Judge failed to protect dying teen

I’ve been sick since reading about the 14-year-old child who died in Mt. Vernon this week as a result of not having a possibly live-saving blood transfusion. A kid of that age does not have the mental capacity to realized the gravity of a situation like the one he faced on that hospital bed.

A child does not yet have the ability to understand or choose, with certainty, a religious path they will follow for the rest of their life. He can only react to fear and instinctively trusts those adults around him. In this case it was a Jehovah’s Witness that happened to be his “legal” guardian. This person should never have the right to choose or persuade a child to deny medical help. A “legal guardian” is charged to nurture and protect the child he/she was awarded custody of by the state.

The judge in this case failed to protect this child from things he was simply too young to decide for himself. What’s next? Let’s allow 14-year-olds to marry! I have seen plenty of 14-year-olds that just knew he/she had met the love of their life. Let’s let them walk into a parlor to get that tattoo they must have! If they’re mature enough to make their own life decisions, let them drive and lower the drinking age to 14. I’m sure they will make “mature” decisions and will understand the consequences of their decisions. Better yet, let these 14-year-old “men” join the Marines and head off to Iraq. I am sure they will understand what they are about to get involved with.

The judge failed this young boy, in my opinion. This was kin to “assisted suicide” and I’m ashamed of the judge and hope the good people of Skagit county make this term his last!

Aaron Croom