Aspies For Freedom

Hi. I am new to this site. Right now I am taking a course that involves the topic of eugenics - though this is not the reason I have registered at this site (am just a friend of Aspies and want to understand). I am also in the educational field and work with Aspies. What I am especially curious about and attracted me to this site is the focus on being who you are and not trying to "cure" which I think implies self-worth of the best kind. In my study about eugenics, historically many methods have been used to try and eliminate disability and other traits (eg institutionalizing and forced sterilization in the 20th C right up until the mid 70s). My question is - what is the opinion of Aspies regarding the direction of genetic research like screening and identifying for conditions that may be used in the end to try to eliminate the condition? I feel that this subject is not talked about enough and that things are moving quickly but towards what end? Should we be trying to eliminate 'conditions' which could really mean individuals or even whole groups because they are different? What do parents with Aspergers or those who have it think?

First of all the term "eugenics" should refer to the Caste System, thus an ability-based social hierarchy rather than the "cure" of some syndrome or other.

Now: about the Asperger extermination by means of technology-based screening.
Yepp, there is an irony in it: the fathers of technology are Leonardo da Vinci and Thomas Edison - two guys who both manifested Asperger-like traits!!

I SEE THIS TOPIC HAS BEEN DONE RIGHT BELOW - sorry just new on and had not gone through properly -I will be more careful in the future. Great post by "monastic - Wed. July5, 2006 - weeding us out" with a lot of great responses. Has everything I was curious about. Thanks Jean-Pierre for responding to mine.