Whitewashing History

Hans Asperger, the children’s doctor famed for early work in autism, assisted in Nazi euthanasia | Daily Mail Online

An actually interesting artical on DM for once.

But, this makes me think about all the 'snowflakes' society has produced who want to white-wash history and remove anyone who did anything remotely bad from the history books, even if their good far outweighs the bad.

I am starting to wonder when they'll ask to get rid of all Washington statues because he was a slave owner?

Instead of changing names or removing from the history books, why not just make a note of it? In Aspergers case, from what I can see, the field he did his research in (Aspergers Syndrome) didn't involve any nefarious experiments or the like. So his work in that field seems 'clean' while it does appear he sent other children to their death who were suffering great deformities or mental illness. It seems like people want to go to extremes today when they discover some one did something bad in their life.

 

"It seems like people want to go to extremes today when they discover some one did something bad in their life."

With all due respect, how is someone knowingly sending children to their death not extreme? The term "bad" thing in their life is a very broad term. Not paying your taxes is bad, cheating on your wife is bad, not supporting your family is bad; sending children to their death is appalling, horrific and worthy of an umbrella designation. I work with children with autism and have my graduate degree in Special Education. I have also researched Hans Asperger and the disorder as a whole and have absolutely zero issue not attaching a monsters name to an autistic label. Did his research help create gains in the field, yes. I am not denying that. However, that's where it ends. Children with autism range and are completely different. One disorder is never like the other. I can't imagine how difficult it was for a mother coping with a child that suffered from this illness 75 year ago. Regardless, death is not an option. He knew what he was doing and it will taint his legacy.

 

Comes back to a question I asked a while ago:
One good deed doesn't excuse all the bad deeds - So does one bad deed destroy all the good deeds?
Don't we destroy life now inside the womb when strong defects are discovered? Inside the womb, outside the womb, theres little difference for some...

 

Right, but they still owned slaves...which was a bad thing, and thats all it seems to take for this current generation to get in a twist and ask for things to be removed.

Asperger (the man) didn't do experiments on people but lived under Nazi rule. It seems to advance his medical career, he had to send other children to their deaths - not the ones he was diagnosing with Asperger's syndrome (as far as I can tell) so does he really deserve to be struck from the record books? And if so, shouldn't all the research we stole from the germans and the japanese be discredited too since it was often obtained by experimenting on live humans?

 

A bad deed doesn't necessarily make a person. However all deeds good or bad should be kept as notes on a person, none should be excused nor should they be nullified by just one of them.

 

Except when those bad deeds cross the line. Anyone culpable, be it those that have direct knowledge, such as sending children to certain death, or murdering themselves. The severity of the event is very important.

 

So, what would it take? Thats not despicable enough to take his name off the label of diagnoses?

 

By the way, the APA did away with Asperger's Syndrome. It's now just a part of the spectrum of autism.

 

You are correct. In 2013 the APA placed it under the umbrella, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, the reasons they give for the change were due to inconsistancies with diagnoses rather than the history. Even so there are many who still use the designation in the medical profession to label higher functioning.

 

For those interested...the ABC here in Australia have a tv show on at the moment that follows young people with Autism, tourettes and OCD apply for and achieve gainful employment...especially employment that uses their "special" talents...well worth a watch, its been heart warming, funny and very interesting.

Employable Me

 

This thread has been interesting to watch, and it hits home to me because I have Asperger's, I was diagnosed when I was 4, and I'm considered extremely high functioning. I am more than capable of doing "normal" people things, and most people would never guess I have autism of any kind. That's great Dr. Asperger did so much to research and learn about Autism, but his involvement in the holocaust is terrible to hear. Asperger's is partly to blame for my fascination with history and WW2 and people like me can be interested heavily in unique and specific things, so it's another thing for me to be grateful for about this.

 

Of course, but yet again one bad thing no matter how terrible shouldn't nullify all the good things, they should ALL be put into account.

 

Morality is not a zero-sum game. No amount of helping little old ladies across a street will vindicate a murder.

In the Judeo-Christian ethic, it's not "Thou shalt not kill except the lame, those weak of mind, and those we do not like."

Which is what the Nazis tried to do, with their policy of "Life unworthy of life," and their Euthanasia program.

 

I understand what you are saying. For some, such as I, its night and day. Especially when it comes to the Holocaust (T4 and all actions therein). I like to take in others perspectives, or try to at least. But there are events in this realm that I have a difficult time overlooking.

 

Still used in the UK though.
Asperger syndrome - NAS

 

We must recall the Germans under Hitler also killed the disabled in the 1930's in Germany. He had the Aryan object whether it was German or foreign. I recall a german soldier in a document recall as he had six fingers in one hand whether he would be sent to camps or not.

 

One of my sons has Asperger's/very high functioning autism. I've got a "touch" of Asperger's but made it through Med School and Pediatrics residency with no issues. A number of my patients are on the spectrum as well. I have some familiarity with the syndrome.

No amount of good can make up for the wrong done by Dr Asperger. The wrongs he committed do not negate the contributions he made. Acknowledge both and move on.

 

At least according to the German soldìer anything out of aryan could make you Food for camps.