Quite a masterful post there by our anonymous genius, mr.x. you should really start writing for some kind of newspaper, underground magazine, etc. I AM SERIOUS. the crazy punks who put those babies out would love your 2 cents. even something more mainstream might be possible.
Anyway. regarding assisted suicide. recently I attended a lecture here at CHOP on medical ethics, and interestingly, the idea of "shutting off life support and letting nature take its course" started with newborns with serious medical problems, back in the 60's and 70's. there was a huge issue of whether parents should be allowed to make the call. it would seem intuitive that they do so, but there were some concerns raised that parents would opt for death if they thought that the child would be too much of a burden in life. kind of morbid, but the concern was there.
Basically, now the guidelines (for adults) are that the family can make the decision, or if someone close to the person had heard verbatim from the person that they would have wanted to live more naturally, they follow that directive. with the case of terry shiavo in florida, fyi a woman who has been on a feeding tube for over 10 years, there's the issue of husband vs. parents. it is ironic that jeb bush, who is so opposed to gay marriage, because it violoates the holy institution of marriage, would say that the husband, part of that holy institution, would not be responsible for such a decision.
as the rules stand now, it is important to look at how the person is being kept alive. it is the idea of natural vs. unnatural life support. the supreme crt deemed anything that is administered by a nurse or non-family member unnatural. if the family member is responsible for that level of care, it is natural. that really helps define things. so it is okay to remove all services provided by non-family members- that is considered to be invasive. anything else might fall under euthanasia.
it comes down to the whole "preserving life at all costs" thing. I mean, my opinion is clear. if someone does not want to suffer further (if they are still conscious), or would not have wanted to live in a permanent vegetative state, the plug should be pulled. it eases many burdens: most importantly, the emotional and financial burden on the family. I think people are afraid that we will be killing off criples and old people, ala the nazis. but that kind of knee jerk is not appropriate in these cases.
it also comes down to the right to choose. ooh, sticky topic. wont' touch that now.
essentially, science has prolonged life, but at what cost? we must think in a more human sense, and a realistic sense. I see it often in the NICU. doctors struggling between doing everything they can, and knowing the suffering of this new life. the issue is being addressed here every day. they can save babies who weigh 1000 grams, but what will happen to that baby in teh long run? should a line be drawn?
so many open ended quesitons....
regarding iraq. we can only ready ourselves for the worst.
with love,
H

- posted by H @ 11/10/2004 09:09:00 AM