People with serious inheritable disabilities should not be allowed to reproduce?

[Democratic Hawk]

I think this is just about the most dilemnifying question on the compass

I can understand the rationale for not allowing people with serious inheritable diseases to reproduce - but what inheritable diseases?

Are we talking about heriditary neurological diseases, like Huntington's Disease (where children have a 50-50 chance of inheriting it if one parent is afflicted), or some genetic predisposition to developing cancer (in which case, maybe I ought not to have come along )? What about socio- or psychopathological disorders, if they, indeed, do have a genetic basis?

But despite understanding any preventative rationale, I disagree. Is it not a matter of choice whether to have children or not regardless of any consequences

I agree with Nick, it's not the easiest question to answer

Dave

[Democratic Hawk]

Are we talking about heriditary neurological diseases, like Huntington's Disease (where children have a 50-50 chance of inheriting it if one parent is afflicted),

That runs in my family as well and is what killed all my grandfathers & his brothers other siblings. Their were about 12 siblings if I recall and only my grandfather and his brother never got Huntingtons. A genetic counselor told me I'd never have to worry about getting it though I'm not sure whether to believe her or not.

From what I've read unless it affects your parents you're OK. One of your great-grand parents must have had it and their children had a 50-50 chance of inheriting the gene and, therefore, developing the disease at some stage

The cancer thing in my family is not something I worry about. My dad was one of seven (he was the middle one) and he lost his two youngest sisters to cancer: one died from leukaemia aged 13 and the other aged 10 from a brain tumour. His younger sister has had bowel cancer twice. My dad had metastatic biliary cancer and died in March this year. It's probably not genetic since they were all different primary cancers

Dave