Posted on 02/18/2008 2:13:31 PM PST by Pyro7480
CHAPEL HILL - A professor's comments on Down syndrome and abortion angered some students on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus this week.
Professor Albert Harris told students in his embryology class Monday that he thinks fetuses with Down syndrome should be aborted.
In his lecture notes, he wrote:
"In my opinion, 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."
Harris, who has taught at UNC-CH for 35 years, said he has said the same thing many times before. He says it to spark discussion.
But Lara Frame, a senior in Harris' 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, John, 18, has Down syndrome, and Frame said she became "physically ill" at Harris' remarks. She didn't say anything during Monday's class. She was too angry, she said....
Harris says he wouldn't follow his own moral position.
If he thought his wife was going to have a child with Down syndrome, he would still want to have the baby....
Though he believes aborting a fetus with Down syndrome is the moral thing to do, "I don't necessarily do the moral thing," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsobserver.com ...
Pro-life ping!
Our tax dollars at work once again.
According to the article, the professor presented this as his opinion, not as a fact.
I disagree strongly with the prof, but expression of opinion does have a place in the classroom, as long as alternate opinions aren't suppressed.
BTW, it appears that somewhere around 80% of "mothers" of babies who test positive for Downs decide to abort. Infinitely sad.
“Harris says he wouldn’t follow his own moral position.”
Illogical. Why wouldn’t a person follow his own “moral” position? Who does this clown think he is fooling?
As many of you know, my youngest was born with Down Syndrome. Personally, I think its a shame some bear didn’t eat Albert Harris’s oh so highly evolved a*s a long time ago! I console myself, however, with the knowledge that there are special places in store for both my blessing of a son and this sub-human professor.
My wife has a doctorate in music education and special education and teaches piano to children with autism and Down syndrome. As most of you know, the children with Down syndrome are some of the most caring and compassionate people in the world. They are so uplifting in every way.
I disagree with him, but he’s entitled to his opinion.
And as as long as there is no proof that he forced others to espouse or adopt his opinion, this is a complete non-issue.
This is why the whole idea of tenure must be done away with entirely in teaching at any level.
People like this lunatic need to be immediately fired and forbidden from ever teaching anywhere again.
My cousin has Down syndrome. And to think this sick puppy recommends that he should have been aborted! Grr...
I’d be willing to bet that anyone who openly disagrees with this “teacher” will pay for it come grading time.
This is how the Stalinist ivory tower-dwellers of academia control their students’ minds.
There is no place for opinion in any classroom.
Stick to facts.
“Illogical. Why wouldn’t a person follow his own “moral” position? Who does this clown think he is fooling?”
Perhaps 3 purple heart kerry can help since he supports things that he doesn’t believe in either.
Odd, isn't it, how some professors think other human lives are to be given less dignity than their own.
I hope to see a George Will column on this Professor Albert Harris. George will rip him a new one.
“There is no place for opinion in any classroom. Stick to facts.”
Did you go to college? Why, if all you value are “facts”? What if it was a course in the hidden deeper meanings of “Star Wars”? Would an expert professor’s opinions be worth anything there — or should he or she just stick to the facts?
“...there is no proof that he forced others to espouse or adopt his opinion...”
no proof - he says he has stated this many times in the 35 years teaching biology and it appears in the class notes. Who is to say some student(s) over the past 35 years has discovered a problem pregnancy and followed the professor’s notes as gospel.
I wonder what the professor would have said if the student had agreed and added AIDS to the list of abortable conditions.
“My wife has a doctorate in music education and special education and teaches piano to children with autism and Down syndrome. As most of you know, the children with Down syndrome are some of the most caring and compassionate people in the world. They are so uplifting in every way.”
I’m the father of a 13 year old boy with pretty severe Autism. I know he seems strange to people who aren’t used to him, but I wouldn’t trade him or change him. He is exactly like he’s supposed to be.
Gentlemen of the jury, out of his own mouth...
My uncle was born to a mother who was in her mid-40s. He was a “change of life” baby. He went on to become the publisher of the Monterey CA Herald. When he was two years old, his 18 year old sister died of a ruptured appendix. Many many years later, his 40+ year old wife gave birth to a son, my cousin John, who is retarded and bi-polar. He wrote a wonderful column about abortion I need to dig out. I think I typed it into my genealogy software. His reflections on abortion are exactly what you would expect, very anti.
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