The same holds true with the deaf, the blind, the handicapped, the sick, the elderly...but we fight against Nature and take care of people such as these.
We choose to dilute the purity and strength of our species because of the one advantage that Nature gave us: our brains.
But why do we fight natural selection? Why do we endanger our species as a whole so the individual may thrive?
Potentially, yes we would be stronger, from a Darwinian perspective. However, without such individuals who have had disabilities (from socities standards/perspective) we might never have known the genius or beauty of several siginficant individuals. Not to mention the inspirational motivations that these individuals have set out to accomplish. Hell, if I accomplish even a tenth of what some of these individuals have accomplished in their lives I'll be happy.
Such individuals:
Goya:
Spanish painter (1746-1828): At age 46, an illness left him deaf. He went on to create the most famous Spanish art of the 19th century.
Stephen Hawking:
Brilliant physicist/mathematician who has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
John Milton:
English Author/poet (1608-1674): He became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
Ludwig van Beethoven:
(Famous Musician) - known to be deaf and yet still created music that is still widely listened to and studied.
Helen Keller:
(Devoted Life to Persons with Disabilities) She was Blind, Deaf, and Mute and people thought she had no appreciable value.
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Franklin D. Roosevelt had Polio, was governor of New York State then elected President of the United States for four terms, something no other president has done.
Christopher Reeve:
Never has a person with a disability commanded so much media attention in recent history. Christopher Reeve, crippled after a horse-riding injury, wanted to be up on his feet & wanted to help others stand confident too. His life was dedicated to harnessing the power of medical research to further this cause.
Robin Williams:
(famous Hollywood Star) Diagnosed to be suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) as a child. He never refuses a role related to medicine e.g Awakenings, Patch Adams.
Sudha Chandran:(Indian actress and classical dancer):
This brave lady dances with a Jaipur foot. She has acted in a movie on classical dance called "Nache Mayuri" & today acts in a variety of TV serials.
Tom Cruise:
(Hollywood Star): is severely dyslexic.
Walt Disney:
Had a learning disability.
Michael Bolton:
(famous Singer): Deaf in one ear.
Marlee Matlin:
Marlee Matlin is a stand-up comedian and an actress. Some of her films include A Dead Silence, My Party,A Hear No Evil, A Bridge to Silence, A Walker, and A Children of A Lesser God. In 1987, she captivated the world by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film A Children of a Lesser God. Marlee Matlin became deaf in infancy due to Roseola infantum. However, deafness has not disabled her or her career.
Marla Runyan:
One of the women representing the United States in the 1500 meter track event at the 2000 Olympics was Marla Runyan. The American runner finished seventh in her preliminary heat and rose to sixth in the semifinals to qualify for the finals. During the final race, Marla lost track of the major competitors. She finished in eighth position, 3.20 seconds behind the gold medal winner. In 1996, Marla set several track and field records at the Paralympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Following that success, Marla wanted to compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney -- even though she is legally blind. The 31-year-old runner has been diagnosed with Stargardt disease. This is a condition that leaves her with a limited ability to see what is in front of her. In Sydney, Marla became the first legally blind athlete to compete in an Olympics.
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Warning: May Offend People
Date: 2006-09-12 04:34 pm (UTC)We choose to dilute the purity and strength of our species because of the one advantage that Nature gave us: our brains.
But why do we fight natural selection? Why do we endanger our species as a whole so the individual may thrive?
Potentially, yes we would be stronger, from a Darwinian perspective. However, without such individuals who have had disabilities (from socities standards/perspective) we might never have known the genius or beauty of several siginficant individuals. Not to mention the inspirational motivations that these individuals have set out to accomplish. Hell, if I accomplish even a tenth of what some of these individuals have accomplished in their lives I'll be happy.
Such individuals:
Goya:
Spanish painter (1746-1828): At age 46, an illness left him deaf. He went on to create the most famous Spanish art of the 19th century.
Stephen Hawking:
Brilliant physicist/mathematician who has Lou Gehrigs Disease and is in a wheelchair. He needs a computer to speak.
John Milton:
English Author/poet (1608-1674): He became blind at age 43. He went on to create his most famous epic, Paradise Lost.
Ludwig van Beethoven:
(Famous Musician) - known to be deaf and yet still created music that is still widely listened to and studied.
Helen Keller:
(Devoted Life to Persons with Disabilities) She was Blind, Deaf, and Mute and people thought she had no appreciable value.
Franklin D. Roosevelt:
Franklin D. Roosevelt had Polio, was governor of New York State then elected President of the United States for four terms, something no other president has done.
Christopher Reeve:
Never has a person with a disability commanded so much media attention in recent history. Christopher Reeve, crippled after a horse-riding injury, wanted to be up on his feet & wanted to help others stand confident too. His life was dedicated to harnessing the power of medical research to further this cause.
Robin Williams:
(famous Hollywood Star) Diagnosed to be suffering from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) as a child. He never refuses a role related to medicine e.g Awakenings, Patch Adams.
Sudha Chandran:(Indian actress and classical dancer):
This brave lady dances with a Jaipur foot. She has acted in a movie on classical dance called "Nache Mayuri" & today acts in a variety of TV serials.
Tom Cruise:
(Hollywood Star): is severely dyslexic.
Walt Disney:
Had a learning disability.
Michael Bolton:
(famous Singer): Deaf in one ear.
Marlee Matlin:
Marlee Matlin is a stand-up comedian and an actress. Some of her films include A Dead Silence, My Party,A Hear No Evil, A Bridge to Silence, A Walker, and A Children of A Lesser God. In 1987, she captivated the world by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in the film A Children of a Lesser God. Marlee Matlin became deaf in infancy due to Roseola infantum. However, deafness has not disabled her or her career.
Marla Runyan:
One of the women representing the United States in the 1500 meter track event at the 2000 Olympics was Marla Runyan. The American runner
finished seventh in her preliminary heat and rose to sixth in the semifinals to qualify for the finals. During the final race, Marla lost track of the major competitors. She finished in eighth position, 3.20 seconds behind the gold medal winner. In 1996, Marla set several track and field records at the Paralympics in Atlanta, Georgia. Following that success, Marla wanted to compete in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney -- even though she is legally blind. The 31-year-old runner has been diagnosed with Stargardt disease. This is a condition that leaves her with a limited ability to see what is in front of her. In Sydney, Marla became the first legally blind athlete to compete in an Olympics.