The Mentally Disabled

[riboflavinbob]

I don't really have any sort of strong side on this matter, but I'd like to know the debate hall's opinions.

How can the mentally disabled contribute to the society?
Do we give them special treatment because that is what America is about?
Is our treatment really affecting the growth and development of the nation in any way?
Is their treatment only for keeping a positive image about America?

(I'm talking about mental disabilities like severe down's syndrome or severe autism)

(I don't have anything against these types of people or anything, my own cousin has autism, I'm just wondering what your thoughts are about this)

 

[Peeze]

We take care of those who cant take care of themselves, because if you were handicapped you'd want help right?

Spoiler

we really use them to make soylent green

 

[OffTheChain]

Well I have some friends who are mentally/physically disabled so I'm very biased but I'd say of course we help them, doing it for positive image keeping is insulting, its the right thing to do period.

 

[snex]

We take care of those who cant take care of themselves, because if you were handicapped you'd want help right?

do you have evidence that people with certain mental disabilities even have the capacity to want? wanting is, after all, a mental function.

 

[Deleted member]

When does the "crazy excuse" fall through?

I've seen some pretty ****ed up **** on my way home from downtown early in the morning. However the most recent thing in memory was what made think about this. Some woman who clearly had Downs syndrome was sitting across from me on the bus. She was sitting normally, until she began to pick her nose and rub her crotch (both sides!) underneath her pants. She then wiped all the shiat from her nose on the handlebar and took her other hand and pulled the request stop cord. This wasn't just a quick thing, she kept repeatedly doing it.

Like, I know you're crazy lady. But when can I tell you to ****ing stop and not feel horrible for doing so?

 

[SuperBowser]

do you have evidence that people with certain mental disabilities even have the capacity to want? wanting is, after all, a mental function.

Well the vast majority of people with mental dysfunction (i'm guessing down's is the commonest) are capable of ''wanting''. I don't think this needs proof. Are you talking about any specific condition?

btw, down's syndrome =/= crazy.

 

[Deleted member]

Well yeah, but she wasn't sane.

 

[cman]

This is a very tough topic to discuss without feeling like a complete *******...

I guess i'll start with a question...

What would you propose happen otherwise? Isn't the care primarily through the family? Would you ban the families helping them or something?

 

[Mediocre]

do you have evidence that people with certain mental disabilities even have the capacity to want? wanting is, after all, a mental function.

I think it's a good thing to assume that people, even those with severe mental disabilities, are capable of "wanting" and of feeling pain. Assuming the opposite may lead to treat people who do in fact have these capabilities as if they do not, and were not truly human.

If someone were to prove that certain severely disabled individuals fundamentally lacked basic human emotions, I would then put them in the same classification as people in a persistent vegetative state. That is, I would no longer consider them truly human. I know this sounds cruel, but would you consider yourself human if lacked any sort of emotion? I know I wouldn't.

Therefore, if a person did not have these emotions, I would no longer have any real concern for their wellbeing. If their familiy still wanted to take care of them, they should be allowed to do so, but otherwise I see no reason why they shouldn't be euthanized.

Oh course, I don't think there would be many (or perhaps any) around. I believe that the vast majority of mentally disabled people do feel emotion. Perhaps even all mentally disabled people. Therefore, I personally would require rigorous testing to be done before I would support treating any mentally disabled person in the manner I have described above.

 

[SuperBowser]

I've had the misfortune of meeting a person with frontal lobe syndrome . These people basically lack any emotions whatsoever. Aside from a few other cognitive impairments, you would have no idea they had any mental dysfunction from simply talking to them. You'd just think they were a giant ******* rather than having a medical problem.

They can still make observations about the environment around them, they can still hold a conversation, they still ''want'' things and they still have a family who will stick by them. Why don't these people count as human? What even makes someone human?

edit: people with down's syndrome just have the mental capacity of a child (i think it varies on the person..). so i guess they can act as crazy as any other 5 year old...

 

[IWontGetOverTheDam]

Spoiler

we really use them to make soylent green

I found that funny. Am I dead inside?

 

[samdaballer]

I believe it is morally wrong to not help those with disabilities, they're still people, who have feelings, they just have a severe illness and low mental capacity

 

[Mediocre]

I've had the misfortune of meeting a person with frontal lobe syndrome . These people basically lack any emotions whatsoever. Aside from a few other cognitive impairments, you would have no idea they had any mental dysfunction from simply talking to them. You'd just think they were a giant ******* rather than having a medical problem.

You're right. People who are lacking any emotion, but are still able to think logically about themselves and the world around them, are people who are worthy of treatment as human beings.

I suppose what I'm really talking about is someone who has a horrible mental disability so severe that they interact with the world on a sub-animal level. I've never heard of anything like this, and I doubt such a condition exists (but perhaps it does). In such a case, I would not consider them "human" in anything more than the most basic biological sense of the word.

 

[Modest_Egoist]

People with mental disabilities can still contribute to society. There's an individual in my church who has a mental disability, but she contributes in church services and attends school. She may not contribute to society to the same extent a person without the disability would contribute, but it is still a contribution. I know people who don't have mental disabilities who are leeches to society.

 

[samdaballer]

I know people who don't have mental disabilities who are leeches to society.

very true, it makes me really happy when i see a mentally disabled person working at a supermarket or fast-food restaurant, as they have made the best with what they have, and then I see some totally competent people being idle

 

[Skywalker]

the inherent obstacle facing ******* would be those that are not *******. in the past ******* were the scapegoat of cultures... a large number of Americans found their general traits to be unfavorable (although not to the extent of Nazi Germany). these perceived traits included a hygienically lax routine, very dull voice, difficulty with expressing emotions. ( I don't necessarily believe this myself fyi.) . at some point *********** started to epitomize stupidity and excuses for unequal opportunity, ex. promoted by certain Nazis in propaganda posters.

on another bit of baseless speculation, opportunity for ******* will likely increase once the blatantly offensive bigotry dies down (like slang and such).

 

[AlcyoNite]

I feel that people with such mental disabilities should be helped. There are professionals who enter this field of work who, from what I have seen, enter their careers with caring hearts and not some vain intent of having themselves or their country improve its image. As for the disabled themselves, how can they not feel feelings? Their disabilities simply abbreviate their mental capacities. They somewhat fascinate me as I wonder exactly how their brain is disabled, but they still selectively show "normal" functions of thinking. They smile when greeted; they feel accomplished after completing a task; they are able to follow simple instructions; they can eat [...]; etc.

Societies' "slow" people are people nonetheless. As was said before, morally, people are driven to help those who cannot help themselves.