Somewhere in Canada, a tiny little boy is fighting for his life. Somewhere in Canada, a young mother and father are pleading for their baby's life. Give him another chance, they cry. He'll do better, they plead.
Little Isaiah is scheduled to be executed at the end of this month, just a week after he turned three months old. And just crime could a three month old baby commit that he deserves the death penalty? He was born brain damaged.
Isaiah was born after a long and difficult labor with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. His brain was deprived of oxygen, resulting in permanent damage. Though he is growing, gaining weight, moving, showing signs of cognitive development, the Canadian government has determined that it is just not cost effective to continue providing medical care for this, one of their smallest of citizens. They have ordered his care--and thus his life--to end.
His parents appealed to the courts, and little Isaiah was granted a stay--of only 7 days--until January 27, 2010. His family has little hope, though that his death will be prevented. This is what happens when a government stops seeing its citizenry as human beings. This is what happens when people become no more than assets and liabilities. This is what happens when governments attach dollar value to human life. Isaiah will require hundreds 0f thousands of dollars worth of medical care throughout his life. What return would a brain damaged adult provide on an investment of this magnitude? Well, this is just one child, you may say. Just one child. But what if Isaiah were your child?
What if Isaiah were you?
Nothing in this life is free. Socialized medicine comes at a price, and often a much higher price than the 60+% tax rate citizens are forced to pay. Much higher than the billions of dollars confiscated by the government to maintain such programs. Socialized medicine comes at a much higher price than that.
Just ask Isaiah.
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