I was watching a tv-show a few days ago which featured -among a few other things- a couple of two mentally handicapped people. Retards, if you will. They lived together and had jobs (packing boxes, ya know), and they were under permanent guidance by social security workers in terms of hygiene around the house, their bills, etc. So they live on their own and are capable of supplying for their basic needs (cooking, washing, etc.) but still need ppl to check on them and tell them to do this or that.
Now, after a while it became clear that they had a child together. What's more, the child was also retarded. It was in a special institute and they went to visit it a few times a week; they obviously couldn't raise it because of their situation.
So; question is: do you think a couple of two retarded people should be allowed to have a kid?
I personally think they shouldn't. Not because I have a grand eugenetic masterplan (heh), but just practically: Since they are almost unable to look after themselves, they can't raise a child properly. What's more, chances that their child will also be mentally challenged are high (which then requires even more specific care), and if it turns out to be of average intelligence it will soon grow too smart for its parents and dominate them. Not to mention how a child's upbringing could be influenced by having two mentally handicapped ppl for your parents.
So: if they have a kid, they can't properly raise it anyway...so I think it's better for both parents, kids (and even society) that they shouldn't be allowed to have kids.
But then, how to go about such a thing? Forbidding ppl to have sex is kinda hard.
And they're not too bright with condoms or 'counting out' fertile days and all either, I can imagine. Only option left is 'castrating' one of the partners or both. But that's a discussion for another time. But can you make ppl to get an operation? Probably not, handicapped as they might be, they still have a legal and independent status. Hard to say.
Let's hear this.