Do children have the right to die?

[Nyoxios]

In my country euthanasia isn't only possible, it's the first country where it's also possible for children to get euthanasia under strict conditions of course, which is a good thing.

Out of curiousity; which country do you live?

I think euthanasia should be available for everyone. To actually do it, should be something to go per case. I don't think small children can make a sane decision, but in some medical cases I can understand that even a child doesn't want to live in pain anymore. in all cases it shouldn't be an easy thing to do.

Then again; it's perfectly normal we (as humans) euthanize our pets when they are in pain and it can't be healed. The stigma is far less present when it's not about humans.

I kinda relate this to the right to abort a pregnancy. In my view it should always be legal and possible; simply so it can be regulated and performed by skilled people.
I can see that people find it immoral to abort or to euthanize, but moral or immoral is something else than illegal/legal.

If you make both illegal, people will still find a way, perhaps in some shady alley. I don't think that's what we want for our fellow humans.

 

[Caaethil]

Oh, well I think I've misread the topic a bit. We're talking about euthanasia. As in, when they're in pain or whatever. I don't know why I was thinking of just plain depressed kids. Wait, no, I do. I'm a muppet and I can't read.

Yes, do it like Belgium does. If the child has no hope of being saved and is in unbearable pain, go ahead with it.

Out of curiousity; which country do you live?

That country would be Belgium, I believe.

 

[curiousnathan]

Should children have the right to take their own lives? Absolutely not. Children are stupid.

Yup, that's my entire opinion on the matter. A lot of them would kill themselves, never to realise their reason for hating the world was plain dumb.

That's a bit of a sweeping statement, don't you think?

Children may not be as intellectually developed than adults and so may not as easily realise the consequences of their actions, or ways of dealing with their underlying issues, but they are definitely not stupid. In many cases children have given insights on things that adults have overlooked. Not to mention, some children in the world have an IQ higher than me and you both. I understand IQ is not the be-all-and-end-all of intelligence, but it still rams my point home.

 

[Caaethil]

That's a bit of a sweeping statement, don't you think?

Children may not be as intellectually developed than adults and so may not as easily realise the consequences of their actions, or ways of dealing with their underlying issues, but they are definitely not stupid. In many cases children have given insights on things that adults have overlooked. Not to mention, some children in the world have an IQ higher than me and you both. I understand IQ is not the be-all-and-end-all of intelligence, but it still rams my point home.

First off, I made a new post already which you might like to read. I already went ahead and changed my mind. It's literally right above your post.

But I'm gonna try and debunk some of this anyway. IQ has nothing to do with a child's ability to make these kinds of judgement. IQ is a logical test, it tests your ability to solve logical problems. It tests your ability to answer questions on an internet test (yes, I know it can be on paper too, don't nitpick me here). It has absolutely no impact on a child's impact to make a proper real life judgement. No hammering home today. Things such as the ability to make these decisions are not developed in children of that age.

If you had a child with an IQ like that, would you leave them home alone for a number of days? Because that's the kind of maturity you're supposing these children have, which they absolutely do not.

But yes, if they are suffering and will certainly die, then they should be allowed to choose to do so. But there must be multiple doctors to conclusively agree that nothing, not even blind luck, can save the child.

 

[Dracowyn]

Out of curiousity; which country do you live?

I'm from Belgium, as Caaethil guessed.

 

[Frequency]

Death > endless suffering in this case. So yeah, I think they have the right. But it'd have to be one of those "We confirmed that there's nothing we can do" cases for me to warrant it outright.

But as far as the child making that choice....well, iunno. Some kids might not know the severity of what's going on, others may. Child consent would be preferred, but it might be one of those times where the kid just thinks they're sick when the reality is that they're probably going to die in a slow, painful process.

(Personally, if my kid is going to die a slow, painful death or something of the sort, I'm unquestionably letting him go, cause I wouldn't want anyone to go through that. But I'm not everybody.)