Incidentally, my own mum is the daughter of first cousin parents and the fact that she has turned out fine doesn’t alter my view that the practice is physically unhealthy, unnecessary and should be stopped.

Cheers..

Is “below average longevity” objectionable? Is “sub-normal red blood cell count” objectionable? I ask as I wish to ascertain whether it is the highlighting of difference which is objectionable, an implicit ranking of it, my omission of an explicit metric such as IQ or perhaps something else.

How would you present this empirical data so as to inform an educated layman of the facts without being objectionable?

To answer your question, I would not find it hurtful if you had said that children born from cousin marriages have an above average mortality rate. The description of these children as ’sub-normal’ suggests that you don’t think they are completely human. I hope you can see the difference.

I hope you will be able to find time to reply to the questions I asked in comment 11, above.

Look out for a post on Same Difference, screaming at Newsnight for this!

how utterly depressing it all is. and how much longer can it be blamed on cultural differences? as the generations of asians born in the UK grow up and have their own children will these patterns of ignorance and shame about disabled children and family members change? I’m not pessimistic by nature, and I sincerely hope that attitudes will change, but on some levels I do fear that they won’t.

By all means reprint it.

From BBC TV Newsnight … Birmingham Primary Care Trust estimates that one in ten of all children born to first cousins in the city either dies in infancy or goes on to develop serious disability as a result of a recessive genetic disorder. [emphasis added]”

Which other terms correctly describe this observation by BBC TV Newsnight , in your opinion? Would “above average” mortality rate be objectionable to you? If so, why? If not, why not?

No-one is attacking you. At least I hope not. But it is reasonable to point out, is it not, that disability which might be caused through close marriages is not a particularily good idea? The arguement, I think, is to stop it from being perpetrated.

Is that wrong, or something?

That being, I take it, the point of some of the comments up thread.

Good points about cousin marriage and the massive risk of genetic defects. Ann Cryer has raised this alongside doctors from her constituency, but she’s just shouting at a big glass window…

In fact, where the vulnerable adult child is cared for/dependent upon their parents those parents should be held to account.

Rumbold- thanks for posting this. I didn’t have the time to cover the story at Same Difference, but I am about to guest post this there now. I hope I have yours and Sunny’s permission.

From the article And many care workers are reluctant to oppose the forced marriages for fear of being branded ‘culturally insensitive’.

Indeed, Birmingham Primary Care Trust estimates that one in ten of all children born to first cousins in the city either dies in infancy or goes on to develop serious disability as a result of a recessive genetic disorder. [emphasis added]”

Forget the political correctness: these human rights abuses are very real and need to be stopped

Why is she saying “forget the political correctness”? Can anyone explain?