Some people have suggested that to withdraw the ventilator from baby Joseph would constitute an act of euthanasia. This is not true.I respect the work of Alex Schadenberg and his group the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition, but I disagree with his assessment that this case is not about euthanasia. There are two ways to commit euthanasia, one by direct action and one by neglect and he says this is not by neglect. I disagree when a simple procedure available to pretty much guarantee the baby's ability to breathe on his own without choking on built-up fluids.
Euthanasia is an action or omission that directly and intentionally causes the death of another person with the intention of relieving suffering. Euthanasia is a form of homicide.
If the ventilator is withdrawn from baby Joseph, he is likely to die, but he may survive. If he dies, his death would be caused by his medical condition and not because of a direct and intentional action or omission. Even if the intention is to cause his death, the reality is that his death is not direct because it is caused by his medical condition and therefore is not euthanasia.
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Showing posts with label does the baby Joseph case involve euthanasia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label does the baby Joseph case involve euthanasia. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Does the Baby Joseph Case Involve Euthanasia?
In his article, The Baby Joseph case affects us all, euthanasia expert Alex Schadenberg who is actively working to save the baby's life, says it is not a euthanasia case; it's about who decides medical intervention:
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