Little People, Big Issue

I’m not generally a big reality TV show person, but over this past, particularly lazy weekend I found a show I’m now obsessed with: Little People, Big World. It’s about this couple, both of whom have dwarfism, and their four children – one of whom is “LP” as they say (Little Person), and the other three of whom are “tall.” Seriously, this is the nicest, most lovely and warm family I’ve ever seen on TV. If the show has any flaws, it’s just that they’re all so nice to each to each other that there’s not a lot of drama. But I kept wanting to watch more, just to spend more time with these kind, generous people. They get a little bit of flack – the LP kid gets teased at school, every now and then they encounter an inconvenience (buffets and LPs? Not a good combo. Etc). But mostly they’re just…lovely.

Okay, I bring this up because there is a hot debate on the boards right now about this article that was recently in the New York Times, on parents who want kids like themselves, to the point that they will choose genetic defects for their babies. As in, genetically selecting fetuses that share the parents’ disabilities – from deafness to dwarfism. One mother who was interviewed (she has dwarfism), said she’d worried of her unborn child, “What is life going to be like for her, when her parents are different than she is?” Show me someone whose parents aren’t different than her in some way, and, well, I’ll eat my hat!

On the Morality Debate board, aliciamarie31 writes: “I personally find this appalling.”

imotherothers: “I just don’t get it. Why would a couple go through all that instead of just adopting a deaf child? I do consider it bizarre and borderline abuse to purposefully choose these things. Why not leave it up to natural chance? Deafness causes pain to children, they will grow up different. JMHO adopting a deaf child or having a hearing child who is bilingual w/ the deaf "culture" would be great wouldn't it? Dwarfs have many problems w/ their health so why not adopt or leave it up to chance?”

age-of-aquarius : “Neither deafness nor dwarfism is a painful or extremely debilitating condition, nor do they have any long term effects on overall health. I can see how people who were born that way would see it as something that simply makes them unique rather than something negative to be avoided.”

jujubee8411 : “It's a pretty selfish and self-centered thing to do. Making that decision for yourself is one thing -- making it for another person is altogether different.”

All I know is, the adorable Roloffs of Little People, Big World have one child who has dwarfism and three who aren’t. And for the record, those three “tall” kids seem exceptionally mature and compassionate for their ages. Isn’t it possible that growing up around people of different abilities and appearances and sizes can be an ultimate benefit to a person?