The X-Project

Amanda is not incompetent. She is simply too easily imposed on. She has a kind heart and will take risks that she shouldn't if she thinks it's important to someone. Like many of the people here, actually. I'd put the same restrictions on anyone, teacher or student, who I felt was being taken advantage of.

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Agreed.

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Then how about this - she simply says "no". I'm certain that she's well aware of the dangers her power can involve. From what I understand of it, she can't not be, especially the way she's doing things now.

And the fact is, it's her power, therefore it's her choice.

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Furthermore, there is nothing 'just' about being human.

I beg to disagree. As mutants, we have abilities and capabilities that humans quite simply do not. This isn't a statement of superiority, it's simply one of fact. To deny or not use those abilities for ANY reason whatsoever lessens you from what you truly are.

I suppose it's your choice what you want to identify yourself by. If you want to deny that your power is part of what defines you and makes you unique, by all means. People live in denial all the time.

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My power is most certainly not who I am nor do I think that is true of any mutant

Thank you. I've been trying to make this point for a while, but he won't listen to me.

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What you mean to say is that you would advise me against it, and trust in my own judgement when it comes to my own abilities. And I'm sure that you mean the same were it to apply to Amanda.

If Kyle asks me "Hey, can you make me something so my toes don't tear up the carpet?" - I'm going to help him. Just as I know to say no if he asks "Hey, make me an electro-death ray so I can go wreak havoc on the populace of Salem Center". Yes, Amanda may choose to overextend herself from time to time helping out her people. And if that's too much on anyone's conscience, let it be between them. I'm sure Amanda was forthcoming with Jay about the risks of what he asked for - I happen to know them quite well - and any repercussions should be between them, if you ask me.

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Forge, are you familiar with the prhase 'would give someone the shirt off his back'?

Some people aren't good at saying 'no', even when they should. And it's not a bad trait - generosity of spirit is a good thing. But it can be taken advantage of, by the selfish or the simply careless. Amanda is free to make her own choices... but I will not have those choices influenced by the demands of others.

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Part of what makes me who I am. But only part. Not even the most important part, if any part can be said to be the most important.

I want to identify myself by being, and I know this sounds shocking and radical, myself. Not the green hair, not the parlor tricks with spoons, not the cooking or the philosophy or geophysics or even my relationship to Alex.

Yes, I can do things most people can't. I can do lots of things that you can't. Should I consider you 'just' a human because you don't have the same mutatation as I do? Should I think you're 'just' a child because I'm a few years older? Should I think I'm 'just' adopted because my mother didn't carry me for nine months?

We are not better. We have different abilities but that doesn't make us better. If we were just our mutations, we would not be anything to shout about. We are human. Trying to define us elsewise is bigotry.

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I understand where it comes from. I've been there myself though never about being a mutant. It just upsets me because what I used to do it about was my weight. So obviously, it hits a nerve when I see it done elsewhere.

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-nod-

I just think it's the starting point to a lot of more dangerous thoughts. Dangerous for the thinker, and others. -sigh-

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It is that too. And I can think of one example of how dangerous that invaded the mansion not even two years ago.

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Yes, exactly.

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From a biological standpoint, a mutant saying "we are human" is the same as a human saying "we are Neanderthal". It's a simple statement of fact. If someone wants to use that to assume they're somehow "better" - that's their call.

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Forge, I would not only advise you against it, I would actively restrain you if necessary. You are a student, and we are responsible for you... and really, while hugely dangerous, there's not likely to be anything in a nuclear reactor that I can't repair myself. Were it necessary, *I* would go. Your safety, like Amanda's, is my responsiblity. I would not let either of you put yourselves in unnecessary danger.

What Amanda chooses to do, I repeat, is her own affair. My original post didn't question her judgement, Forge. It questioned everyone else's. And frankly, the outraged insistance that you should all be entitled to ask whatever you wish of her - for the sake of *her* freedom of choice, of course - is not doing anything to improve my opinion of it. If you are so determined that Amanda should be free to do whatever she wishes, then why are you arguing the right of others to pressure her to do things she doesn't necessarily want to?

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I'm slightly bitter about that one too. Not just for all the usual reasons but hell, I had 'just humans' camped out on my lawn claiming I was the daughter of the crazy man with the funny hat. Bigotry in action, folks. Ain't life grand?

Agh. I think I need to chop something into very tiny pieces.

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Speciation has not occured, Forge. The so-called "homo superior" can still interbreed with "homo sapiens", therefor we are still human. Picked up at least that much in bio, thank you very much.

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Aint life grand?
Absolutely.

The 'funny' thing, is, John's probably the only one in the mansion who'd agree with Forge's "just humans" thing, and they'd probably never, ever find anything to agree about again.

Want a sous chef?

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Correct me if I'm wrong (I know you would have anyway but hey) but a homo sapiens sapiens could not breed with a homo neanderthalensis and produce a fertile offspring. Which is not true of a human with the x-gene and a human without it. In reality the closer analogy would be a human with Down's Syndrome and one without, yes?

And regardless, that line of thought leads to discrimination, segregation, bigotry and eventually devaluation of the value of others.

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So does restricting someone's natural ability because you don't trust them with it.

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And if you're going to pretend that line of "everyone's equal because we're all born human", I may have to rethink this bit that everyone's telling me about you being one of the smart ones.

But we've had this particular discussion before, that seemed to go nowhere.

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I may have to rethink this bit that everyone's telling me about you being one of the smart ones.

Bite. Me.

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Christ almighty, she's not being persecuted. I've had the docs tell me the same damn thing. As have my best friend and not a few others around here. That's why we have doctors. To beat us over the head with mallets when we try to overdo it and to beat others off when we think we're some kind of superheroes.

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Want a sous chef?

You're always welcome, Kit-kat.

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