Euthanasia - should it be legal or illegal? (Right-to-Die issues (Schiavo case) being discussed)

What do you think of euthanasia - the practice of assisting the death of a terminally ill person?

The practice goes on all the time in hospitals around the world. Most doctors will admit it happens when a dying patient is in pain or is going through unnecessary suffering. An understanding is often reached between a doctor and the patient, and the doctors assist in the suicide.

Currently in most countries this practice is illegal. In some European countries laws allow this to happen, but most societies are not prepared to condone it.

I personally think that if there is a good medical reason and the person involved is of sound mind, why shouldn't they be able to comfortably and efficiently end their life to reduce pain and suffering. What is more humane - forcing someone to live in pain with absolutely no quality of life or allowing them to decide if they want to end their life on their own terms. I have personally seen what some people go through before they die, someone I knew was so doped on morphine, they couldn't talk or recognise their surroundings.

What do you think? Should the government be able to prevent doctors from carrying out euthanasia?

 

I strongly believe it should be 100% legal. It's cruel to make someone live their life in pain and suffering because we deprive them of their right to choose a dignified end. It's a voluntary process and the State is saying they have more right to decide a person's fate than that person. Which, IMO, is just BS religious-influenced crap.

If you don't believe in Euthanasia, don't partake in it.

E_S

 

This is one of the few issues I'm divided on.
It is cruel to make someone suffer, but it seems wrong to help someone die.

 

I'm also in support of Euthanasia. Having seen family members tackle incurable illnesses, I can certainly vouch that if a person of sound mind wants to end their life, they should be allowed to. By having family members by their side, they're dying on their own terms and giving everyone a chance to say goodbye.

Ultimately, I do not think that the State should have power over your own body.

 

I'm in favour of euthanasia. I watched my grandfather get to the stage where he was in a great deal of pain, and he didn't want to keep going because his body was dying while his mind was very much alive. After that I decided to support euthanasia one hundred percent.

The thing is, is that we allow a dog to die when it is in a lot of pain and won't recover and yet we won't do the same for a suffering human even if they ask us (repeatedly) too.

Kithera

 

As a nursing student, I'm in favor of the patients right to choose. So yes, I think it should be legal. In fact, it is legal in Oregon.

 

Having watched my grandmother die slowly and painfully over the course of 2 years I am 100% for Euthanasia. We used to talk about it and she often said she wished she could end in now with her family around her whilst she still had her mind.

Our life is our own and it is up to us to choose when we can end it. There should be assistance to make this as quick and painless as possible for the individual and the family.

 

I am strongly in support of Euthanasia. The government has no right to impose their will on a person over such a personal issue. To me, that's not separation of church and state. Some people believe that by taking their own life, they are sinning. Others do not believe suicide is a sin, so why should they have to suffer when they would rather end it? If the government ever told me what I can and cannot do with my own body, I'd say <censored> and do it anyway. The doctor should be allowed to help if it is the will of the patient, if he or she is of sound mind. It should never be assumed that someone wants euthanasia just because they're unable to talk and are drooling all over themsevles, and are, by all acounts, athiest, but if they want it, they should get it.

 

My thoughts on this are not very clear right now but I do want to say one thing.

Euthanasia is like drugs in a couple of ways. It is the abuse of your life and body. It is also like drugs in that I believe widespread use of either will corrupt society.

So, besides my personal religious beliefs against it, I believe the government should outlaw it in a way similar to its outlawing of drugs.

 

Ok well here are the facts. Assisted Suicide is not legal by the doctors choice. The only two times it can occur is if one the patient himself/herself is still mentally stable and makes the decision, or if the patient is unconscious or a ?vegetable? then a family member can make the decision and only the family members.

 

I believe that there is much more to life than simply being alive, and that if there was no hope, and if a person is in pain, then they should be aloud to deside to end (or continue) their life as they see fit. (of course they have to be in a calm state of mind). I just dont see a point of living if I was in that type of situation.

 

I think that if we legalized the medical use of marajuna,then euthenasia would be less of a point. Example: My grandmother had breast cancer for almost 3 years. Almost from the beginning she sufferred unecissarily because the doctors KNEW she had very little hope but kept experimenting anyway. If she had had something like medical marajuana, she wouldn't have sufferred.

So this whole idea of people in great pain might just go away if we legalized the freaking medical use of marajuana.

Alls I know is, when I'm dying of breast cancer, and believe me, I will, I better be in as little pain as possible. But nobody, NOBODY, is going to KILL me.

 

I support it. Just because a patient has the option of sacrificing their own life, doesn't mean they have to do it.

It's leagal to euthanise animals, and I know it's a difficult decision for the owner, but it's almost always the correct decision. I have a dog, and I love her very much, and I would do everything in my power to keep her from suffering.

The same should apply to humans. We can at least find out what their wishes are, and I'm sure a lot of them would be willing to give up their lives to end their pain and suffering. I don't think any authority should have any say over how these people want to live. It's almost like robbing a condemned person of their last request, and I really don't think that's right.

GO 'CLONES!

 

So, what you are all saying is that if someone does not like how their life is going, they can decide to end it; and if they can't do it for themselves, that it would be okay if someone did it for them?

That is just sick. It is defeatism and contains no respect for life, only fear of pain.

 

So, what you are all saying is that if someone does not like how their life is going, they can decide to end it

"Doesn't like how their life is going" is an understatement. We're not talking about depressed people here. We're talking about terminally ill patients who no longer get any happiness out of life, because they are in such horrible pain, and the only way to relieve it is to get so tanked up on drugs that they don't even know their own name. And, they arn't going to get any better.

I respect life, and I am very thankful for the gift of life that was given to me, but I don't want to live like that. Do you?

My reasoning on this issue is very simple. Our life is our own, and nobody should have the right to determine what we can and cannot do with it, especially not the government.

 

Jediflyer, whats really sick is that you would let people suffer in great pain that will never go away until their dying day because its what you believe is right. You have to realise that other people don't believe that is right. Shouldn't they have the right to decide for themselves, instead of the government deciding for them?

 

I think the first question you have to answer is whether suicide should be legal (currently, I think, it's not). Then, if you say yes, you have to decide whether someone can "assist" with suicide, which can get pretty tricky - how can you prove, once someone's dead, that they wanted to commit suicide and that they made the decision? I think that's why allowing doctors to assist suicide is a scary idea - I'm not sure I trust Dr. Kevorkian to take "no" for an answer.

 

hmmm lets think about this.... leagalizing taking a human life. I don't think so. but then again I also think abortion should be illegal so i am sort of biased on the whole matter no matter what the facts are.

 

If it was legal 3 years ago, i wouldnt have seen my girlfriend go through all the pain she did before she died, but then again, we no-one in her family would have killed her, we loved too much, and there was a slim chance she would have made it, sadly though she didnt.

 

I think the first question you have to answer is whether suicide should be legal (currently, I think, it's not). Then, if you say yes, you have to decide whether someone can "assist" with suicide, which can get pretty tricky - how can you prove, once someone's dead, that they wanted to commit suicide and that they made the decision?

I think there are certain procedure womberty such as having to shown a desire to die constantly and to many witnesses for several months. There are also things like having to put on paper that you want to die because of the pain. Doctors also have to show that there is no way that you can ever get better and that you are going to die anyway.

The thing is, is that we put animals down when they are in a similar amount of pain. In fact we do it and call it 'humane' and yet we won't do the same for humans. If a human is in so much pain that they want to die, in so much pain that they are pumped full of drugs and can't get better...then I don't see why it shouldn't be allowed. If that is what they want (and is not a spur of the moment decision) then that is what should happen.

The only problem I can see, is old people getting pressured into it by family members who want them to die (for whatever reason) - or who are killed by family members who then claim it was an assisted suicide.

That is why I believe that anyone who wants to go through with an assisted suicide should be subject to pyschartrist (sp - it's too early in the morning) visits, get multiple doctors opinions and have shown a constant idea that this is what they want to do for several months.

Kithera

 

The only problem I can see, is old people getting pressured into it by family members who want them to die (for whatever reason)

I'm afraid they might also be talked into it by their doctors. People trust their doctors, and I'm worried that that trust could be abused. For example, some family members of the people that Dr. Kevorkian "assisted" said that the doctor sought out people who were in pain and introduced the idea of assisted suicide to them. I'm not sure how you can make a failsafe method of ensuring that no one can abuse the system.

As for your animals comparison, remember that in those cases the people are making the decision to end the animal's life. I don't think we want to extend that power to the decision to end another person's life.

You still have to answer whether suicide should be legal, but I take it from your post that you think it should.

 

I put it further up (or at least I think I did) that I think it should be legal.

I watched my grandfather die and it hurt him so much both physically and mentally (from watching his body die while his mind was still active) that I decided that there should be some way out other then having to make a person live against their will.

Yeah, the pressure from doctors would also be a problem. However, that is (like I said) the point where I think that multiple doctors should be involved and pyschartrists as well. The idea that pressure could be applied would/could be mostly overcome (maybe) with multiple opinions.

Kithera

 

Why would there be pressure from doctors? What do they have to gain by pressuring someone to kill themselves?

In Australia the Northern Territory passed laws legalizing euthanasia. The law required the person requesting euthanasia to be of sound mind and have at least 2 doctors opinions on their condition. People couldn't nominate someone else to be killed, the person themselves had to request it.

It was overturned in Federal Parliament. I was quite angry about that. Australia allows abortions but won't allow euthanasia.

 

Actually Uruk-Hai, some states in Australia have outlawed abortion without the specific consent and reason (like physcial harm and poor mental health) from the person's doctor....however, that's a matter for a different thread

Yeah, I felt the same way when the federal government banned euthanasia.

Kithera

 

Kit, abortion may be illegal, but the laws have the biggest loopholes that allow it to happen indescriminately. But you're right that's a different conversation.