Belgium is considering an expansion of its decade-old euthanasia law to allow minors and Alzheimer’s sufferers to seek permission to die. The Socialist Party’s proposal appears likely to be approved to remove the age limit (of 18 years) for electing euthanasia.
The new law allows for “the law to be extended to minors if they are capable of discernment or affected by an incurable illness or suffering that we cannot alleviate.”
Socialist Senator and drafter Philippe Mahoux said that there had been cases of adolescents who “had the capacity to decide” their future.
I have been a long supporter of the right to die as a basic human right. However, I have great reservations about allowing minors to make such a decision. The articles that I have read do not mention parental consent, which I assume is required in such cases. If parental consent is required, do you believe children should be allowed to elect euthanasia?
Source: France 24
Felix Homogratus, Dimitri Chavkerov Rules! You pay us we post good about us!!
Mike Spindell 1, December 19, 2012 at 8:56 am
Given proper safeguards I think it is fine. We all should have the ability to decide if we want to opt out of this thing we call life. Life should’t be a lifetime sentence for anyone.
“…if we want to opt out of this thing we call life. Life shouldn’t be a lifetime sentence for anyone.”
You were doing so well, until this above. And indeed, I am not surprised. It is so like you, and indeed it goes along with everything you have said so far; it goes along with the spirit of the 60s that is so very prevalent with you!
Anything goes! Let me share with you my thoughts Mike: As you may know, I am an LPN (Licensed Practical nurse…although I went to an RN practice but Jeanne M. Kincaid will not allow me to finish. As I was saying, you were doing so well mike, “Given proper safeguards.”
There is nothing like our modern-day technology keeping people’s body’s alive. I cannot begin to count the many times I took care of a person who was long gone from their body: Is this fair?
Is this fair to keep someone trapped in pain and agony because we can? Who are we to play God? And so, Mike some parents/guardians may refuse to allow a teenager that right of dignity (now that our technology is making the decisions) because of their position as parent. Thus the safeguards Mike:
I would like to see relief for that teen… perhaps guardian ad litems in the interests of that teenager who is racked with a painful and terminal prognosis…he/she should have that right to terminate the extension of suffering. We are at this juncture because of our cerebral capacities and abilities to invent, for clearly if this technology had not come about this would not be a topic, hence death would not be prolonged and people would die…naturally!
We therefore, will have to know and understand that all life is precious; and living as an organism minus our ability to continue as before (not speaking of children/adults with mental retardation) this, subject is for another day: I just want to focus on what is presented here!
“Incurable illness or suffering that we cannot alleviate.” Thus, regardless of age, and with people on either side, we as a civilized and informed compassionate society have that right not to be ruled by our inventions!
Again, let me say, that
“…if we want to opt out of this thing we call life. Life shouldn’t be a lifetime sentence for anyone.”
This phrase above is reductionary in nature, and there is a callous disrespect and disregard for life implied…no wonder the use of the word ‘life-sentence” in the same breath…So mike Spindle!
P Smith, not sure what your annoyance is about. I gave you one example. I did not question your bona fides as per your opinion, just responded, nicely, I thought.
Gene, Thank you for your kind concern.
I hope that your mother is also able to find some helpand that it will be the right year for both of us.
leejcaroll,
I’d like to second what Darren said. I’m late to your comment, but the well wishes for a therapy are no less sincere for their timing. My mother has a neurological disorder that causes her constant pain as well. It can be very frustrating as well as painful. May this year be the year you get a good remedial treatment option.
leejcaroll –
I’m not a doctor, I didn’t claim to have all the answers, and I only listed one possible example. Or did you expect me to scour every medical journal and account for every possible scenario that does or could exist?
The focus of my concern was on kids who don’t want to die and the decision to kill them was made for them by someone else, such as parents or governments.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2010/12/06/f-robert-latimer-compassionate-homicide.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_Hudson_case
Darren, thank you.
(Problem with a cure for trigeminal neuralgia is they have yet to decide on the cause of it, various theories abound but seem to be proven wrong as often as right)
Leecaroll.
Thanks for the info. I hope that one day you will find a cure for this.
Parents should not have the power to compel a child to suffer. -puzzling
True.
I agree with euthanasia, but I don’t know if I could go along with a child being able to make that horrible decision. I may be able to agree with it if parental consent was required. Sad decision.
If parental consent is required,do you believe children should be allowed to elect euthanasia?Yes.
Parents should not have the power to compel a child to suffer.
Darren that makes sense but actually does not work.
The trigeminal nerve is the 5th facial nerve which is responsible mostly for sensation.
(The 7th nerve is facial which thru med mal was injured and caused a full paralysis of that side of my face.)
Because of surgery to the 5th nerve: it has been cleaned of blood vessels (which always grow back) burned by heat, and cut at the root. Unfortunately that has resulted in loss of sensation but it has left phantom pain so that I remain with chronic intractable pain.n
I am a Belgian citizen and while having been in the US for 31 years I still, from time to time, read the news out of that tiny country of ‘mine’. Belgians are quirky. While the general public is quite conservative, Belgians found that it wasn’t the government’s business to interfere with what happens between two (or more) consenting adults in the privacy of their home and approved legalization of gay marriage; they support abortion rights of women as well. I have been surprised by the way the majority of my fellow country men and women deal with issues which are such a huge deal to so many in the US. Yes, give minors the right to die. I do hope that there are some sensible limits to doing this though. A long-time sufferer of chronic pain, I can imagine all too well that people want to opt out of a life of it. While I was in unbearable physical pain for years and felt like death would be the solution, I was lucky to have a supportive husband and doctor who helped me change my mind. I am taking some pain medicine which helps quite a bit and I don’t have to work full-time, allowing for decent periods of rest. I hope that the minors who feel so overwhelmed by their pain and feel hopeless have the support I have before they contemplate killing themselves.
Leejcaroll.
I am curious if surgically severing the facial nerve that causes that pain works to cure the pain, though it would leave paralysis.