“Cripples” and “Alcoholics”

According to Waldschmidt in “Against Selection of Human Life – People with Disabilities Oppose Genetic Counseling,” the “cripples” movement was in Germany where people with varying disabilities opposed the research and efforts being put into preventing and eliminating disabilities, and supportive of equal rights and not being looked at as charity cases, got together to fight for their ideals. These people with disabilities believe that they are a separate social group that deserves respect and equal life chances as any other social group. Merely because they were born with a specific genetic anomaly or went through a tragic accident, they should not be looked down on, or treated differently than those who are “normal.”
In the case that the genes for certain negative attributes were to be found, such as the gene for alcoholism or vulnerability to alcohol, these people may be treated differently or looked down upon by society as the “cripples” currently are. However, the treatment towards the “alcoholics” or potential alcoholics may be much worse than the “cripples” because rather than feelings of pity, alcoholics will most likely be faced with feelings of disapproval and disrespect. Therefore, in the way that people with disabilities are against genetic counseling and the research to prevent disabilities, the people who would be identified with the alcohol gene would most likely prefer to be anonymous and not predetermined.