‘Anybody home? Can I come in?’
“Being LGBT doesn’t make you less human. That is why gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights.” Famous words by Hillary Clinton in her speech on LGBT rights in 2011 before the United Nations. Having Down syndrome apparently does make you less human because worldwide health policies are introduced that result in the eradication of people with Down syndrome.
Since introducing standard prenatal screening into it’s healthcare system Denmark has experienced a 98 percent selective abortion rate when Down is detected. Iceland’s National screening program resulted in a 100 percent selective abortion rate for years in a row and in China the end of Down syndrome is predicted. Despite this shocking pattern, other countries (the UK, France, the Netherlands, etc.) are in the process of expanding prenatal genetic screening aimed at Down syndrome.
Modern screening programs more effective than Hitler’s T4 program
Comparing these statistics to Hitler’s T4 euthanasia program, shows that these countries are more successfull in wiping out specific groups of people than the Nazis ever were. While modern day screening and selection is marketed with the slogan ‘free choice’, government promoted elimination of groups of people is not a sign of freedom. On the contrary.
In the aftermath of World War II, many nations pressed for a declaration to protect the inherent humanity and dignity of all people and help prevent future atrocities. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. With the declaration, it was made clear that rights are not conferred by government; they are the birthright of all people. It does not matter what country we live in, who our leaders are, or who we are. Because we are human, we have rights. And because we have rights, governments are bound to protect them.
Some will argue that unborn babies are not humans and therefore do not have human rights. But deliberately preventing births of people within a group (one definition for genocide) negatively impacts the group and therefore their human rights. In fact the systematic eradication of one group impacts our entire society and is therefore a crime against humanity.
Selective abortion for Down syndrome is NOT healthcare
When in 1968 the World Health organization drafted their criteria for population wide screening (Wilson’s criteria), it stated, among other things that ‘the condition screened for should have an acceptable treatment for patients with the disease’. The Netherlands, among others, adopted these criteria in their population screening law (WBO) that states that screening should lead to health-benefits. Down-screening offers neither.
Some will say that Down syndrome is a disease that needs to be prevented, but that is not correct. Like LGBT, Down syndrome is a naturally occurring variation that has always been part of the human condition.....naturally occurring. Not an abnormality. Not a disorder that condones a >90% abortion rate. Furthermore, genetic screening does not pick up health problems like a heart-defect or thyroid problems that may, or may not be, the result of Down syndrome. It merely detects the presence of an extra 21st chromosome. In fact, people with Down syndrome increasingly lead longer and healthy lives and may never develop serious health issues.
The point is, we are each free to judge a LGBT life or a life with a disability, but we live in a world where governments have to protect the human rights of all. Down-screening and selective abortion are not healthcare. That is a false flag to gain public acceptance for a eugenic practice marketed as a ‘cost-reducing measure’.
Eugenics affects you too
For those who feel that screening doesn’t affect them I would like to point out the myth that the T4 program during WWII only targeted ‘severely’ disabled. In reality T4 targeted a wide range of people with ‘undesirable’ traits ranging from physically and mentally disabled to emotionally distraught and others. If society accepts the government promoted extermination of Down syndrome under the pretense of ‘freedom’, eugenics will not stop here. Others will be singled out based on their presumed ‘burden’ to society: low IQ, predisposition for mental illness or substance abuse, you?
Dutch Minister believes we should accept ‘voluntary’ government-funded genocide
In 2017 the Netherlands will make NIPT (Non Invasive Prenatal Testing) available to all Dutch pregnant women. NIPT can detect a range of chromosomal and genetic variations in the unborn child simply by testing the blood of the mother. The Dutch Health council has acknowledged that standard introduction of NIPT into healthcare will increase the uptake of screening. Members of the Dutch opposition party SGP, asked in a recent parliamentary debate, if the Minister believes the Danish and Icelandic scenario -the (near) elimination of people with Down syndrome- is ‘undesirable’ and if yes, which measures she takes to prevent this from happening in the Netherlands.
Not an unreasonable request seeing that Down-screening, (a term actually used to indicate the Dutch National screening program) reinforces negative stereotypes about disability and Down syndrome. The Minister of Health answered: “If freedom of choice results in a situation that nearly no children with Down syndrome are born, we should accept that”.
Parents take it upon themselves to educate the public on the Upside of Down via videos, books and magazines. Advocacy-projects that are literally paid for through bake-sales and sponsor-runs. Compare this to the government subsidised information on other minorities used in public education and society to prevent discrimination.
You have a choice
These are my daughters. They have Down syndrome. They cannot change who they are, nor should they have to. They do not suffer and neither do we. My daughters bring so much to the stage: they possess a zest for life that is unrivalled and they spread unconditional love every single day of their life. If we don’t stop treating Down syndrome as a ‘choice’, people with disabilities will never be treated as the inherent dignified and equal human beings that they are.
‘I don’t suffer, do you?’ ‘Hmmm, does a sunburn qualify as suffering?’
You have a choice. You can either watch this atrocity occur before your eyes, or plea the United Nations to urge countries to protect the inherent humanity and dignity of all by signing the petition Stop Discriminating Down
Renate Lindeman is the spokesperson for Downpride and representative of Saving Down syndrome. Together with Lejeune Foundation they have taken the Dutch screening policy to the UN, calling prenatal screening to enable selective abortion discriminatory.