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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wish Donald Trump and the Pope would fuck off?

39 replies

Crunchymum · 04/07/2017 07:19

This is getting ridiculous now.

The ruling has been made, it is awful for the family (I'm not minimising, there are no words to say how awful it must be) but this ruling is based on the clinical / medical advice from the best children's hospital in the land, who have been involved in the child's treatment from day 1, so why has it now become a religious / political issue?

I've refrained from commenting on this case previously but the recent events have made me so mad.

OP posts:
ssd · 04/07/2017 07:21

agree, its gone too far now

I have every sympathy in the world for the parents but its being stretched

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 04/07/2017 07:22

Donald Trump - yes

Not sure what the Pope's said? I thought he had only said that he hoped that Charlie's parents could be with him at the end? What's wrong with that?

Sirzy · 04/07/2017 07:23

I agree.

I think the media/social media have a lot to answer for her is blowing the whole situation up and turning a very poorly little boy into some sort of circus.

Nobody is going to benefit from this now other than the media outlets with their increased visitor numbers from people who "care"

Bumdishcloths · 04/07/2017 07:26

Catholic doctrine meant the pope was always going to have an opinion regardless of whether it was desired or required.

Trump needs to shut his fucking mouth, frankly. On all subjects.

WhiskyTangoFoxtrot · 04/07/2017 07:27

I think the Pope's statement is OK

Trump's comes across more like grandstanding.

StillDrivingMeBonkers · 04/07/2017 07:28

Charlies parents are practicing Catholics. There is a large movement in Italy about Charlies situation. Why would the head of their faith not comment and give them support?

5 4 3 2 1, awaits the first twat to be dismissive with a 'sky fairy' comment.

AtHomeDadGlos · 04/07/2017 07:31

It's the parents and their 'supporters'. They're drumming up as much publicity as possible to try and engineer a way to overturn the court's decision. Only interested in what's best for them, not what's best for their child. Sad.

Brittbugs80 · 04/07/2017 07:37

I haven't read/heard what the Pope had to say in full, other than a snippet saying they should be able to care for Charlie towards the end. I know Catholics who were in a similar position and they were told by their priest that they are not God and don't have the right to turn a machine off and end a life. It felt like an awful lot of pressure to them, now they have discarded the religion!

And as for Trump?! It's almost like he's done it to try and gain some likes and positive publicity. The Pope needs to tell HIM he's not God!

Though I have seen people on Fbook who previously spewed hatred over Trump now gushing about how wonderful and caring he is to try and help this family.

JustGettingStarted · 04/07/2017 07:46

The Pope didn't say that the baby should be sent to America for treatment. He didn't contradict the Church's stance on the issue: people deserve care (including food and water), but it's not obligatory to stay hooked up to respirators or given every possible experimental medical treatment.

goodbyestranger · 04/07/2017 08:59

Isn't Trump more about how deficient state funded healthcare is? Deeply unpleasant men don't suddenly become pleasant unless there's something in it for them.

Also, I think the Pope is going a little further surely, and saying that the life support shouldn't be turned off since all life is valuable? (that's separate to the question of going to America).

PP is correct, it's become an undignified circus although of course no-one could not have sympathy for any parent in that situation.

I thought the doctors detected that Charlie was in pain.

chupsmelad · 04/07/2017 09:04

I'm anti organised religion but I couldn't see anything wrong with the Pope's statement. I thought it was very well worded (and very open to interpretation, ha!) without being heavy-handed on such a divisive topic.

Trump, on the other hand, needs to stay the f* out of it.

Nobody is going to benefit from this now other than the media outlets with their increased visitor numbers from people who "care"

Sooo true. It doesn't help Charlie, GOSH, or Charlie's parents in any way.

goodbyestranger · 04/07/2017 09:04

I also hope that no other child in acute need has been denied access to GOSH ICU as a result of this pressure to prolong the inevitable.

I'm not sure these protesters have proper understanding of the facts or are thinking of the potential ramifications.

ThatsNotMyMarmot · 04/07/2017 09:05

Agree re Trump certainly. He has an opinion on everything it would seem. Broadly speaking I wish people understood how the law works in cases like these and what the Hippocratic Oath actually means. Sad for the GOSH. They have bent over backwards to do the right thing and are treated like shit in the process.

newworrynewname · 04/07/2017 09:09

Yes. I think it's cruel. The parents have once again had an unrealistic option dangled in front of them. Another thing that will tell them, untruthfully, that there's some sort of hope. The Pope, well, as head of the RC church you'd expect him to make some comment or other, but Trump is just playing on the family's agony for his own ends. Disgusting.

chupsmelad · 04/07/2017 09:13

Marmot there's a thread from a few days ago where posters were talking about sending messages of support to GOSH. I did so and received a brief and very appreciative reply. You might want to send them a note or FB message if you haven't already - I had the feeling that the staff took a bit of comfort in the support they've been getting in the face of so much very public abuse.

ThomasRichard · 04/07/2017 09:14

I agree on Trump. What an ignorant, disgusting human being he is. I thought the Pope's statement was well-worded: caring without being ridiculous over the practicalities.

Fl0ellafunbags · 04/07/2017 09:17

Trump needs to shut his fucking mouth, frankly. On all subjects

Yes. One hundred times. For me the pope can shut his hole as well.

IHateUncleJamie · 04/07/2017 09:18

The Pope's statement was fine, IMO.

Trump would comment on/intervene with the opening of an envelope if he thought it would get him attention and publicity. Odious twat. 😡

VeryButchyRestingFace · 04/07/2017 09:20

What exactly was wrong with what the pope said, Crunchymum?

Or is this just pointless God-botherer bashing for the sake of it?

Orlantina · 04/07/2017 09:20

I bet Trump just saw an item on Fox news and then tweeted about it. Without thinking about it.

Of course, if there was a Syrian refugee involved, he'd probably turn away.

Sirzy · 04/07/2017 09:22

I don't think That there is necessarily anything wrong with what the Pope said, my issue is more why did he need to say it in the public domain in the first place? If he wanted to support the family he could have sent a message to them in private rather than further feeding the media frenzy.

WankYouForTheMusic · 04/07/2017 09:26

YABU for bracketing the two in together, when there's no comparison at all between what Trump said and what the Pope said.

The Pope if anything, has been trying to dampen the flames. His remarks, about not needing to take extraordinary measures when there's no hope, are basically the same as those made by the judges dealing with this case. And the Pope is the faith leader of the parents. So in addressing them, which is at least partially what he's doing, he's dealing with his own flock and his own community. This is his business. You don't have to like, agree with or recognise him to understand that.

None of these things, however, are true of Donald Trump.

AnUtterIdiot · 04/07/2017 09:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ExplodedCloud · 04/07/2017 09:30

Well the pope was never going to be advocating this so no surprise there.

Trump otoh is a wind filled, tangerine of nonsense and should not be confusing the matter with his stupid tweets.

WankYouForTheMusic · 04/07/2017 09:31

This had already become an issue amongst the people the Pope leads before he spoke though sirzy. This has been quite big news in Italy, a mainly Catholic country. So that ship had already sailed.

He's also addressing his wider faith community. And basically telling them to wind their necks in and let the kid die in peace. It's prettied up a bit, but that's what the bit about extraordinary measures boils down to: and for that he is not BU in the slightest. The stuff about them being with him to the end is a bit more ambiguous though.