Most of the time when I think of or see a severely disabled person, I feel sorry for them when I think about how different his or her life must be from mine. I think of all the parts of life that they are missing out on and how unhappy I would be if I couldn’t run or think or be completely independent. Although I would never advocated for killing a baby with a disability once it is born, I could see where parents or bioethicists like Peter Singer were coming from when they talked about the mercy killing of newborns; maybe the child would have just been happier if he or she never had to deal with the difficulties of a disability. However, after reading “Unspeakable Conversations” by Harriet McBryde Johnson, my opinion changed completely.
Ms. Johnson, who was born with a neuromuscular disease, would have been one of the babies that Peter Singer would have wanted to kill. Forever confined to a motorized wheelchair and unable to perform many basic functions on her own, Singer would have wanted to spare her a “life of misery.” But, as I discovered after reading “Unspeakable Conversations,” she was far from living a miserable life. She was a successful lawyer and activist for others with disabilities. She found it a “great sensual pleasure to zoom by power chair on [Charleston’s] delicious muggy streets.” She also explains how the public “tend[s] to underestimate the quality of life of disabled people.” I would definitely include myself in this public. But after reading about the life a disabled woman who did so much and was so happy with her life, I have a different view on cases like Ashley’s Treatment or people with disabilities in general. A disability is not a reason to pity someone, for, as Ms. Johnson said “the presence or absence of a disability doesn’t predict the quality of life.” Even though it’s hard for me to see Harriet Johnson’s perspective and her reasons for being happy when my life is so different, I believe her when she says that she enjoys her life. And if there is a way to enjoy life, then it should be lived.
Article Relevant to my Post:
Johnson, Harriet McBryde. "Unspeakable Conversations." New York Times. 16 February 2003. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/16/magazine/unspeakable-conversations.html?scp=1&sq=unspeakable%20conversations&st=cse&pagewanted=10
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Harriet McBryde Johnson changed my view on disabled people forever. At first, when I would see disabled people I would feel bad for them. I would think about all of the opportunities they are missing out on because they can’t walk, run, or maybe even sit properly. But after reading “Unspeakable Conversation,” my views, just like Alex’s, changed completely. Johnson made me realize that disabled people can still live their life to the fullest potential. Sure they might not be able to walk, but they are still able to get around. Life for disabled people may be difficult, but it’s worth it. Reading Johnson’s essay proved to me that you can be disabled, successful, and happy.
Peter Singer’s opinion is very strong on disabled people like Johnson. He believed that Johnson had no right to be alive and that she would have been better of being an aborted baby. Although Johnson was offended and taken a back by that thought, she still saw Singer as a real human, as Singer saw Johnson and a real human. Although Johnson and Singers views on disabled people and their ability to live differ immensely, they still we able to see each other as real human beings. All real human beings have the ability to live.
When looking at Johnson with the naked eye, one may be convinced that her life may not compare to Singers, but if you look deeper, you will find a happy, content, human being. Johnson proves that disabled people still can live, and that no disabled person should be killed to spare them the struggles of life they may potentially encounter.
Many people, myself included, have unsurprising misconceptions about the lives of disabled people and the actual quality of their lives. Prior to reading Harriet McBryde Johnson’s “Unspeakable Conversations,” I had supported the idea that babies born with disabilities are at a significant disadvantage compared to their peers and will only grow up to lead lives of lesser quality and worth, not to mention happiness as well. I found myself sympathetic to parents not wanting to let their disabled child endure all the hardships and frustrations that are inevitable in the course of their lives.
However, I learned from Johnson that disabilities are only an obstacle if one allows them to be. The extent to which one’s disability suppresses one depends solely on one’s attitude and actions taken as a result of this attitude, be it positive or negative. Disabled people do not need nor do they want pity. They too can reach great heights, strive for farfetched dreams, and achieve the goals and aspirations that make life worth living. Harriet Johnson herself is a terrific example of someone who has not only overcome her disabilities, but also utilized them to fight for the rights of other disabled people who cannot fight for themselves. Were she not a disabled person, her accomplishments would be just as enviable and impressive. Disabilities, regardless of their severity, do not dictate whether or not someone has a right to live the life they choose; in fact, disabilities possess the power to mold a person into someone stronger, more persistent, more determined.
Post a Comment