Anyone else in favor of using someone’s hairstyle to judge their mental competence? Hear me out. If a person has a hairstyle from 1984, how are we to be sure they’ve left the house or watched the news since then? And if they haven’t, aren’t they essentially cave people who should have complete government control imposed on their lives? Exactly. Colleen Hauser doesn’t believe her 13-year-old son Daniel, who is dying from cancer, should receive chemotherapy. She’s got him believing it too. Colleen Hauser has puff-bangs. This inappropriate, almost offensive style highlights her, in my opinion, batshit crazy mindset. Let’s bring back the SATs!Having terrible bangs: believing in ‘alternative remedies’ to cure cancer :: Being a witch: getting stoned and burned in old-school Massachusetts.
I’m really not sure if that analogizes appropriately. But I’m at work and trying to look productive, so bear with me okay? Back to the case at hand, which I’d actually like to examine seriously. As I understand them, here are the facts: The 13-year-old Minnesota boy, Daniel, has Hodgkin’s disease. Hodgkin’s Disease, as opposed to Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (which caused my grandfather’s death, so I actually do know some stuff here), is quite curable with chemotherapy- the statistics they’re giving are upwards of 90% survival rate with proper treatment. Yet Daniel has been given a 90-95% chance of dying if he does not receive the treatment. He received one treatment months ago, and the tumor shrank. Without more chemo, it has grown. That’s what’s available on the news. Oh, and it makes complete sense. Oh golly modern medicine, you get me every time!
Allie’s interpretation of the facts: The family lives in the boonies, has more kids than can fit in your standard minivan and look, well, insane. The dad seems normal but apparently has no control over his wife (cough, or her hair style). They are Catholic but practice a form of Native American ritual (Nemenhah Band) where they only rely on 'natural' medicine. Rumor in the blogosphere is that Colleen’s sister died of cancer, but Colleen is convinced she died from chemo. Now the boy agrees with his mother that he doesn’t want chemo. IF it were that simple, I might say “he’s old enough to make this decision- to die- for himself.” But let’s think here- what deep thoughts were flowing through my head at 13? Is Paul going to the skating rink this Friday? Oooh omigod is he?! When IS that rerun of Full House coming on? However, I was also ardently pro-choice at 13 and eloquently arguing my views in health class against Melissa Zekus, as I recall. So 13-year-olds CAN know shit. And I do believe that people should be able to practice their religious beliefs- but not on behalf of someone else, especially a minor. This gets me waaay into Jehovah Witness/blood transfusion territory, which is not the dilemmonade at hand. We have bigger fish to fry.
Like this crucial fact- this kid is learning disabled and, apparently, completely illiterate. Which in my opinion means he has no way of finding and analyzing any other information than what his parents tell him. And to me, that.changes.everything. As opposed to the Jehovah Witness families who refuse blood transfusions for their young children, where I consider the child’s age the deciding factor (How can a six-year-old REALLY know if this religion is something he adheres to? Religion is basically brainwashing until kids can think for themselves. WHOOOanother talk for another time!), I think mental competence is the factor here. At 13, I think he really could make this decision based on religious beliefs IF he were 100% mentally able to do so. I mean, in Judaism you are a man or woman at 13, and supposed to be very learned about what the religion truly means. Kids have to be old enough to truly understand and decide for themselves their own religious beliefs if that’s going to be how they die. Reading IS fundamental.
Colleen and Daniel were apparently seen in San Diego, perhaps en route to Mexico. Clearly they were not seen by me, as I would have performed a snazzy citizens arrest courtesy of a mean right hook, a Goody hair tie and high heels. And my cape would flow in the wind victoriously…
*Note: When google imaging "bangs," the results are quite interesting. I mean, I guess I should have expected horrendous porn, but...
**Note x2: Anyone else notice that Paul's gotten two mentions thus far, and none for Joe?
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