[QUOTE]A terminally ill 17-year-old has become the first minor to be helped to die in Belgium since age restrictions on euthanasia requests were removed two years ago, officials say.
The head of the federal euthanasia commission said the teenager was "suffering unbearable physical pain".
Belgium is the only country that allows minors of any age to choose euthanasia.
They must have rational decision-making capacity and be in the final stages of a terminal illness.
The parents of those under 18 must also give their consent.
Euthanasia commission head Wim Distelmans said the teenager was "nearly 18". He said doctors used "palliative sedation", which involves putting patients into an induced coma, as part of the process.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37395286[/url]
[url]http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/17/17-year-old-becomes-first-minor-to-die-by-euthanasia-in-belgium[/url]
[quote]The parents of those under 18 must also give their consent.[/quote]
I disagree with that.
[QUOTE=download;51068839]I disagree with that.[/QUOTE]
Agreed, Article 12 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNHCR) states:
[QUOTE]1. States Parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child.
2. For this purpose, the child shall in particular be provided the opportunity to be heard in any judicial and administrative proceedings affecting the child, either directly, or through a representative or an appropriate body, in a manner consistent with the procedural rules of national law.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=download;51068839]I disagree with that.[/QUOTE]
Especially considering how many awful parents make their kids with terminal illness suffer longer, withhold modern medicine to try some eastern snake oil BS
[QUOTE=download;51068839]I disagree with that.[/QUOTE]
I don't like it, but if it weren't in place, you'd have parents believing that the government has the right to kill their kids.
What was the kid terminally ill with? I'm all for euthanasia and I would most likely do it myself if I was suffering really bad and knew I was dead anyways, but I'd still be shit-scared doing it. I watched a documentary on it and it was so sad. I'm glad the kid was allowed to make his own choice. My heart goes out to others less fortunate who either have parents forbid them from going through with it or people in countries where euthanasia is illegal.
imagine the impact this would have on the doctors. not being able to save someone is one thing, but killing them on purpose is something else entirely. and having the first person to go through with it be a kid really sets an awful tone
[QUOTE=butre;51069519]imagine the impact this would have on the doctors. not being able to save someone is one thing, but killing them on purpose is something else entirely. and having the first person to go through with it be a kid really sets an awful tone[/QUOTE]
imagine having a child suffer horribly because no one has the balls to put him or her out of suffering
[QUOTE=butre;51069519]imagine the impact this would have on the doctors. not being able to save someone is one thing, but killing them on purpose is something else entirely. and having the first person to go through with it be a kid really sets an awful tone[/QUOTE]
maybe you're just one-off, but I think a vast majority of doctors would feel happy helping someone in immense pain end their suffering. If I were a doctor, I would feel no guilt or remorse in euthanising someone who wanted it. I'd feel deeply sad - sad that I couldn't save them - but overall I would be happy and at ease with myself knowing I did what little I could to help them, instead of sitting there refusing them treatment and letting them suffer for months on end.
[QUOTE=Kylel999;51068847]Especially considering how many awful parents make their kids with terminal illness suffer longer, withhold modern medicine to try some eastern snake oil BS[/QUOTE]
How is it the parents fault? They can't exactly murder the child and end the suffering themselves without going to jail.
Just from an abstract moral perspective, it seems more difficult to call this murder than some other killing. Murder is defined as illegal homicide, but then that seems to divert all responsibility away from abstraction and towards whether or not the authorities happen to condone it. To remove that paternal factor would leave seemingly only right of consent. However, that would then have to be distinguished from cases of suicide as those cases are similarly only dependent on the attitude of the one to die.
I think in an ideal world we would have a cure for this, but in this world our response must be much more complicated. Would it make a difference if the method of ending their life was a denial (of food) or an action (an injection)?
[QUOTE=butre;51069519]imagine the impact this would have on the doctors. not being able to save someone is one thing, but killing them on purpose is something else entirely. and having the first person to go through with it be a kid really sets an awful tone[/QUOTE]
While it's true that the creed of medicine is to "Do no harm", it's actually a bit greyer. After all, the very aspect of surgery is harming to heal. In this case, the person in question was terminal and forcing them to continue to live is very much harming them because it's impacting their quality of life.
I've been around terminally ill people and I've watched them die. It's not something quick; it's a long, drawn out process where their body slowly shuts down and it's a horrible feeling knowing that they're suffering and there's nothing that can be done about it.
Is suicide selfish? I'm sort of inclined to believe it is.
I love who pro-euthanasia people assume how doctors would be for this blatant harmful to a human, because they think so.
Yeah, no, doctors goal is to cure and heal people not to support individual life choices even when harmful. Euthanasia is a blatant contradiction to what doctors strive for.
[QUOTE=proboardslol;51070622]Is suicide selfish? I'm sort of inclined to believe it is.[/QUOTE]
Letting someone suffer in immense pain for years without any hope if fixing them is selfish.
[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51070641]I love who pro-euthanasia people assume how doctors would be for this blatant harmful to a human, because they think so.
Yeah, no, doctors goal is to cure and heal people not to support individual life choices even when harmful. Euthanasia is a blatant contradiction to what doctors strive for.[/QUOTE]
You've got no idea what you're talking about. Euthanasia is an option for people with terminal illnesses that will get worse over time, for whom life will be a living hell and whom medical science cannot help. If they choose to end their lives, and a doctor assists them in doing so, then that doctor is honouring that patient's choice and saving them from all the suffering they'd have to endure if they were not granted the right to end their own life. Your idea is short-sighted and absurdly selfish.
[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51070641]I love who pro-euthanasia people assume how doctors would be for this blatant harmful to a human, because they think so.
Yeah, no, doctors goal is to cure and heal people not to support individual life choices even when harmful. Euthanasia is a blatant contradiction to what doctors strive for.[/QUOTE]
Why should we force people suffering from debilitating and incurable illness to suffer bedridden for years before dying when we can end it painlessly and quickly.
[QUOTE=Kyle902;51070660]Why should we force people suffering from debilitating and incurable illness to suffer bedridden for years before dying when we can end it painlessly and quickly.[/QUOTE]
Because killing is wrong.
[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51070674]Because killing is wrong.[/QUOTE]
Letting people suffer is even worse
[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51070674]Because killing is wrong.[/QUOTE]
Doctor's already willingly kill patients all the time, what do you think happens when families order that life support be pulled?
[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51070674]Because killing is wrong.[/QUOTE]
According to who?
furthermore what is worse, prolonged and painful death, or a quick and painless death?
[QUOTE=Kyle902;51070684]furthermore what is worse, prolonged and painful death, or a quick and painless death?[/QUOTE]
Arguably the death these people will get won't be painless since they're doing it due to pain reasons.
[QUOTE=rndgenerator;51070687]Arguably the death these people will get won't be painless since they're doing it due to pain reasons.[/QUOTE]
That makes literally no sense.
[QUOTE=proboardslol;51070622]Is suicide selfish? I'm sort of inclined to believe it is.[/QUOTE]
The flip side to that is that keeping someone who is suffering greatly alive just to make those around them feel better is selfish as well.
[QUOTE=Kyle902;51070684]furthermore what is worse, prolonged and painful death, or a quick and painless death?[/QUOTE]
You are missing one crucial thing. One is the will of the patient, the other one is forced suffering usually because of some words in law books.
[QUOTE=Kyle902;51070682]Doctor's already willingly kill patients all the time, what do you think happens when families order that life support be pulled?[/QUOTE]
Overwhelming majority of doctors don't do that.
[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51070728]Overwhelming majority of doctors don't do that.[/QUOTE]
No? We had an presigned agreement that stated life support has to be pulled 2 weeks after it being put on it if there was no improvement for my grandfather. To my knowledge this is a common practice in the US.
[QUOTE=archangel125;51070683]According to who?[/QUOTE]
According to moral foundations of both Christian and Western societies?
[editline]18th September 2016[/editline]
[QUOTE=Headhumpy;51070717]The flip side to that is that keeping someone who is suffering greatly alive just to make those around them feel better is selfish as well.[/QUOTE]
I don't think you even know what word selfish means.
[QUOTE=CroGamer002;51070728]Overwhelming majority of doctors don't do that.[/QUOTE]
paging actual doctor Zonesylvania
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