If you remember, a little while back, I wrote about a court case in Virginia. A 16 year old boy and his parents decided to pursue alternative treatment for his Hodgkin's Disease after conventional chemo gave only temporary improvement.
A social worker decided that the boy and his parents had no right to decide what was best for their family, and promptly filed suit to have the boy removed from his parents and forced to undergo treatment.
Well, the decision is in.
Juvenile court Judge Jesse E. Demps has ruled that the boy must undergo chemo as prescribed by his doctors, and that his parents were being neglectful by supporting his decision, so they must continue to share custody with the county Social Services bureau.
Can you imagine that? This is wrong on so many levels, it's hard evn knowing where to start.
I've argued this before, and most folks tend to disagree. Of course, it's usually religious parents and the alternative therapy is prayer, so the objectors throw out a few buzz words like "fanatic" or "ignorant hicks" and go merrily about their business. I then warn that if the state has the right to interfere, soon, it won't just be in the case of religious folks.
And here we are.
A 16 year old can be tried as an adult, and sentenced to prison for life, or given the death penalty. If they're responsible enough for that, then aren't they responsible enough to make decisions about their health care?
Not in Virginia, they aren't.
And a parent only has rights when he chooses to exercise those rights in accordance with the wishes of some unelected county bureaucrat.
And there are still people who think this is a good thing.
Posted by Rich at July 23, 2006 12:06 AM | TrackBack