(No subject)

[Guest guest]

Hi-

Below is an article about a University of North Carolina biology professor who

told his class that he thinks fetuses with Down syndrome should be aborted.

Here is his email. akharris@...

I wrote him and told him that my daughter is great and that I think that is a

very hurtful thing to say. He needs to know that many of us disagree with him.

I feel bad for the student in his class whose brother has Down syndrome. The

comment made in the class made him physically ill.

http://www.fayobserver.com/article_ap?id=117919

Professor's comments on Down's syndrome anger some students

The Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

A University of North Carolina professor has angered some of his students

after saying he thinks fetuses with Down syndrome should be aborted.

Albert , 65, made the comment in his embryology class. He has taught in

Chapel Hill for 35 years.

" In my opinion, " wrote in his lecture notes, " the moral thing for older

mothers to do is to have amniocentesis, as soon during pregnancy as is safe for

the fetus, test whether placental cells have a third chromosome #21, and abort

the fetus if it does. The brain is the last organ to become functional. "

, who made the comments on Monday, said he has said the same thing many

times before. But Lara Frame, a senior in ' Biology 441, said the biology

classroom is no place for opinion.

" Biology is not an opinion subject, " said Frame, an anthropology and Spanish

major from Charlotte. " It's a facts-based subject. And though abortion is legal,

it's not a fact that you should abort every baby with Down syndrome.

" If this had been a philosophy class, I wouldn't have said anything. "

Frame's brother, , 18, has Down syndrome, and Frame said she became

" physically ill " at ' remarks. She didn't say anything during Monday's

class. She was too angry, she said.

Truluck, who coordinates membership in the campus group Best Buddies,

also was appalled to hear what had said. Best Buddies pairs college

students with intellectually disabled adults in the community.

" It is shocking to find that a university professor can be so ignorant of the

issues at stake, " Truluck said in a release. " We will continue to fight the

stereotype that people with disabilities are somehow less than human, and

encourage others to do the same. "

Several students said they don't think ' comments were inappropriate.

" He's not trying to brainwash us, " said McCall, who said she has

considered a teaching career. " I feel like if I do become a teacher I'm going to

bring up issues that spark discussion. That's the whole point of being a

teacher. "

Holden Thorp, the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said if a

complaint comes to administrators from a student it will be thoroughly

investigated.

said he wouldn't follow his own moral position. His wife, then 34, was

pregnant with their third child when she suffered major bleeding. Doctors told

the couple to prepare for the worst.

" If our child had been born with Down syndrome as we expected, we would have

cherished her, " said.

___

Dawn

---------------------------------

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.