[statecom-discuss] Re: [statecom] State Committee Minutes - 1/27/07

[gracegrnrnbw at aol.com]

 Actually, Adam - so far only three people (if my math is right) who have written in to express any kind of disagreement with the statecom decision - which involved almost thirty of us.
 
 I am personally ready to throw m y hands up in the air and give up- I ran a camapgin where I was criticized in the party a fair amount for not taking purist-enough stands - now I am written off for backing the rights of folks with disabilities as being "politically correct" (I begin to wonder if the epithet "politically correct" is just reserved for those who stand up for the rights of any oppressed group of which the name-caller is not a part... )
 
 I had actually pretty much given up in the back and forth - because it was too painful - I wrote but had not sent the following:
 
  "Okay so at this point, I feel clear that there are some people in my party who do not believe all people are created equal - and it seems like I am in at least one of the less-than categories. I guess I had hoped otherwise - I am going to remove myself from this conversation because I believe I am of equal value and so is Ashley and this is no longer a healthy exchange for me at this time.
 
 I am not sure I heard what folks were trying to say; however, this is what I glean from the arguments of those who oppose my perspective and is an attempt to say it directly without sugar coating - since iti s an attempt to capture a positionnot my own, you certainly should correct me.
 
 As I hear it, those arguments could be translated into perhaps a party's statement something like as follows:
 "We trust and agree with the medical establishment's recommendations (without regard to invasiveness) and we accept existing social constraints for now and into the foreseeable future, so that caretakers are indeed trapped into doing whatever they deem necessary to make their caretaking of severely disabled children easier.
 
 We believe that the mental capacity of three month olds can be accurately assessed with regard to meaning making and experience of pain by adults in their lives and that it is in some ways less than a dog or cat. As we consider the spaying of adult dogs and cats not to be mutilation, we believe that removal of not just the same organs as spaying but additional organs is therefore not a moral or social issue.
 
 We agree that becoming an adult female is inherently painful and inconvenient and brings no unique or deeper joys than pre-pubescent female physiology; so unless justified by plans to become pregnant, surgery of any kind to stop such development is a gift to such female beings.
 
 We don't feel that removal of numerous organs is invasive or mutilation, nor likely to leave traumatic emotional or physical scars, nor is it important that it might have longer term negative health implications as long as the mental capacity of the object of such surgery is sufficiently compromised.
 
 In addition, since decisions to alter Ashley physically were made by parents who state clearly that they love her and at the urging of medical experts, we have no concern that such decisions could have been impacted by centuries of discrimination against people with disabilities, nor decades of legalized sterilization (that were at least no longer legally required as of less than thirty years ago), nor the acknowledged infiltration of the US medical establishment by Nazi eugenicists after World War II or other US-born eugenicists."
 
 I hope that is accurate...
 
 Thanks, Grace
    
 -----Original Message-----
 From: adam_artist at yahoo.com
 To: statecom at green-rainbow.org; statecom-discuss at green-rainbow.org
 Sent: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 12:02 PM
 Subject: [statecom-discuss] Re: [statecom] State Committee Minutes - 1/27/07
 
  Dear Statecom -

I am appalled at the statecom action in this "Expedited Round" (whatever that 
means).  It is crystal clear from the e-mail exchanges to date that there is far 
from general agreement on Ashley's medical procedures.  Similar to the 
Israel-Palestine issue, to me this response is utterly disrespectful of the 
diversity of opinion expressed to date.  Nor, in my opnion, is it a rational 
response to the actual situation, but a general outrage at the trespasses of the 
medical system and social engineering.  That outrage is frequently well-placed, 
but to reflexively generalize it to just any circumstance is in itself beyond 
the pale of the rational.  There are statements about Ashley's treatment that I 
could support such as more extensive ethical review, historical concerns, and 
suggestions of alternatives - but not condemnation of any parties involved in 
this particular instance.

But fundamentally this is not about Ashley, nor is it about IP.  It is about 
profound lack of respect by party leadership or by a few persistent hypervocal 
activists for people who don't get to every meeting (David's comments about our 
not having leaders, only administrators, notwithstanding).  It is about 
co-option by those who will not tolerate disagreement that is not politically 
correct from their perspective, and about undermining anything resembling 
democratic process within the party.

Adam

BTW, I would suggest that sterilization of someone who never should
have children (since it would only occur by rape) cannot be categorized
as genocide or eugenics, since that person would not reproduce in any case. 



=============================


"Expedited Round:

F - Ashley Treatment Proposal

Presented by Martina Robinson

Ashley is a severely disabled person in Washington State whose body  
chemistry and physiology is being altered to prevent her from going  
through puberty. Martina believes that the GRP should speak out  
against this procedure because our platform is consistent with  
opposing this. The GRP should issue a press release or statement that  
condemns this issue and offers alternatives.

David Rolde and Elie Yarden agreed that we should condemn the medical  
industry that allowed this to happen and not the parents.

Wanda Boeke asked if the recommendations of the medical profession  
were followed.

Gary Hicks said that anything that goes into this statement must  
relate that "this kind of crap" was going on for a long time, i.e.  
eugenics.

Q: Colby Peterson asked if this has already happened:
A: Yes, it happened on January 6th.

There was a fast-paced rules and procedures discussion that degenerated.

The proposal moves to AdCom.
Annie Butler trusts that the AdCom and Martina can work out the wording."

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