Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

If someone is born with dwarfism and wants to be a dwarf (sorry if this is not the PC term), they can be a dwarf. If someone is born a dwarf and wants to be a normal height, they can be a normal height. Are there really dwarf organizations arguing that no dwarf people should even be allowed to be a normal height? Or is this just manufactured outrage for a news article?



I'm not really surprised. There are deaf parents who have deaf children and then refuse to allow their children to be fitted with cochlear implants, all in the name of something akin to "deaf pride", and a delusional denial that being deaf is any kind of disadvantage. It's understandable to build that sort of thing into one's identity to the point where it's a blind spot, but it's unfortunate that the kids end up suffering for it.

Part of the issue here is that -- presumably -- the drug must be administered during childhood, as it's too late to make a difference during adulthood. So the child isn't the one making the choice, legally: it's the parents.

Personally, I find the question asked of the article to be upside down; I think it's unethical for a parent to deny a child a treatment that would improve their quality of life, simply because they are "proud" of their in-group. It's almost as bad as the anti-vaxxers.




Consider applying for YC's Spring batch! Applications are open till Feb 11.

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: