Heartland

it seems to me that as much heartbreak and guilt is caused by the public/media reaction as the deed.

baby dies, up goes the cry of 'murder'
baby kept alive, up goes the cry of 'torture'

it's always a hard enough decision for the people at the sharp end, we should respect the feelings of those concerned.
if you can't be supportive, be quiet. they feel bad enough without criticism from the moral high ground

and with respect,

andymackem wrote:How about moderately mentally ill, with additional physical disabilities? Or just a bit funny-looking?

if you can't tell the difference between massively brain-damaged and a bit funny looking then you don't get to sit on the ethics committee.
if there's a doubt, then there is no doubt, if you see what i mean.
a heartfelt belief in miracles does not count as a doubt

wintermute wrote:and with respect,

andymackem wrote:How about moderately mentally ill, with additional physical disabilities? Or just a bit funny-looking?

if you can't tell the difference between massively brain-damaged and a bit funny looking then you don't get to sit on the ethics committee.
if there's a doubt, then there is no doubt, if you see what i mean.
a heartfelt belief in miracles does not count as a doubt

And, with respect, what gives you the right to quantify someone else's distress at the state of their child?

If we are arguing that this family were right because of the unbearable anguish of trying to raise this particular child, fair enough. But I'm sure we can find someone shallow enough to feel that they are suffering great anguish because their kid is a bit funny looking (even though I'd felt that was self-evidently flippant ). But you wouldn't recognise the distress caused there because you obviously sit on the ethics committee.

Why does a heartfelt belief in miracles not count as a doubt? Who are you to judge someone else's beliefs. With respect.

andymackem wrote: And, with respect, what gives you the right to quantify someone else's distress at the state of their child?.

well oddly enough, it is my job in part, so i guess you did

andymackem wrote:But I'm sure we can find someone shallow enough to feel that they are suffering great anguish because their kid is a bit funny looking.

just as long as we recognise the fact that they are, in our opinion, shallow. which is in itself a value judgement and needs to be handled gently

andymackem wrote:But you wouldn't recognise the distress caused there because you obviously sit on the ethics committee.

see above

i don't think we are arguing about anything more than the view from different points on the line