care for a baby. having said that, I also would like to state that the post made from Yarr is highly offensive by using the term stupid people to describe the mentally challenged. Although I do agree with the word stupid does cover the majority of people poping out babies in order to benefit from the welfare system.

Danny

i think yes, people who are mentally challenged should have to get sterilised. i am a mentally challenged and i got sterilised when i was 20 years old. i had my parents get me sterilised since i know i'm not capable of raising children myself.

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