A Modest Proposal for Preventing Sick Children from Being a Burden to Their Parents and and Country (讽刺)

“The Belgian senate voted 50-17 on 12 December to amend the country's 2002 law on euthanasia so that it would apply to minors, but only under certain conditions. Those include parental consent and a requirement that any minor desiring euthanasia demonstrate a "capacity for discernment" to a psychiatrist and psychologist."

Belgium expected to legalise euthanasia for children >

I see no reason why this merciful step should not be taken universally among developed countries.

Teenage children are mentally and physically equipped to drive, work, marry, and have children. How can we not grant children who are suffering protracted pain, hospitalization and medication the opportunity to make a decision regarding their own health?

Indeed, I suggest that this is such a wise course of action, we might wish to alleviate them from the burden of this decision altogether, and make it for them, as we do fetuses and the elderly.

How much could we save?

The average cost of EOLC (End of Life Care) per patient in the US is about $30,000.

Each year around 13,500 children are diagnosed with cancer in the US.

About 25% of all kids who are diagnosed with cancer die.

Let’s assume one child dies for every child that’s diagnosed, and this number remains constant. That means the annual EOLC cost for terminal children is about $101,250,000 (probably conservative by a few factors).

Let’s round that down to $100,000,000.

$100,000,000 would pay for about a 10th of what is currently spent on bridge repair nationwide, or build over 10 miles of new urban freeway.

It would feed, house, and guard 596 inmates in a large city prison system, or put 1,954 police officers on the street.

It would pay for the annual health and feeding of up to 172,413 dogs or 149,253 cats.

Or how about things that healthy kids can use?

$100,000,000 would pay the salaries of 1,875 kindergarten teachers, or buy over 25,000,000 school lunches, or 401,606 school uniforms.

Not to mention:

No hospice for children.

No Make a Wish Foundation expenses.

Or the funds that could be recaptured by St Jude’s, St Joseph’s, Joe Dimaggio's, and all the other children’s hospitals.

We could go on an on. There is no end to the expense that could be recouped with a compassionate and prudent euthanasia program.

c0

• Facts about pediatric cancer >
• The “average” cost of EOLC per patient is about $30,000 >
• Average yearly cost for a dog >
• Average yearly cost for a cat >
• Cost of bridge repair in the US >
• Cost to construct a new 4-lane highway >
• Cost to feed, house and guard inmates in New York City >
• Median salary for a kindergarten teacher in the US >
• Average national cost of school uniforms >
• Average salary of a police officer in the US >
• The title is based on Jonathan Swift's A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick >
• Clarence has given his locks to Locks of Love > a number of times.
• This post is satire (讽刺).

c0

We can never be 100% sure about anything and should not make irreversible decisions that demand 100% certainty.

I support the preservation of life at all stages for all ages.

c0

[2014-02-12]