Ann Coulter's use of the R-word

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

(I don't like the term Down Syndrome. Dr. Down was an asshole!)

Oh dear, I just saw this now after mentioning Down Syndrome up above. Why is he an asshole -- what did he do?

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

Oh dear, I just saw this now after mentioning Down Syndrome up above. Why is he an asshole -- what did he do?

He was quite prolific into describing the mental characteristics/ deficiencies of the races. You might remember that Trisomy 21 patients were called "mongoloids" in the past. That was because Dr. Down thought they looked Asian and that Asians were mentally deficient! Yeah. Basically he gets credit for the syndrome because he described the features, but his life's work was spent codifying how Caucasians were the smartest and best race and all the others were inferior. Personally, I hate when they name syndromes/ diseases for people. It's much better when it's called by the proper name.

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

He was quite prolific into describing the mental characteristics/ deficiencies of the races. You might remember that Trisomy 21 patients were called "mongoloids" in the past. That was because Dr. Down thought they looked Asian and that Asians were mentally deficient! Yeah. Basically he gets credit for the syndrome because he described the features, but his life's work was spent codifying how Caucasians were the smartest and best race and all the others were inferior. Personally, I hate when they name syndromes/ diseases for people. It's much better when it's called by the proper name.

thanks for this! As a kid I volunteered with my church's SPREAD group- which is basically Sunday School for people with Special Needs. One of the older volunteers always referred to those with Trisomy 21 as "mongoloids" and I never understood why.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Personally, I hate when they name syndromes/ diseases for people. It's much better when it's called by the proper name.

You have to remember this is back in the day when the average person did not have as much faculty with medical terms (including "penis" or "vagina") as they do today. He sounds like an asshole, true, but we all know what the disease is when we hear the name. "Trisomy 21" will take a few more years to come to the mind as easily.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by 33girl

You have to remember this is back in the day when the average person did not have as much faculty with medical terms (including "penis" or "vagina") as they do today. He sounds like an asshole, true, but we all know what the disease is when we hear the name. "Trisomy 21" will take a few more years to come to the mind as easily.

Oh, I agree. We have to start somewhere. At least mongoloids isn't common terminology anymore. There is a push in medicine to stop the use of eponyms.

[shirley1929]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

Oh, I agree. We have to start somewhere. At least mongoloids isn't common terminology anymore. There is a push in medicine to stop the use of eponyms.

I think this will be a harder one to get rid of. As I understand it, there are several Trisomy versions, right? So trying to remember that 21 is the one that was previously known as Down's and that 13 is Patau (sp?) etc... is going to be too hard for the general public. They're going to need a different name to define them.

[ForeverRoses]

Originally Posted by shirley1929

I think this will be a harder one to get rid of. As I understand it, there are several Trisomy versions, right? So trying to remember that 21 is the one that was previously known as Down's and that 13 is Patau (sp?) etc... is going to be too hard for the general public. They're going to need a different name to define them.

I'm not sure it will. Afterall, I now hear "Lou Gerig's Disease" called "ALS" much more often (ignoring the fact that Lou Gerig might not have had ALS to begin with). I think the more people hear "Trisomy 21" the more they will use it, and eventually "Down's Syndrome" will fade away.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

I'm not sure it will. Afterall, I now hear "Lou Gerig's Disease" called "ALS" much more often (ignoring the fact that Lou Gerig might not have had ALS to begin with). I think the more people hear "Trisomy 21" the more they will use it, and eventually "Down's Syndrome" will fade away.

Your post also shows the confusion with eponyms. ALS is also called Lou Gerig's Disease because he had the affliction, whereas Down Syndrome is not Down's Syndrome because Dr. Down did not have Trisomy 21. Even physicians get this wrong since my husband and I had this argument a couple months ago and he had to admit defeat.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ForeverRoses

I'm not sure it will. Afterall, I now hear "Lou Gerig's Disease" called "ALS" much more often (ignoring the fact that Lou Gerig might not have had ALS to begin with). I think the more people hear "Trisomy 21" the more they will use it, and eventually "Down's Syndrome" will fade away.

But ALS is an simple acronymn, easy to remember with no unfamiliar medical-sounding words in it. Trisomy 21 sounds very clinical at best, especially since most people probably have no idea what either trisomy or 21 (in this context) mean. I, too, would be surprised if it caught on easily.

I guess my question would be what those with Down Syndrome/Trisomy 21 and their families prefer it be called. They'd get the deciding vote in my book.

[AOII Angel]

Originally Posted by shirley1929

I think this will be a harder one to get rid of. As I understand it, there are several Trisomy versions, right? So trying to remember that 21 is the one that was previously known as Down's and that 13 is Patau (sp?) etc... is going to be too hard for the general public. They're going to need a different name to define them.

Trisomy 21 is by far more common than Trisomies 13 and 18 which are also not compatible with life and not in the public lexicon, so this is not a problem. There is no need for anyone but physicians and those effected to know what Edwards (18) and Patau (13) entail or what their names are.