I find it disappointing that people still think my sister should not have been allowed to be born. I don’t believe that people with Down syndrome are a burden or that their lives are not worth living. That doesn’t match my sister’s life at all. Nor do claims that her and others’ existence somehow increases human suffering.

It’s disappointing to see that people still seek after the “wisdom” of someone who thinks my parents did something wrong when they chose to love her and keep her no matter what.

(For those who don’t know, I’m talking about remarks this man made about Down syndrome.)

People can claim he might be autistic. But autism doesn’t explain believing that some types of people shouldn’t be allowed to exist. That’s eugenics, which coincidentally often targets autistic people too. Autistic people already face stigma. Blaming autism for bad behavior doesn’t help, especially when the behavior goes far, far beyond difficulty understanding social cues.

I don’t know this man personally, but I feel like these issues need to be taken seriously.