http://www.mrbrown.com/blog/2007/03/prescreen_your_.html#comments
A certain "John Smith" commented that parents who knew their unborn child have defects should not expect subsidy or special aid if they choose to go ahead and have the child.
A whole lot of arguments this provoked, on attitudes and treatments towards the handicapped.
On the economic side alone: what is a subsidy supposed to be in the first place?
Why do governments give subsidies? It is meant as an aid, not an investment to expect returns from.
And with some pride I say, Singapore is one government that can afford to give more financial aid.
How many governments can do that? The major economies like US and UK got huge debts. Fortunately they got huge economies to help them sustain.
France recently passed a bill to make housing a "right". I believe they are still trying to figure out how to pay for it.
It is frightening and getting worst. It reminds me of the movie "Gattaca (1997)". Abort the defective and breed the designer kids. If we truly do that, I hate to think how many brilliant, but physically challenged people would be taken out of humanity.
ReplyDeleteWho are we to determine the life of a child, special or not? We are merely caretakers of the children that are given to us. Are we so big headed to think that we should play God?
Yes, I know that it is painful to have a special needs child. Some parents I meet are still reeling from the pain and reality. Aids and help are a reflection of our humanity. We are caring human beings, and therefore we give and help. If every special needs child is viewed as a burden to the society, then, is the human race losing the sense of being human?
I should say it all depends on the parents financial situation.If the parents decide to give birth to a special child, both of them must be mentally prepared to think of the future consequences---will it be a burden to the society if both of them cannot afford to raise this child after they die? I think the question here is 'responsibility' towards the society. How much money can the governments gave that is considered enough ? Special child are not financially independent, what if our economies failed to pick up?
ReplyDeleteIf the parents decide to give birth to this special child, they must be mentally prepared to take care of this child up to their death. But the question here, how many parents can live longer than their child? And besides once the parents get old, all kind of sickness will automatically fall onto them, by that time who will look after this old couple if they've spent all their money on this special child? Do remember that our medical fees and materials goods are raising up yearly, and if their salaries cannot balance with the needs of the basic living, they can either end up quarrelling, having emotional stress or depression.
I should say don't gave birth to a special child if both parents are not mentally prepared because once you gave birth, you can't shed your responsbility.
Yes, parents should certainly consider their ability to care for the child, they'll need a lot of financial, emotional and physical resources on this.
ReplyDeleteThat is why I would not condemn parents who do decide to abort.
However, that should be their own personal choice, not something which any external party should encourage them to, either verbally, or through withholding government aid.
And yes, we must not take it for granted that the public coffers can always provide for them.
But in the first place, it is not like the people with congenital birth defects cannot support themselves. For most conditions, they can, with the proper training.
Fundamentally, it is a matter of attitude. I see a lot of able-bodied people preferring to remain idle even in Singapore rather than work. I made a promise that even if the only job I could get is a menial labourer or cleaner, I will work to support myself and my family.
If the government cannot afford to provide subsidy, I got nothing to say.
But it does not apply at this time to Singapore.
Besides, most of these money is geared towards making special children more independent.
The better these special children are able to care for themselves, the better educated (I hope) society will be towards them.
Special child should be trained independent and people would naturally accept them. Social stigma is another unsolved old issues. And not many parents, especially those who live in high society can accept the fact that they have a 'special child'., the very simple reason is this 'special child' can affect their status and also a face-saving issue.
ReplyDeleteI just happened to watch this TV documentary show title "against all odds" with my son Benjamin yesterday evening.
ReplyDeleteThis lady was handicapped (on wheel chair) since young. She was raised by her grandmother until her granny passed away. At first she couldnt cope with living alone, then with the help of social workers and church friends, she finally found a new interest - painting. (She could only use her right hand). Not only she was good and won many medals and prizes for her paintings, she also helped raised funds for the needys. It was very heartwarming and I told my son that if she, a handicapped person can live the way she wants against all odds, he can do it. I can do it, as long as we try and work hard enough. We can all do it.
But, I reminded Ben, go the right path, do the right things.
I saw a handicapped mother on tv ( short arms & very small hands ) changing diapers, carry the baby with her mouth ( the baby was wrapped in a cloth ), preparing milk and later feeding the baby by placing the spoon on her mouth, then changed the baby's clothes ..... she's so independent! I really admire her.
ReplyDelete>>Yes, parents should certainly consider their ability to care for the child, they'll need a lot of financial, emotional and physical resources on this.
ReplyDeleteI have a younger cousin who has Down's syndrome and I watched her grow up and was around for the pain and misery her parents went through. In her case, she was not diagnosed until many months after her birth. She was also my Aunt's first child.
As Snowy has said, whatever aid is provided is not a right, at best it is to be treated as a form of charity. When the society is able, I think we should do what we can within reason to help them integrate into society.
I would like to think Singapore is becoming a kinder, gentler society. I hope I will not be proven wrong in times to come.
The irony is we do not lack jobs, in fact we have a labour shortage.
ReplyDeleteFor the children with severe disabilities, I think the funding is the least important problem. Fortunately, they represent but a very small fraction of the population, so the overall cost of even very large subsidies are still a drop in total government expenditures. Basically, helping these children will not make the state much poorer, and not helping them will not make it richer.
ReplyDeleteSame goes with the right to housing in France. The idea is not to give every french person some subsidies for housing, but to have a solution ready for those who really cannot have a house. This is the same as free basic medical care, you don't let someone die in the street, even if he cannot pay for the hospital, and homeless people die here every year in winter. Again, the cost of this is very low, insofar the measure is well managed. In general, the really large wastes of state money are seldom found in such programs, but more in useless services or infrastructure, bad management, or generous help to private companies in the hope to create job (which get outsourced once the aids stop...)
To me, it is something many countries (and especially developped countries) can afford. Doing it or not is more a matter of attitude the citizens of one country have wrt to the state.