This is part of an article -

When I hear of parents of children with autism or other disabling illnesses taking the children's lives to spare them of a life of indignity and struggle, I certainly have pity, empathy, and a level of understanding. But then I have to come back to the thought, "Whose life is it?" Euthanasia is different from suicide in that death comes by another's hand. I am afraid that I understand the motivation that some may have to take their own lives (I have been there before). But life is so unpredictable that the things that may look unbearable today may be gone or changed the very next morning. How sad to think, "If he had only waited one more day!" But euthanasia takes the decision not only away from God but away from the person.

Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Oregon. Euthanasia literally means the "good death" or "well death". It sounds so peaceful, so good. It is called "mercy killing". It is designed to ease the suffering of terminally ill patients.

The problem with things that sound good is the principle of unintended consequences. Most of us would say, "Well, I am not the one suffering so I understand how a person could not want to live anymore." We are a compassionate people. Some of us have been in pain and understand the desire to be free of it. The unintended consequence here is that when you give a person the authority over another's life, sometimes they take it. A "terminal illness" seems pretty clear cut but how about a "life not worth living"? Is it "fair" to keep people alive when they want to be dead? or when they cannot tell us they want to be dead?

Let's look at what's happening in Holland. In 1984 euthanasia ceased to be  a crime in Holland (the Netherlands). In the beginning there were detailed criteria for when a patient could be euthanized. But as with all things, the criteria expanded and was loosened. Today there is great concern that the physicians who make such decisions have already made a decision for death over the opposite wishes of the people and families involved. In some cases people with depression (but no terminal illness) have been euthanized. Now Holland wants to legalize child euthanasia. How long before children with disabilities are "chosen" by the physicians for the "good death"? The T-4 Program in Nazi Germany killed thousands of people with disabilities. Their reasoning is eerily similar to arguments heard today in Holland. Are children with autism candidates for the "good death"? Taking control of decisions about life or death is taking on a decision that was never ours to begin with. God reserves this right for Himself.

What can I do? Fight for the life of all people. Terri Schiavo is a woman who suffered a mysterious illness and is now bed-ridden and brain-damaged. She cannot talk or move the way she wants to. Her husband, who has already fathered children with his girlfriend, wants to take away Terri's feeding tube. It is being called euthanasia. Can anyone honestly describe starving to death as a "good death"? Terri does not have autism but you can see that some day a people who would allow Terri to be starved to death could decide that a child with autism needs to be spared of a life of non-communication, pain, and suffering. And what about his family? And what about the drain on our education system? And what about the tax money that will be spent to care for him for the rest of his life? Dear parents, please stand up before there is no one left to stand up for those who are too weak to fight or too unaware to say no! Proverbs 24:11-12 says, "Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to death; don't stand back and let them die. Don't try to avoid responsibility by saying you didn't know about it. For God knows all hearts, and he sees you. He keeps watch over your soul, and he knows you knew! And he will judge all people according to what they have done."

May God help our nation. Already Oregon allows euthanasia in certain situations. If things go as they have in Holland, it will not stop there.

Most of you have read the story called Welcome to Holland. It tells of a person planning a trip to Italy and suddenly arrives in Holland through some unexplained accident. The point of the story is that autism or some other developmental disability is a little like winding up in a different country. It's not what you expected but it's still a lovely place to be. Of course, many parents of kids with autism have taken exception to that nice little story (see Holland, Schmolland). Well, children with autism do not need to take that other trip to Holland. Make sure that some doctor some day does not pull you aside after lecturing you on the peace that can be had in death and say to you and your child, "Welcome to Holland." ~GJH~ (9-20-2004)
http://groups.msn.com/TheAutismHomePage/...ities.msnw

Ugh I have been following the Terri Schiavo case and in some ways it's right, who's to stop there. The guy was given so many concessions by the legal team of her parents and such, he just wants the money to have her dead now instead of having to wait to later! This so pisses me off!  :evil:

What's the next excuse, we're different not incapable of handling life.

This almost made me sick to think that a child unable to decide for themselves could have their life taken. That isn't euthanasia - that's murder.

In Holland people with disabilities have cards in their wallets, begging doctors to treat them instead of killing them if they are in an accident!

I think it was two years ago that it became legal in Holland for sixteen-year-olds who didn't want to live any more (for any reason at all) to ask a doctor to euthanize them, without their parent's consent. And a twelve- to 16-year-old child only needs the consent of one parent.

Everybody knows that the teenage years are a often a stressful time for kids (even NTs), and that many kids think of suicide. In Holland, if they feel depressed and want to kill themselves, they can just go to their doctor and get their wish. The parents don't even have to be notified of that wish if the kid is 16 or over (they'll just get told afterwards that their child is dead). Imagine being that parent! Whatever happened to counseling, to get somebody through their depression?

And the Terri Shiavo case is just sickening. That judge who keeps giving in to her husband ought to be fired for incompetence. Maybe he should watch somebody be starved to death to understand what he is doing!

Yes, Brightman, I was just saying to my husband that what is happening in Holland is exactly what happened under Hitler! It's truly frightening. When I grew up, there were no handicapped adults around, they had all been killed by Hitler. Mentally handicapped older adults were a curious sight to me when I first came to Canada, I had really never seen any before.

Edit: Whatever happened to Brightman's post, which came right after mine? He was asking if anybody noticed the similarity to post-war Germany.

I deleted it because I though it would drag the thread off topic, thanks for replying though.

I just don't know what to say to this.  I'm disgusted, appalled, sickened htat any one would/could think or killing ther child just because they were autistic.  I know sometimes I get stressed and can't handle Evan but when even then he is my little boy, my first born and I love him to pieces I could never envision life without him.

Thats just sick!

Of course, you are right, it would be murder. I also think it is murder in every other case of euthanasia, especially in older children. Do you know any 12-year-old who is responsible enough (and logical enough) to make life and death decisions?

But with younger children it would be no different from taking your dog to be put down. It makes me feel physically ill to just think about it. And I am sure autistic kids would be prime candidates.  :cry:

It's not quite that simple, they have to be terminally ill and have no other current choices open to them to ease their suffering:

http://www.nvve.nl/english/info/euthlawenglish.htm

That looks very nice and reasonable on paper. Unfortunately, in practice it isn't always followed. I read of cases were for instance, the doctor deemed a girls life no longer worth living who had cancer (she was 16) and gave her an injection to kill her instead of a painkiller, without anybody's knowledge. In a country were people are legally killed in the guise of mercy, this is not unusual.

Once euthanasia in any form is legalized, it's a steady slide down a slippery slope, and will eventually inevitably end with all undesirables being killed. It's just a matter of time.

If someone is terminally ill with no chance of recovery and/or no chance of a normal life then i personally believe they should have the right to choose themselves to end their life. However, it has to be their choice. If someone else chooses for them, it's still just murder.

Once euthanasia in any form is legalized, it's a steady slide down a slippery slope, and will eventually inevitably end with all undesirables being killed. It's just a matter of time.

They started that a while ago in Britain, NHS waiting lists for life saving operations can take up to 2 years, unless your elderly in which case you don't qualify at all (they wont tell you this of course but figures speak for themselves). The wait to see a psychiatrist if you are suicidal is 6 months on average. I don't think thats an accident.

6 months is good for some areas, also after 6 months it is only an assessment, you then have to wait months more to actually get an appointment.

Maybe there's a danger of the Slippery Slope. But I'm much more afraid of being told, "Tough ***, you've just gotta suffer".

I'm just not willing to put myself through a torture chamber to save some handicapped child who *might* want to live.

Evidently a lot more people feel as I do, namely that they fear the process of being disabled and in pain more than they fear death. Isn't that why the euthanasia laws of Holland were recently copied  in Belgium?

Incidentally, the people of Belgium and Holland suffered more from the Nazis than we Americans did!

One more thing: I heard that the interest in palliative care has evaporated in the Netherlands. Maybe few people *do* want to live if disabled and in pain for a long period of time. So, perhaps, what has to be done is to keep people from getting into that situation -- or to postpone it for as long as humanly possible -- and the heck with palliative care!

One more thing: When I wanted a vasectomy, I was likewise told: "No, you'll change". I wanted to have sex without fear of being dragged into the child-raising business. So what? To make a long story short, they were willing to do it for me in a place outside the USA. And after some 35 years I still don't regret it.
[/quote]

"Incidentally, the people of Belgium and Holland suffered more from the Nazis than we Americans did! "

I presume that you are talking about the USA there, not the UK.