# Euthanasia of a minor

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euthanasia-of-a-minor/1033475>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [September 30, 2026, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euthanasia-of-a-minor/1033475 "2026-09-30T03:19:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euthanasia-of-a-minor/1033475/41 "2026-10-02T17:59:31Z")

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What sort of self determination do you think that child was, or ever would have been, capable of?

And if the answer is none, how many years do you think they should have been kept breathing, and in pain, by continuing significant medical intervention?

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euthanasia-of-a-minor/1033475/42 "2026-10-02T18:03:01Z")

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> [@Beckdawrek](#):
>
> Allowing death to happen is not what this is about. IMHO.

Allowing certain death to be long, drawn out and increasingly more painful _is_, though.

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euthanasia-of-a-minor/1033475/43 "2026-10-02T18:05:05Z")

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> [@We\_re\_wolves\_not\_werewolves](#):
>
> That is the opposite of self-determination.

It is determination. I really don’t think actual _self_-determination is even a possibility.

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**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euthanasia-of-a-minor/1033475/44 "2026-10-02T18:16:55Z")

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Parents make major decisions - medical, financial, political, ethical, religious - for their children every day. Parents existed long before the state did.

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