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The Handicapped Deserve Rights Too

Grade 12
Nazareth Academy High School
St. John’s Lutheran Church
Chicago, IL

My cousin Amy is loving, non-judgmental, and exuberant. She can encourage me when I feel disheartened and love me no matter what I do. She leads me to God when I stray and listens when no one else will. She always puts others first even before her own illness and sticks up for those who cannot help themselves. She is like an angel which works out perfectly because Amy is now in heaven. It has almost been a year since God decided her work on earth was complete and I still feel her presence in everything I do. I could never imagine my life without her in it and how she has touched my heart. This causes me to wonder how many angels in heaven right now have not been given that chance because they were aborted.

My cousin Amy was born with the disability called hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is an abnormal accumulation of cerebral fluid in the head which causes mental retardation and ultimately death, without a shunt. (Hydrocephalus Association). Hydrocephalus along with other genetic abnormalities can be determined by a pre-birth test called amniocentesis. (Connor and “Baby’s or Mother’s Health”). Since there are no known cures for many of these abnormalities, the mother is only left with a decision to be made (“Baby’s or Mother’s Health”). Due to the trial Roe Vs Wade, women have the right to legally abort their baby (Roe V Wade). These women must take into account that five percent of amniocentesis tests give false results. This amounts to 50 out of 1,000 babies being inaccurately diagnosed with disabilities (Connor). Statistically, this is considered a miniscule amount but when you consider these fifty lives could very well be aborted before they are allowed to take their first breath on earth, it is alarming. Even one life that was not allowed the chance to change the world is one too many.

The word disability is defined in the dictionary as “Lack of ability or power, something that disqualifies; make unfit for use or action.” In my opinion, this word is misleading. If you ever met my cousin Amy you would know she never had a lack of ability for anything. She participated in Special Olympics, raised money for more charities than I can count, sang in choir and had a job. Her faith was the most shining thing about her and she let others know she believed and would go to heaven to be with God. She accomplished more in 19 years than most people in their entire lives. This was never more apparent than at her wake when from 3pm-9pm the room was packed with thousands of people that she had somehow impacted their lives. Perhaps the greatest lesson she taught me was that everyone was equal. She had an innocent view on life and firmly believed that everyone was good from our pastor at church to the drug dealer in the street. She accepted everyone for who they were.

This begs the question, “Who are we to decide who is worthy or not to live? Who decides what perfection is and what we are to live up to? Is perfection physical or can it be inside as well?” In my eyes Amy was perfect. Maybe she could not be as independent as you or I but she lived as best she could according to God’s rule. She loved others much more than herself and she forgave when others did wrong. She never judged anyone or had an agenda. She saw the best in every situation and never complained, well, almost never complained. How can we call people like this “disabled” or handicapped?” Maybe we are the ones who have the disability. We are disabled to love all, think about others and see everyone equally. I know I do not always think about others or always put others first. How about you? The idea of never letting these children make a difference in the world is particularly disturbing. All humans have the right to decency and respect. Is killing a child because they do not live up to society’s ideal decent? As God said in Genesis 1:26-27, “God created all men in his own image . . . male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number.” God said he created all men in his likeness, not just the ones that we think are Worthy. There have already been millions of disabled babies aborted in this world who were not given the chance to touch someone’s life, just because they were deemed “disabled.” I thank God every night that Amy was brought into my life and I was touched by her. We should not see these children as “handicapped” but rather as “gifted.” They each have a special gift sent down from God to us. How can we abort that gift before we even open it?

God sent Amy down as an angel who would impact thousands of lives by either introducing them to God, strengthening their faith or giving them a more appreciative outlook. God sends each of these angels down for us to care for but also for them to teach us. As God said in Hebrews 13:2, “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing so some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Bibliography
Amy's Angels Foundation 4 Feb 06

“Baby or Mother's Health,” Baptists for Life Inc 4 February 2006

Hydrocephalus Assoc. 29 Jan 06

Roe V Wade: Decided Jan 22, 1973

Connor, Ken “Search-and-Destroy Technology Threatening the Handicapped.” Jan/Feb 2006 issue -- 4 February 2006

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Euthanasia: The Killing of Innocent Life

Grade 12
Lutheran High School
Our Savior Lutheran Church
Springfield, Illinois

Little James’s parents had anxiously awaited the birth of their new son. Like all parents, they had high hopes for their little bundle of joy. His father had already bought a baseball glove, that wouldn’t even fit on his hand for another five years. His mother began saving for his college education when she was only two months pregnant. When James was finally born, and his father held him for the first time, he didn’t look to see if he had five fingers and toes. He didn’t weep with joy and declare that his child was perfect. As he stared into his eyes, a tear of sadness fell down his face. His dreams of professional baseball were only a distant memory. He stared into his baby boy’s eyes and silently listened as the doctor explained exactly what Downs Syndrome would mean for his child’s life. When the doctor explained that James also had a minor defect in his esophagus that would inhibit him from eating, his father contemplated the surgery he would have to go through. The doctor explained that the surgery would be minor and James wouldn’t experience a great amount of pain. James father could hear him cry in the next room. He slowly shook his head as the doctor asked him when he could perform the operation. James died several days later of starvation. Because of his Downs Syndrome, James’s parents didn’t believe his life was valuable. They thought they were doing him a favor. His parents’ decision to euthanize him by denying him the basic need to eat was upheld in court.

Too often, euthanasia occurs because someone has declared that a certain life is not worth living. Nancy Kassebaum, former Senator from Kansas, stated that there is no use in prolonging a life which is no longer a life (The Constitution: That Delicate Balance, The Sovereign Self: Right to Life, Right to Die) She equates life itself with her idea of physical normality. By making this statement, she has directly demeaned the sanctity of life for millions of people with disabilities. Mary Jane Owen writes “People with severe cognitive disabilities are devalued as lives not worth living. In truth, the lives of all of us with severe disabilities are often considered expendable.” (Grimstad13). In California, a boy with Downs Syndrome wasn’t given a vital heart operation, because his parents didn’t wish to continue his life. This child died, and his parents’ decision was upheld in court (Yount 138) When the state allows the disabled to be killed by euthanasia, it deprives them of the protection they’re entitled to under the law (140). It is the duty of the law to protect the weak. Father Robert Dirinam accurately states that “People are never ‘vegetables,’ that they always have a dignity as human beings.” (The Constitution: That Delicate Balance, The Sovereign Self: Right to Life, Right to Die) James Hoge, publisher of the New York Daily Times, said, “We’re not in the business of ending lives because it’s difficult or because a certain facet is gone (. . . ) Part of living is learning to cope.” (The Constitution: That Delicate Balance, The Sovereign Self: Right to Life, Right to Die)

Euthanasia, by definition an “easy death,” often causes the dying process to be more painful. The removal of a feeding tube is a common form of euthanasia. Feeding tubes provide basic nourishment for people who may not be able to swallow for themselves. “The nourishment provided through feeding tubes is real food and water, not ‘artificial nutrition and hydration,’ as it is often misleadingly called.” (Grimstead 11). Feeding tubes are often removed because a patient has a low quality of life, or is not dying on the timetable of doctors and family members (11). When feeding tubes are removed, patients will inevitably starve to death. This is not a quick and painless death. Dr. William Burke, a neurologist, describes death by starvation: “They will go into seizures. Their skin cracks, their tongue cracks, their lips crack. They may have nosebleeds because of the drying of the mucous membranes, and heaving and vomiting might ensue because of the drying out of the stomach lining. They feel the pangs of hunger and thirst. (. . .) Death by dehydration takes ten to fourteen days. It is an extremely agonizing death.” (11). This heartbreaking description is almost unimaginable. This is not the “easy death” promised by the word euthanasia. Removal of a feeding tube and dying by starvation cannot be seen as a humane alternative to the natural dying process.

The Bible supports the sanctity of life. It has clearly stated that God has not given humans the right to end life. In fact, the Bible states that a person’s body doesn’t even belong to him or her. In 1 Corinthians 6:19-21 of the New International Version it says: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” In addition to commanding against murder of other people, God instructs all people to take care of their bodies. God owns every person’s body. Father Robert Dirinam stated “(Through euthanasia) people are asserting what is God’s right alone.” (The Constitution: That Delicate Balance etc) The power to end life should lie only in the hands of God.

Euthanasia wrongfully declares that the killing of the weak is moral and correct. This form of killing is supposed to be merciful. Often, euthanasia is more painful than a natural death. This attempt to control life and assume a divine power kills innocent people. The disabled, elderly, and ill are the most at risk. Babies with Downs Syndrome, like little James, are at risk of death every day. The sanctity of life is destroyed when euthanasia is practiced. Our society, in its desire to control life, is creating a culture of death that our children and their children will be forced to handle.

Works Cited
The Bible. NIV, Concordia Publishing House, 1984.

The Constitution: That Delicate Balance, The Sovereign Self: Right to Life, Right to Die. Dir. Jon Meridin, Media and Society Seminars, 1984.

Grimstad, Julie A. “Euthanasia: Imposed Death.” Human Health Alliance, 1004

Yount, Lisa. Ed. Euthanasia, San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002