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Friday, February 9, 2007 12:00 AM

Behind the Pillow Angel

Doctors at the Seattle hospital that operated on a disabled girl to keep her from reaching sexual maturity -- the controversial "Ashley Treatment" -- were more troubled by the procedure than has been reported previously.

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  • Friday, February 9, 2007 09:42 AM

    Boxing Ashley

    Rights of an individual. Some would think that rights only apply to those who are intellectually cognizant. This is so very wrong. Rights are most important in protecting those who do not have power, and control over their own destiny.

    I see a lot of prognosticating the future. "She will never walk"..."She will have the brain of a 3 year old forever"..."she will mature and be molested." I didn't realize the medicine was so definate, and the future so well placed.

    I could have sworn that we are dealing with a medical profession that is constantly evolving, reinventing, and dropping off bad practices. Electric shock treatment was the norm in the past, practiced on helpless (in many but not all cases) individuals by well meaning guardians and doctors. The question of future care and of the potential for future molestation should have never entered the equation. You wouldn't allow a parent to neuter a normal child for fear of future molestation.

    These parents were saddled with a hard responsibility. They have failed in that responsibility. Shame on the medical profession for not standing hard against this. This goes beyond a medical ethics issue, this is criminal behavior.

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