Sleepy-eyed View

Since my highly demanding life and other aspiring aspirations have kinda sorta kept me from blogging, maybe I ought to catch you up on all things I think.

Let's start with the story out of Sleepy Eye, Minnesota, where the issue of parents' rights is at stake.

There are a lot of variables to consider in this episode involving a 13-year-old boy with Stage 2B Hodgkin's lymphoma and his mother's initial refusal to treat him with chemotherapy. The doctor involved in the treatment reported that he had upwards of an 80 to 90 percent chance of survival with treatment and less than five percent without. I'll give the doctor the benefit of the doubt, and suggest that he is well-meaning in reporting the mother to the authorities on the grounds of child neglect, but that doesn't give society the right to force people to do what they object to doing--particularly with their minor children.

I had the same view during the Elian Gonzalez story, that even if we felt collectively that the boy's father would return Elian to Cuba as a ward of the state, it was his right to do so. These are private issues of conscience and should not be group-thought toward solution. When we call out the dogs on something that appears to be a matter of life and death we invariably unravel lesser concerns, that are tied to the same rights. We can not whittle down a parent's right to make informed decisions about the welfare, education, and development of their children--even if most people agree on the substance of that decision. We are losing these rights in our country, and it's time it stopped.

Comments

[Bethany]

It seems that allowing a parent to withhold life-saving care with a very high success rate from a sick chid is close to allowing them to kill their child. We remove children from homes where they are being abused, why would we allow a child to stay in a home where they are being denied life-saving medical care? I don't think these parents are abusive but I do think they are neglectful...if we say that we should not be allowed to infringe on parental rights in this type of case, we could never justify making abortion illegal because it's very similar - choosing life or death for you child. I don't know...interested to hear your thoughts Vanny

[johnvano]

I think its important that alternative forms of cancer treatment be recognized and that a patient or their guardian be given the opportunity to pursue those and not necessarily take radiation and chemo if they believe something else might be more beneficial.

It's important we recognize conscientious objections. Some don't want any surgeries, and while that may seem wrong to us, it is a person's right. And ultimately a parent's. I know it is a fine line between school choice and putting your child's life at risk... but this feels like something that should be between the parents. And in the end, it was... as the husband compelled his wife to think clearly and without fear.