“I’ll take a four-sensed baby please.”

There is apparently some legal discussion in the UK about deaf parents being able to pick deaf embryos over hearing ones. Why this is even a discussion is beyond me.

“Deaf parents should be allowed to screen their embryos so they can pick a deaf child over one that has all its senses intact, according to the chief executive of the Royal National Institute for Deaf and Hard of Hearing People (RNID). Jackie Ballard, a former Liberal Democrat MP, says that although the vast majority of deaf parents would want a child who has normal hearing, a small minority of couples would prefer to create a child who is effectively disabled, to fit in better with the family lifestyle.” Sarah-Kate Templeton, The Times (UK)

This video is an interview with some deaf parents about how they think it’s about discrimination. http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/05/19/herriman.deaf.embryo.cnn It all comes down to selfishness. Who are these parents thinking about? Are they thinking about the baby or are they thinking about themselves? Are these people saying that they think their baby would like to be deaf? If so, let him grow up for 12 years with his hearing and if he then decides that he wants to be deaf, then so be it, have him poke out his eardrums.

At the age of 12 he’ll start taking an interest in music and develop his own tastes. He’ll want to be in the band at school. He’ll want to play video games and actually hear the gunshots in Grand Theft Auto VII. If being deaf was so preferred, why don’t more people poke out their eardrums? Or have them surgically removed? No one wants to be deaf. And I think it to be extremely odd that a parent would want that for their child. No one who has ever been able to hear would ever think it was better without their hearing. That’s just plain stupid. And to make a choice like that for another human before he’s even born is just not in his best interest, and shouldn’t that be what it’s about? It’s not just a matter of preferences. This is a real person. It’s not like parents have to pay extra to get a kid with all 5 senses. People typically come with all of their senses included.

They say it would fit better into their lifestyle. How is that true? There is nothing that a deaf person can do that a hearing person can’t. A hearing child can learn sign language and do all the other “deaf community things” just the same as a deaf person would. I find this story troubling because all of the attention is given to the parents and how they think it is discrimination against the deaf community, when in reality it should have nothing to do with anyone but the child. When the child is considered, this argument just falls apart.

Discrimination talk makes me sick. It’s always about trying to be “progressive” and “giving equal rights”. The truth is that we all discriminate and there’s not anything necessarily wrong with that. Nature discriminates. Some trees are tall and some are short, and it’s not based on merit but no one’s complaining. When we point out a difference that isn’t based on merit, that’s discrimination. That’s the true meaning of discrimination. If we just start caring about people and stop selfishly thinking about what we deserve. THAT will be progressive.

Save Me Time: Don’t Go To College

Since I’ve convinced you that not everyone should vote, I’d also like to convince you now that not everyone should go to college. It’s ok not to go to college. There are jobs out there and no one should feel bad about not going if they don’t want to. It should be a choice, not an expectation.

It all starts when we’re children and our parents tell us we can do whatever we put our mind to. That’s a lie, and when I was 4, I knew it. I specifically remember thinking “No matter how much mind power I put into lifting my house with my pinky finger, I will never be able to do it.” And the cynicism has continued ever since.

College is one of those things that guidance counselors are paid to tell you to strive for, but what they don’t tell you is that if everyone were to take their advice, finding a job would be a miserable and almost impossible experience.

College is commonly thought to be a place that is attended by a student hoping to learn skills for their future profession. This is just not true. College is actually a place that is attended by a student hoping to get a degree which will in turn set them apart from the average applicant when trying to get a job.

If everyone were to go to college then the people who want to set themselves apart in the job market, have to get more advanced degrees. This is what has been happening over the last 30 years. In the U.S. over 50% of high school graduates are now going to college. That’s not good. Now people like me who want to get a good job have to go another 5 years to get their masters or doctorate, as if 17 years of institutionalized education wasn’t enough. Keep in mind that these degrees have nothing to do with being smart, or having skills, it’s all about the appearance of being smart and having skills. I have to take classes like anthropology and “Legal Environment of Business”. They say it’s to make me a well rounded student, but at over $1,500 a course, we all know what it’s really about.

Since colleges exist to make money, and not to actually train people, it’s easy for colleges to lower their standards so more students can attend.

I have two other problems with college. The first problem is that Wikipedia is free. Doesn’t seem like a problem but it is. It’s a problem because what I’ve learned from 2 years of college so far, I could’ve learned on Wikipedia in about 2 hours. The fact that it is free is a problem because most people have to pay for college. I don’t, but if I did, I would think it to be an even bigger problem.

The second problem is that professors in college don’t like Wikipedia. As progressive as college professors think they are, they still think Wikipedia is some hacker’s thread. They say that they don’t accept Wikipedia as an academic source because anyone can post on it. The reality is that I posted an article this morning that was taken off in less than 3 minutes. This is it:

The fact that this was taken off so quickly is a perfect example of how Wikipedia is trying to show professors that it really isn’t so bad. If Wikipedia was full of hatred and contempt for college professors, which they have a right to be, they would have kept my article up, since it was such an accurate depiction. Despite the accuracy of the article, I didn’t cite any sources, so it Wikipedia took it off. It’s the rule.

Perhaps college professors are jealous of Wikipedia’s accuracy, broad mindedness, and true progressiveness. Or perhaps they are worried that if people knew how much absolute hogwash they spout out every lecture, that they will stop paying them and turn to the free and more available Wikipedia.

So it all boils down to a few things. Colleges should keep high standards so that people who really go to learn don’t have to spend 30 years on their education. If people don’t want to go to college, then they shouldn’t be expected to. And if we ever have the option to choose between going to college or Wikipedia, the answer is Wikipedia. Hands down.

Sources:

www.wikipedia.com

http://www.college-degree-fast.com/College-Degree-fast-Images/College-Graduates.jpg

Mother’s Day… Not just for mothers?

I have very observant friends. I was told about this card the other day. I had to run to K-mart and pick up this card. (They’re still in business? Who knew?)

A Mother’s Day card for fathers? That has to be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen. Is this K-mart’s lame attempt at being progressive? I’m not certain but I assume it’s aimed at split/gay families with no mother. It’s a shame there’s so much inequality in this world that there’s no opportunity for us to celebrate our fathers. Ya know? I wish there was a Father’s Day so mothers didn’t get all of the caretaking credit. I should make a holiday like that. I would make it an annual holiday on the 3^rd Sunday in June.