The Netherlands Euthanizes Terminally Ill Infants

Great minds think alike......I blogged about this earlier.

I cannot see how any good can come from this.  On the one hand I can see why parents of ill newborns would not want them to suffer...but on the other hand, I think that euthanasia is a complicated subject that has repercussions that I'm not sure humanity is ready to deal with.

 

Great minds think alike......I blogged about this earlier.

Many thanks for including me in the great minds comment...I am much humbled by your kind words.

This is a complicated subject, and guidelines definitely have to be set. From what I read of the article, they have been set at what seems like a reasoable place.

It sounds reasonable to me too. I guess change often needs to occur in small steps rather than giant leaps...this particular step seems to me like a ballanced way of approaching an extremely touchy issue.

Just a minor correction to your Blog. It is a hospital (academic one) not a clinic.

So we have started down the slippery slope. Every baby born is terminal. It is a little detailed called life betweeen the ends that makes the difference. I find it the height of arrogance for them to play God. I guess they learned from their nazi masters 60 years ago.

Many thanks for the correction.

And while the slope is slippery, in this case I find that there has been an acceptable foothold placed. Quality of life has to be taken into account when discussing this issue, and irreperable damage resulting in constant and excruciating pain is not something that can be ignored. It is certainly not pleasing, or altogether comforting, to write that I would consider euthanizing my child if he or she were in this condition. However, it is equally as bad to think of my child looking at me with unbearable pain in his or her eyes every day of their life.

I'm not going to touch the nazi comment because I don't want this discussion going there.

And while the slope is slippery, in this case I find that there has been an acceptable foothold placed. Quality of life has to be taken into account when discussing this issue, and irreperable damage resulting in constant and excruciating pain is not something that can be ignored. It is certainly not pleasing, or altogether comforting, to write that I would consider euthanizing my child if he or she were in this condition. However, it is equally as bad to think of my child looking at me with unbearable pain in his or her eyes every day of their life.

Why dont you ask Steven Hawking about Quality of life?

Life is.  There is no substitute.  I still say it is the height of arrogance for anyone to play god.  How do you know what they want?  you dont, you just assume and euthanize.  Assume and Abort.

yes, it has come to that.  The desensitizing of people.  So the Nazi model is realized.

I have never had to make such a decision, and I hope to God I never do. However, I cannot be as quick as you to condemn someone for making this choice. This is a complicated and heartwrenching decision, and I assure you that playing God does not enter into it.

By the way, I told you I didn't want this going to the nazi place. Not only do you try to take it there again, you more or less imply that I am one. Cease and desist, or I gotta take you off here.

I have never had to make such a decision, and I hope to God I never do. However, I cannot be as quick as you to condemn someone for making this choice. This is a complicated and heartwrenching decision, and I assure you that playing God does not enter into it. By the way, I told you I didn't want this going to the nazi place. Not only do you try to take it there again, you more or less imply that I am one. Cease and desist, or I gotta take you off here.

No, I did not take it to the Nazi place.  They did.  I accuse you of nothing more than myopia.

You do learn well.  yea, you have not been there.  I have.  And I love my DS nephew.  He may be a basket case, but he has a life.

When I was saying 'you" I meant the generic you.  You can take that as personal or not.  Simple fact of the matter is, you are right.  You dont know.  And neither do they.  The other simple fact is I dont pretend to.  They do.

Clear enough?

 

 

They pretend to know that someone would prefer death to pain as much as you pretend to know someone would prefer life to pain.

You can take that as personal or not.

I was not in the best of moods when posting my last response. I shouldn't have taken that personally, nor should I have gotten defensive, and I apologize for doing so. However, calling them nazis is still vile and wrong and etc.

People are jumping the gun already about the way this is being implemented. According to what I read and heard about this, it's only being performed on infants that were already dying. They're not going, "Sir, your child might be retarded, or live life with a little pain. Would you like us to kill him/her" It's more like, "Sir, your daughter will probably only survive another day or so. There's absolutely nothing we can do to help her, and she's in a lot of pain. Here's an option..."

I think it's funny that if you bring up abortion, the majority thinks that okay... but you bring up this, and it's greeted with comparisons to Nazis.

Personally, I'm completely against abortion except in extreme situations. Even though rape is a horrible thing, I wouldn't even consider that a situation that would justify murdering the child... but that's for another conversation. I'm against abortion, but I think this sounds perfectly reasonable. In one situation, abortion, the child has no chance. In the other situation, what we're talking about here, the child had a chance... and didn't make it.