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I think I generally agree, but how do you feel about extremes? Like, if you could genetically engineer humanity so nobody ever had a cluster headache ever again, would you?

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I don't think we know enough about the human genome and how it works, or human neurology, to safely say yes to this. Also this is really comparing apples and oranges. Autism is inherent to who we are as people on multiple levels...

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To my knowledge, people with debilitating headaches don't generally feel the same way, but I would really defer to them about what kinds of treatment options they feel are most needed, since I don't have that experience.

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In general, I don't feel we should be making these decisions for other people when we can help it. Bodily autonomy is a human right.

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(Sometimes you can't. Sometimes small children need lifesaving medical decisions made for them by parents or guardians. But when we can help it, I think we should refrain from hijacking the life choices of others.)

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Yeah this is why I was careful to say "future people" instead of existing people. That way it's simply just... Not having them exist on the first place instead of actively violating bodily autonomy.

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I am not interested in a future of humanity that does not include people like me. That IS a statement on the lives and value of currently existing autistic people. "YOU'RE okay, but no more people like you in the future, mkay?" No.

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And maybe it's easy, I guess, for people on the outside of this issue to imagine "pushing a button" and no harm to existing people, right? Wrong.

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Making decisions about who just shouldn't exist has always involved the most intimate violation of bodily autonomy. pbs.org/wgbh/americane

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You can't actually accomplish it without seizing profound control over people's life and reproductive choices, in the real world in which we live.

Aella

@Aella_Girl

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@epballou

Yeah I mean, I agree. That's why I'm talking about a magic button. If I asked the question framed as passing a law for genetic screening and then forced early term abortion or something similar, I bet your ass everyone would answer differently.

5:57 PM · Apr 13, 2020

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But there's no magic button. There will not ever be a magic button. It is inviting people to ignore what the actual, real-world consequences to real people are of the belief that autistic people should not exist.

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