h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

i believe that i as a mother if 1 of my children had an illness of a nature that would cause them distress and pain and there was definatly noway of curing them,then yes i would implement euthanasia,
as the childs mother i gave birth to them and no1 but me has the right to take that life and to give my child the pain free dignified death to which they deserve.
god gave us all life but i gave birth to my children and in my personal opinion that gives me the right to do wot i feel is the best for that child under no circumstances would this be done lightly to lose a child is heart breaking but to see 1 living a life u know they would not want is destroying,so yes i do believe we should have the right to give our loved ones the dignified death which we would want for them and for ourselves.

sandie

I presume you are talking about a child when still a minor, but even so, isn't the child entitled to be informed and make decisions about their life? That could well be the choice of refusing treatment, requesting euthanasia or wishing to exist as long as posssible.
If the child's father is part of their life, he should have a say too.

I am a mother also, and while I completly understand where you are coming from,ie: How can we stand by and watch their suffering, I would be very wary of suggesting that a parent is truly entitled to the right to decide if their child lives or dies.
That might be justly placed responsibility in some hands, and a tragic error if put in the hands of a less informed or compasionate parent.
Lets not forget that ANY person in the world can be a parent, and not every parent is a good one. There are some who could easily make the decision to let go of a child who's illness is quite simply too much work and upset for them to comfortably handle, even if that child might still lead a rewarding and loving life if given a chance.

That reminds me of a programme I saw recently about parents struggling to care for disabled children. Certainly one of these was alive because of the medical advances that can now save damaged babies and despite their love for their child, they admitted that sometimes they felt it would have been better if the child had not survived. They would not, though, wish to hasten it's end now.

human emotions are strange things. what we exult in today can cause us remorse tomorrow, and what we fear today, may become a source of strength for our remaining days. We needn't fear pain, but we should realise that our ability to mature in the face of this faceless adversary and adapt ourselves to improve our quality of life is one of the things that makes us human, and uniquely adult.

The value of a human life can never be known, economic or otherwise, and in this void of sorrow and apprehension, should be making life or death decisions?

I don't think so. Let the person live, as the write above says, just as things may get worse, they may improve. The only way to find out is to wait, and learn not to buckle under the psychological pressure.

i was speakin on a personal note wot i would do for 1 of my children,ov course there are some parents who r not as caring as others and all of my children have spoken to me about this,and we have all agreed if it ever comes to this then this is wot they would want,as i have said the same i know my girls would do the same for me too,no child or adult desreves to live a life that isnt a proper 1,life is for every 1 to enjoy to the fullest and if that life is not wot they want and not going to be possible and it will only be full of pain and suffering then i trully believe we should have the right to do wot is in our power to help and to ease that suffering.

sandie

define 'proper' ?

for example, if a person is disabled, or brain damaged, are their lives no longer proper?

J