Minnesota Judge John Rodenberg has ruled in the case of Daniel Hauser, 13. We discussed this case earlier regarding the religious objections that the parents raised to chemotherapy for Daniel’s cancer –even though he has a 90 percent chance of survival with the treatment and little or no change of survival without it.
Daniel has Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is now considered a highly treatable form of cancer. In his
58-page ruling, Rodenberg found that Daniel has been “medically neglected” and is in need of child protection services. He wrote ” “Brown County (Minnesota) Family services has demonstrated a compelling state interest in the life and welfare of Daniel Hauser sufficient to override the fundamental constitutional rights of both parents and Daniel to the free exercise of religion and the due process right of the parents to direct the religious and other upbringing of the child.”
Daniel opposed the treatment and his court-appointed criticized the ruling, saying
“It marginalizes the decisions that parents face every day in regard to their children’s medical care. It really affirms the role that big government is better at making our decisions for us.”
Former Dem,
You’ve never asnswered an essential question, although its been asked of you time and again, just when were you a member of the Democratic Party, or even voted for it. I suspect it was in a Galaxy long ago and far away. As to how people describe themselves the best answer is at the polls where our President won overwhelmingly.
“FUNNY WE CAN’T FIND JUDGES WILLING TO SAVE BABIES IN THE WOMB”
Band aid,
What’s funny to me is how the anti-abortion movement doesn’t care for babies after they are born and consistently votes for a party that also doesn’t care for babies or people after birth. It’s also funny that this part controlled all three branches of the Federal Government for six years and didn’t do a damn thing about abortion. It’s hilarious because suckers like you give them your slavish support based on one or two issues, when all they’re really interested in is robbing you blind and taking care of their real base, as G.W. Bush put it: “The haves and have-mores.”
Matthew N:
“Religious belief cannot be a rationale for negligence.”
***********
Worse yet it’s becoming a rationale for stupidity among many fundamentalist sects. Note the blood-thirsty outrage among fundy Muslims over a few cartoons or a book that wonders why Mohammad was attracted to a 7 year old girl. In that same vein, how about the apoplectic fundy Catholics outraged that the President of the US will receive an honorary degree and speak at commencement at Notre Dame.
See a pattern?
Fundamentalism = Superstition = Irrational Hated = Oblivion.
The West figured this out about the 18th Century during the Enlightenment (the East got it a lot sooner). Apparently large groups of the religious didn’t get the parchment at all.
As a self-identified conservative (but not a Republican), I am loathe to impinge in the rights of individuals to practice whatever religion they choose. In this case, however, it seems that this child is not being given a fair shake at the life. His parents, by way of their religious beliefs, are depriving him of the healthcare that could greatly extend his life. Like someone earlier said, it is obvious he doesn’t understand how sick he is, so the child is unable to act in his own self interest. I think the state is right to intervene on the child’s behalf. The state makes judgments in the best interests of children in other areas (custody battles, stuff like that), and I see this situation as no different. Religious belief cannot be a rationale for negligence.
On a side note, I am incredibly puzzled at how some fundamentalist sects of religious groups work. Personally, I am not religious, but it seems to me that if God made man, and man made medicine, did not God create medicine?
Bron98:
What I meant was that if that 13 year old kid came up with those particular words, he is a prodigy and needs saving for all our sakes. I think this is a classic balancing of the interests case as the trial judge determined, and though the equities seem fairly even, the fact that a child is involved tilts the scale in favor of court mandated treatment. Were this an adult, I don’t think we’d be having this discussion. Kids get special protection from crazy parents; adults are stuck with them.
mespo, re: dems winning races the repubs should:
Please tell me what a blue dog Democrat is and why Democrats HAVE BEEN REDUCED to running blue dog candidates in elections if they want to win. Could you also tell me where blue dog alliances are; are they with the nancy pelosi loons that represent you and the half dozen SCREWBALLS HERE or are they with Congressman Tanner:
Tanner is a founding member of the fiscally conservative Democratic Blue Dog Coalition with the goal of representing the right of center and appealing to the mainstream values of the American public. The Blue Dogs are dedicated to a core set of beliefs that transcend partisan politics, including a deep commitment to the financial stability and national security of the United States. Currently there are 51 members of the Blue Dog Coalition. For more information, visit the Blue Dog Web site at http://www.house.gov/ross/BlueDogs/.
There are currently 51 Members of the Blue Dog Coalition:
Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Co-chair for Administration
Rep. Baron Hill (IN), Co-chair for Policy
Rep. Charlie Melancon (LA), Co-chair for Communications
Rep. Heath Shuler (NC), Whip
Rep. Jason Altmire (PA)
Rep. Mike Arcuri (NY)
Rep. Joe Baca (CA)
Rep. John Barrow (GA)
Rep. Marion Berry (AR)
Rep. Sanford Bishop (GA)
Rep. Dan Boren (OK)
Rep. Leonard Boswell (IA)
Rep. Allen Boyd (FL)
Rep. Bobby Bright (AL)
Rep. Dennis Cardoza (CA)
Rep. Chris Carney (PA)
Rep. Ben Chandler (KY)
Rep. Travis Childers (MS)
Rep. Jim Cooper (TN)
Rep. Jim Costa (CA)
Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX)
Rep. Lincoln Davis (TN)
Rep. Joe Donnelly (IN)
Rep. Brad Ellsworth (IN)
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (AZ)
Rep. Bart Gordon (TN)
Rep. Parker Griffith (AL)
Rep. Jane Harman (CA)
Rep. Tim Holden (PA)
Rep. Frank Kratovil, Jr. (MD)
Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC)
Rep. Jim Marshall (GA)
Rep. Jim Matheson (UT)
Rep. Mike Michaud (ME)
Rep. Walt Minnick (ID)
Rep. Harry Mitchell (AZ)
Rep. Dennis Moore (KS)
Rep. Patrick Murphy (PA)
Rep. Glenn Nye (VA)
Rep. Collin Peterson (MN)
Rep. Earl Pomeroy (ND)
Rep. Mike Ross (AR)
Rep. John Salazar (CO)
Rep. Loretta Sanchez (CA)
Rep. Adam Schiff (CA)
Rep. David Scott (GA)
Rep. Zack Space (OH)
Rep. John Tanner (TN)
Rep. Gene Taylor (MS)
Rep. Mike Thompson (CA)
Rep. Charles Wilson (OH)
Mespo, you are an idiot.
Mespo:
““It marginalizes the decisions that parents face every day in regard to their children’s medical care. It really affirms the role that big government is better at making our decisions for us,” now there’s a boy who has to be saved.”
you aren’t really serious are you? Obviously you want the child to live, I am talking about government being better able to take decisions for us?
I really hope you are not advocating government control, it would be extremely depressing in light of all your posts about individual rights.
ba,
I too do not understand why Mr. Olbermann uses that acronym for one of his programs and it is crass. Therefore, I would never watch *that* segment; however, those are Olbermann’s free speech rights and Professor Turley is not generally responsible for what other people say a do in public places or private businesses, except, for example, the general rules he sets for his own public blawg here.
Former Dem:
“I would say the Gallup polls coming out now showing Republicans ahead of Democrats in almost every issue and ahead in generic head to head races means your 21% is MEANINGLESS.”
**************
You guys are 0-7 in House races in jurisdictions you should win by 10 or more points. Should I believe you or my lying eyes?
TO ALL:
I found this site and it is fantastic. Please take a look at this introduction if you are unaware of it. The site is called WolframAlfa and it is a search engine but something more. It appears to mimic the human brain in data retrieval and the ability to perform complex and abstract organizations of knowledge. It is also a computational engine and for those that like stocks it may be invaluable in determining historical data and extrapolating future trends/outcomes. Here is the web address for a 13 min. introduction by the inventor/developer. It is well worth the 13 minuets.
http://www.wolframalpha.com/screencast/introducingwolframalpha.html
Less than $40 describes themselves as Liberals?!?! I guess money really does talk!! Wow
mespo, funny how 60% of America has consistantly described themselves as CONSERVATIVES while less than 40$ describe themselves as LIBERALS.
I would say the Gallup polls coming out now showing Republicans ahead of Democrats in almost every issue and ahead in generic head to head races means your 21% is MEANINGLESS.
So while conservatives have serveral parties to identify their beliefs with while liberals have basically one – the Democrats (unless of course you want to call the few in number “GREEN” party or Communist party part of your “COALITION” of Democrats.
band aid:
I like your neo-con black and white world where discretion and judgment have no place. It’s either one extreme or the other and every conservative notion is absolute. Pity your world is shrinking (21% still deluded by the last count). It makes a great social experiment in how fast a society can crumble. But wait we’ve already “been there and done that,” I think that prior social experiment was called the Third Reich. Are you guys really going for four?
mespo, so in wacky mespo world, what happens to parents that actually READ and then DECLINE to sign the releases hospitals & doctors ask for signature on before a procedure on their children. Do they go to jail also? Are we to the point that the state can completely subvert parental decisions?
You can’t have it both ways, oh excuse me, in wacky mespo world YOU CAN!
Constitutional rights are not absolute as we all know. I have no right to sacrifice my child in some pagan religious ritual as Jonolan seems to be advocating. Judge Rodenburg seems to me to strike the right balance between preserving the life of a child so deluded by religion and emotionally handicapped by his parents that he cannot think for himself, and protecting the rights of the deluded parents. Who says religious nuts don’t have rights too? Not sure if Daniel made the closing remark or his lawyer, but if Daniel, age 13, really said, “It marginalizes the decisions that parents face every day in regard to their children’s medical care. It really affirms the role that big government is better at making our decisions for us,” now there’s a boy who has to be saved.
Georgia college student saves lives with gun; Ohio’s defenseless students targeted by criminals
5/15/09
One of the principle claims made in Diane Sawyer’s rigged campus carry experiment, recently aired on ABC’s 20/20, was that having a gun wouldn’t protect a college student, that ordinary people like college students aren’t trained to handle stress, that they might shoot innocent people, and that the bad guy might take their gun away.
Apparently someone forgot to tell a student in College Park, GA that they were better off without having a gun ready at hand…and at least ten college students say they are alive today because of it.
A group of college students said they are lucky to be alive and they’re thanking the quick-thinking of one of their own. Police said a fellow student shot and killed one of two masked me who burst into an apartment.
Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones met with one of the students to talk about the incident.
“Apparently, his intent was to rape and murder us all,” said student Charles Bailey.
Bailey said he thought it was the end of his life and the lives of the 10 people inside his apartment for a birthday party after two masked men with guns burst in through a patio door.
“They just came in and separated the men from the women and said, ‘Give me your wallets and cell phones,'” said George Williams of the College Park Police Department.
The story says that’s when one student grabbed a gun out of a backpack and shot at the invader who was watching the men. The gunman ran out of the apartment.
The student then ran to the room where the second gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Calvin Lavant, was holding the women.
“Apparently the guy was getting ready to rape his girlfriend. So he told the girls to get down and he started shooting. The guy jumped out of the window,” said Bailey.
Lavant was found dead near his apartment, only one building away.
Bailey said he is just thankful one student risked his life to keep others alive.
Police told the media they are close to making the arrest of the second suspect.
Meanwhile, back in Ohio, officials at The Ohio State University say that the increasingly high level of street-level crimes – thefts, robberies, assaults and break-ins – in the University District is no coincidence. In fact, criminals are targeting students specifically because they know they’ll be defenseless.
Let me see – the child, who is the patient, doesn’t want the treatment because it would violate his religious beliefs. His parents don’t want the treatment because it would violate their religious beliefs. But the court doesn’t care about that or the 1st Amendment and essentially declares the parents unfit…
So we have an early step towards deciding that religious / philosophical beliefs are grounds for taking children into state custody. Nice. 🙁
Bet Turley’s family is impressed with being a guest on a TV show…
with a WTF segment……….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
uh, maybe Turely doesn’t know what the acronym W T F stands for…………
Talk about being on LOW CLASS TV network.
I don’t think that this child fully understands the seriousness of this cancer that he has. If you read the article, it says that he is learning disabled and cannot read (I read that here http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/may/16/teen-family-cannot-refuse-chemo/)
And how is a 13 yr old considered an elder in a church?
I believe that the boy is being misled by his parents and his church. He most likely, will physically fight off the doctors and end up dying from this cancer. And the parents will have no one to blame but themselves.
FUNNY WE CAN’T FIND JUDGES WILLING TO SAVE BABIES IN THE WOMB:
May 15, 2009
More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time
Fewer think abortion should be legal “under any circumstances”by
PRINCETON, NJ — A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves “pro-life” on the issue of abortion and 42% “pro-choice.” This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.
The new results, obtained from Gallup’s annual Values and Beliefs survey, represent a significant shift from a year ago, when 50% were pro-choice and 44% pro-life. Prior to now, the highest percentage identifying as pro-life was 46%, in both August 2001 and May 2002.
The May 2009 survey documents comparable changes in public views about the legality of abortion. In answer to a question providing three options for the extent to which abortion should be legal, about as many Americans now say the procedure should be illegal in all circumstances (23%) as say it should be legal under any circumstances (22%). This contrasts with the last four years, when Gallup found a strong tilt of public attitudes in favor of unrestricted abortion.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/118399/More-Americans-Pro-Life-Than-Pro-Choice-First-Time.aspx