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Edited by Psy:
1/10/2014 2:04:40 PM
46
Should Children be allowed to ask for Euthanasia?
I just found this on the BBC website and hoooly shit does this raise some difficult questions.
Basically in Belgium they are planning/debating to allow Children of any age to request Euthanasia if they are dying from a painful terminal disease. Some people see this as a gesture of mercy, ending the suffering of those in agony. Others see it as madness that they are considering to allow children to request euthanasia.
Personally?
I think that whilst it might seem horrific, it's the right thing. If a child is dying anyway, shouldn't they be allowed to go peacefully with their friends and family rather than coughing blood up and passing out until the flatline noise is heard?
Link to the Article
[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25651758]Right to Die[/url]
[quote][u]A breakdown of the bill and explanation of the content by a Belgian Law Student :D[/u]
Since some of people don't seem to know exactly what the bill entails and are jumping to the wrong conclusions ("they're just letting a child decide to die???"), I'll explain it a little further.
The current Euthanasia Law in Belgium states that any adult can request and receive euthanasia under certain conditions. This proposal seeks to amend the law and expand it to people of any age, being children.
For a child to request euthanasia, he or she needs to be:
-fully capable of judgment, understanding and rationale at the time of the decision
-in a 'medically hopeless scenario of intolerable and continuous pain that can not be relieved and will lead to death within a short time, as a result of a severe and incurable condition'
If the child decides to request the procedure, the assistance, advice and evaluation by both a youth psychiatrist and psychologist are mandatory. That specialist will get familiar with the child's medical file, personality, capability of judgment, understanding of the procedure and its consequnces.
Those findings will be written down in a report that will then be evaluated by the doctors responsible for the child's treatment. They take it up with the parents or legal guardian of the child, who need to consent with the procedure too.
Furthermore, the doctor in charge needs to educate the child about the entire procedure. All possible scenarios need to be evaluated and it is only if the child fully understands everything as best as possible, if the doctor reaches the conclusion that this is the best (and only reasonable) solution and that the child decides this without any coercion, that the procedure can continue.
Also, if it seems that the patient's death is not due within a short period of time, a panel will be involved to give a second opinion and re-evaluate everything before making the final choice.[/quote]
I know the Poll is worded strongly, but I expect to see some pretty strong emotive responses to this hence the clear cut answers.
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3 RepliesSince some of people don't seem to know exactly what the bill entails and are jumping to the wrong conclusions ("they're just letting a child decide to die???"), I'll explain it a little further. The current Euthanasia Law in Belgium states that any adult can request and receive euthanasia under certain conditions. This proposal seeks to amend the law and expand it to people of any age, being children. For a child to request euthanasia, he or she needs to be: -fully capable of judgment, understanding and rationale at the time of the decision -in a 'medically hopeless scenario of intolerable and continuous pain that can not be relieved and will lead to death within a short time, as a result of a severe and incurable condition' If the child decides to request the procedure, the assistance, advice and evaluation by both a youth psychiatrist and psychologist are mandatory. That specialist will get familiar with the child's medical file, personality, capability of judgment, understanding of the procedure and its consequnces. Those findings will be written down in a report that will then be evaluated by the doctors responsible for the child's treatment. They take it up with the parents or legal guardian of the child, who need to consent with the procedure too. Furthermore, the doctor in charge needs to educate the child about the entire procedure. All possible scenarios need to be evaluated and it is only if the child fully understands everything as best as possible, if the doctor reaches the conclusion that this is the best (and only reasonable) solution and that the child decides this without any coercion, that the procedure can continue. Also, if it seems that the patient's death is not due within a short period of time, a panel will be involved to give a second opinion and re-evaluate everything before making the final choice.
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2 RepliesThey have a whole life to love ahead of them, a whole world to see. It may bring sadness and happiness, grief or joy but as a child they may not have the will to carry on. They must not be given the decision on there own life simply because they have not yet had a chance to live one.
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This situation is to complex for me to have an opinion for one side or the other, without any remote source of a past experience in this area.
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I say yes but I can't imagine what it would be like being the parent of that unfortunate child.
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2 RepliesSince they're minors, they could urge their parent/guardian to push for euthanasia, but they can't request it themselves. [assuming they live somewhere where euthanasia is legal]
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Edited by Ossku: 1/9/2014 8:42:21 PMI see nothing wrong with it. Why should they suffer because someone other than themselves want to see them. If they are in pain, its their decision, not someone elses.
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Edited by Legend To None: 1/9/2014 7:47:07 PMIf this were to happen I say the child's vote should count for 55% since you know its his life and he's feeling the pain[spoiler]Do the math and you'll find that I'm saying Yes[/spoiler]
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I find this disturbing. You cant allow a child to make that kind of decision.
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sometimes medical miracles happen, and children can pull through. but for the most part, there's nothing to be done. yeah, if the child understands what they're asking for and has time to discuss it with their parents then i don't see any problem with this. its basically extending the right of assisted suicide to everyone, and thats a good thing.
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Wow. Just...wow. On one hand they are kids, what could they know. On the other hand, they have incredibly painful diseases that will not be cured. Thank goodness that there can only be a handful that have this as an option. I don't know. I really don't. Kids don't understand death, but these kids are facing it. They know they will die. And what are they missing? Pain, misery... But to make that call... I refuse to answer this question beyond saying that I wish it on no one. This thread had depressed me, and I must go play with Nicholas to cheer me up a little.
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Only if they know what happens, chances of living, etc.
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No. I agree completely that as long as you are alive you still have something to fight for, and there's [i]always[/i] another reason to keep on living.
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[quote]if they are dying from a painful terminal disease[/quote] If that's the case then how could anyone be against it?
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I'm going to say no. But that's tough. #lemons
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Resounding YES on this one.
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Edited by Hawke: 1/10/2014 1:34:20 AM"It's their body." "It's their choice." Plus, if they really want to die, they'll find a way. HOWEVER: I only support this if there is a 100% chance that they will die.
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It's pure selfishness for a parent to force the prolonging of a terminally ill child because they can't cope with the loss. A good parent, knowing full well their child is suffering and has no possibility of surviving, would allow euthanasia. Just my 2 cents
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Oh god I feel horrible... [spoiler]I regret nothing![/spoiler]
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Leaving a choice up to the kid is rather rash Kids can't really make the best decisions but no one knows what they're going through...hmmmm This is a hard one I would say no if it was solely the kid's choice I would rather have them to something like a court where a jury looks over the "evidence" for euthanasia Also they would have to spend time with the kid to get to know who they really are
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As someone who has lost family members to terminal diseases, I say no, this is not right. Believe me, I know they were in horrible pain before they died, but I [I]know[/I] that to them, spending every last possible minute with the people they cared about was far more important than ending the pain they were feeling. I've seen family members hang on to life just long enough to say goodbye to that one last person they loved. This is something people don't see when this sort of thing is debated academically. People generally assume that it's the parent or the loved one who wants to keep their terminally ill loved one around, and that he or she just wants to be put out of their misery. Words like "selfishness" get tossed around, but more often then not, it is the dying who want to make their time last as long as possible. It's not easy seeing this through to the end, but it's better than cutting it short.
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3 RepliesEuthanasia, eh?
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2 Replies[quote]No, this is madness.[/quote]You're really just asking for it now, aren't you? Madness? THIS IS SPARTA! [i]kicks OP into #Destiny[/i]
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Edited by abba61: 1/10/2014 2:17:23 AMMy guy feeling is it should be allowed, personally me and my dad have agreed if we are suffering later Alzheimer's we will let ourselves die if there is a chance. Like if we need surgery we will refuse it because it is not a quality of life worth living.
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4 RepliesBelgian Master's in Law student here. I personally approve of this proposal and believe that it will be made into law soon. As this proposal of law is subject to the optional bi-chamber procedure, it has been approved by the Senate and is now currently being treated by the Chamber of Representatives, which has the final say in the procedure. [url=http://www.senate.be/www/?MIval=/dossier&LEG=5&NR=2170&LANG=nl]Here[/url] is the actual proposition and chronology of the law, in case anyone would be interested. Which will be no one, of course.
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Isn't that a Megadeth album?
