An Act of Kindness or of Evil?

Meet Ashley.

She's a severely disabled 10-year old whose parents are embroiled in a controversy surrounding the ethical treatment of human beings.

At 4'5'', Ashley is taller than she'll ever be, not that it really matters. She has a severe form of cerebral palsy and thus cant walk nor talk. She's got the mental development of a 6-month old infant . Her life will sadly be wholly sedentary; her lighthearted moniker pillow angel, actually coined by her parents, alludes to that reality that she can never do anything other than lay on a pillow, or be carted around in a stroller or carried.

When she was 6, her parents in consultation with doctors decided to do what they thought was best for her. Ashley underwent a number of operations that would further dramatically alter her life from yours or mine. One operation involved the fusing of certain parts of her skeletal anatomy to prevent her from physically growing; another to remove her sexual organs (hysterectomy and breast removal); and she was placed on medications to keep her in a state of perpetual, childhood bliss.

They say they did the right thing; that their daughter will live a happier life. Maturing into an adulthood with all these disabilities would be too cruel, they contend.

Human rights activists disagree. To them, this amounts to man assuming the role of God, not all too different from the pre-natal destruction of life (abortion); or the voluntary submission of life, otherwise known as euthanasia. Her parent's decision has been referred to as "inhumane", "perverse", and "evil."

While I think this is a difficult moral issue, I can sympathize with the thoughts and feelings of her parents.This child lacks the mental capability to survive or think for herself, and so doesn't know what's best for her. I think it's important to remember that this certainly cant be easy for her parents and those of us who cannot relate to a situation akin to this have no basis on which to administer moral judgement. I would image that her parents love her and made that decision with her best interests at heart. It's so tough.