Belgium considering unprecedented law to grant euthanasia for children, dementia patients

I read an article named "Belgium considering unprecedented law to grant euthanasia for children, dementia patients" on the Washington Post. This article argues how controversial this issue is in Belgium by providing several arguments people have made.

At the beginning of the article, the author gives some backgrounds on the position Belgium stands on this issue, and makes a value claim that Belgium is a euthanasia pioneer. The author uses some facts and statistic to prove the argument such as Belgium already legalized euthanasia for adults in 2002 and the number of euthanasia death cases. Also, the author makes this argument by examples that rare countries allow euthanasia. After that, the author claims that the Senate heard from both sides of the issue and argues the controversy of this issue. Some people who oppose the expansion of euthanasia to children make value arguments that children do not have the capacity to make such decisions. Others argue by definition that this is an unfair thing to allow adults do but not children. In addition, Dr. Gerlant van Berlaer, a pediatric oncologist at the Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussels hospital makes an argument by examples. He gives grounds that the children cases of euthanasia already exist, but they have to be done "in dark and questionable ways". Warrants are provided that "changes would legalize what is already happening informally." Also, the author argues the controversy regarding people with dementia. Although there are evidences that some countries allow doctor make decisions for dementia patients, some people argue that dementia patients would have different thoughts.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/belgium-considering-unprecedented-law-to-grant-euthanasia-for-children-dementia-patients/2013/10/31/67fd55be-4200-11e3-b028-de922d7a3f47_story.html