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Mental capacity, by law, may allow the parents to make decisions for individuals of the person regardless of age because of their handicapp.

So yes, if they feel it's best, then why not?

Then let that argument settle amongst them. No one has a right to disallow parents from doing what they think is best for their child, unless it may place the child at risk of death or harm (on any level).

If you consider visectomies to be harmful, that is a personal opinion.

On abortion, it shouldn't matter what my personal beliefs are of the fetus. It is the woman's choice of action, not someone else's.



*Editted this section of the quote for the direct subject matter being addressed.*

Now, that is where I say let them make their own choice. Should you force a woman to not punish her child because you think they're a bad parent and the child simply "does not know better"? Bad example, but good enough for my point.

Let the argument settle amongst themselves. No one outside of those involved should force one action or another. Perhaps only advise.

I apologize if you may not think I'm good at debating here, it's simply my point of view that I am expressing.

I tend to think that if a person has been shown, through vigorous psychological testing, to be mentally at the state of say, a 6 year old child, then that makes them to me an 6 year old child - whether or not their body is 6, 15, 22, 92 or otherwise.

Can you imagine a 6 year old producing, then caring for a baby, then child? There is all possibility there that they could be a caring parent, but you have to consider that the mindset of an 6 year old is nowhere near the mindset of a person ten years their senior. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've never seen an 6 year old with the judgment or maturity anywhere close to an adult's. This is why I can see his parents worrying about the possibility of him fathering a child. To me this becomes not so much as his rights, as he clearly doesn't have the normal mental capacity or functioning as any other adult. This becomes more of a concern not of his rights, but of the safety of his potential children. Because of his condition he could pose a great risk to their safety, security, and mental health.

When I imagine a 6 year old I think of temper tantrums, and them playing house with dolls... then getting angry at each other and throwing the dolls into a wall or at each other. What if it was real house, and instead of a doll it was a child?

This is kind of along the same lines as people I imagine to be living in mental institutions and sanitariums. Whatever the set of standards are, somebody decides that those people aren't safe to be living with normal society, and so they are placed amongst each other in a safe, nurturing environment with caretakers who are educated in and understand their needs. They are still treated with respect and kindness like other human beings, but because of their mental condition - for the safety of themselves and others - they are disallowed certain things. These could be items like glass, rope, sharp objects, mirrors, people with extreme strange phobias or OCD where specific items are kept out of the facility, and then I am sure there are those who have been sterilized just for the safety reason.

What about this: if a 6 year old child showed to have the mental capacity of a 21 year old, should he be allowed to drink then? What if a 21 year old has the mental capacity of an 6 year old, should he be allowed to drink at all? It's something interesting to think about.

I would say that with this man's mental state, he would not be afforded all the same rights as other humans that are functioning normally. But, there may be a woman out there who wishes to bear his children, and raise them with assistance from him. I think if he had someone else helping him, who was at a normal mental capacity, their family might do fine (though with assistance). If this guy was a female however, I have a feeling some people might look at this issue differently altogether. However, the article says that he can't even take care of himself, so I doubt he would be able to take care of someone else.

The whole issue is just very complex, and it's interesting to think about, though I'm not sure what is the right action to take one way or another. I'm leaning more towards sterilization however... neutral