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To: mfreddy

While you and your son's situation may give you insights regarding convenience and treatment for children with disabilities, this thread also deals in part with the security and civil liberties of disabled people. Should I dismiss your reasoning because you are (presumably) not a lawyer? Of course not, that would be silly. Your opinion would be "worth reading" no matter if you were Justice Scalia or Joe Schmoe the plumber, so long as your opinion was based upon reasonableness and objectivity.

I am sorry about your son's condition and may God bless you and your family.


198 posted on 01/04/2007 1:05:43 PM PST by theanonymouslurker
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To: theanonymouslurker
No but you should factor my lack of knowledge in the area of law in your evaluation. Don't get stuck on the issue of convenience. This is about quality of life. This will be an interesting case to follow regarding the civil liberty angle. I would not hesitate to argue that this harms the child in no way and furthermore, enhances the quality of life and the family's ability to care for their child.

My son will be 3 in February. My wife is already having back problems and has had to retire to take care of him. From the shallow look I've had at this, I'd say my son is quite a bit more severe (20-30 seizures an hour) with CP being one of minor diagnosis. I don't think this is a road we'd go down but I fully understand the situation these people are in. My son is at constant risk of aspiration, and my wife and I have slept at different times in different beds for the last year and a half in case he needs us. At some point we will need the assistance of a nurse and hopefully will have the resources to do it.

One of the things that is not emphasized enough is that these people are doing anything they can to keep their child where they belong--at home. The easy way out would be an institution where they are not only a burden to the state, but their quality of life sucks. These kids are reactive to their environment and the parents are doing what they can to make it as comfortable as possible.

It all depends on your perspective I guess. I don't see this as a slippery slope, but rather entirely done for the welfare of the family including the child. If I did not have a handicapped son, I might see it different. The slippery slope as I see it is embryonic stem cells. You'd think I'd be for it because of the potential benefits that could be realized in time to affect my son but I'm not. I won't get into all the hyperbole but just say I'm a Christian and it's against my beliefs. I live in MO and we just went through all that.

Thanks for the kind words and God's blessing. My son's name is Aaron.
200 posted on 01/04/2007 1:24:53 PM PST by mfreddy
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