Discussion of the Week: Euthanasia

[navuta]

I would like to die in the same way as Aldous Huxley


His wife inject him a large dose of LSD...
so... people should just do what they whant with their life...as long they dont disturb others...
Long life for freedom...

[taylovesthebeatles]

Okay. So. Euthanasia. It's a tricky subject for me to really be satisfied with a clear position on it for myself, as I'm generally in favor of life, as I'll explain further in my response to the abortion thread and as I've already explained somewhat in my response to the earlier discussion on capital punishment. This most may be a bit of a nonsensical ramble, so for that I apologize ahead of time.

I should also add a disclaimer that my views have a somewhat religious basis, in that I believe in a God who values all human life, which has been made in the image of that God. So take that for what you will.

Having said that, basically I don't think that humanity should be able to "play God" as it were and decide who lives and dies. Additionally, I don't really think humans should be in control of deciding when a person "deserves to" or "should" die, for whatever reason, be it committing a crime or being an "inconvenient burden" or whatever, like an unborn baby.

However, I also believe that everything in life happens for a reason, and if a person feels that God's method of ending their suffering is to provide them with the ability and circumstances to end it with euthanasia, then there may be some merit to that. I don't know really. I do know that suffering from something beyond your control sucks, and I can only imagine what that pain and toil would be like for someone who was so severely affected by it that it completely took their quality of life away. In these types of situations, which is something I'd probably want euthanasia limited to, or at least I'm going to for the sake of argument, I don't think that assisted suicide is by any stretch of the imagination an "easy way out", and is (hopefully, at least) never a decision that is come to lightly.

At the same time, I know that I and I'm sure many others do wish that my death would coincide with that of my beloved, as that way neither of us would have to live without each other and we would die in each others' arms. But that's probably wishful thinking, and it seems like the only way to ensure that would happen is through some means like assisted suicide, which as I've said I'm not entirely morally comfortable with the idea.

So in the end, I really don't know where I stand on the issue. I guess that at the end of the day, I'm still very much in favor of life over the option of death, but I don't personally feel it as equated and black and white as my views on the importance of life when it comes to abortion or the death penalty.

[0maxpower0]

Man, some heavy topics here on NDN...this euthanasia one defiantely takes the cake. Fact is, how can anyone, particularly an established government, tell you what you can and cannot do when it comes to your body?!? If youre not hurting anyone else with you actions, how can they even get away with it. I equate it to abortion; yea its something people might not agree with, might not understand, not do themselves, but ya know, its your body its your life. As for the subjective implications like heaven and afterlife and all that; all i can say is it would certainly suck if the doctor that assissted you in easing pain went to hell because of it :-p. Or that you went to purgatory because of your decision. Im not really that religious, and i kinda agree with EEj in the sense that i think nothing spectacular happens when u die, u just stop being conscious. I think that no one can really judge the amount of pain someone goes through everyday, its hard to transfer yourself into someone elses life, so its pretty hard to judge. I think the underlined arguement in this discussion is, does an individual have the right to do what they wish of themselves, as long as they dont harm anyone else. Fact is they do have the right, so i think its absurd that this kind thing is illegal, despite the obvious regressions that come with the thought.

[Pokerkitty6]

I feel Euthanasia should be legal. We are very humane about our animals when they suffer and I feel we should be just as humane when a human suffers. Some people want to die with dignity, instead of suffering, wearing a diaper, and tubes for food. My uncle passed away last year and in the end he asked me just to shot him, end it. He fought in a war and yet I'm seeing him with no control over his own body. I told him I would take him to a better place and contacted Hospice immediately. Many family members were upset with me because they thought I had given up on him. Never would that happen. I knew he was going to die and I didn't want him to die in a diaper, screaming in a hospital where they could do nothing else for him. The night he was transferred to hospice he passed away at approx. 2am. The family was called and we spent many hours with him. I sat on his bed with him and told him how good he looked. They had bathed him and shaved him the minute he got to hospice. He had comforable pj's on. He looked comfortable as he passed away with his diginity in tact. I gave him a kiss, told him I loved him and said goodbye. He suffered for at least a month before all of this happened. If he or I could have ended it legally, we would have, no doubt. I have a senior friend who also fought in the war. Back then they would give you one cynide (spelled wrong) pill in case you were captured by the enemy and didn't want to be tortured for information, you could take the pill to end it. I'm not sure if they did this for everyone, but they did it for this man. He still has the pill and has told his kids, in the end if he is suffering, he will take his pill. His pill, his choice.

[freeringo]

Okay. So. Euthanasia. It's a tricky subject for me to really be satisfied with a clear position on it for myself, as I'm generally in favor of life, as I'll explain further in my response to the abortion thread and as I've already explained somewhat in my response to the earlier discussion on capital punishment. This most may be a bit of a nonsensical ramble, so for that I apologize ahead of time.

I should also add a disclaimer that my views have a somewhat religious basis, in that I believe in a God who values all human life, which has been made in the image of that God. So take that for what you will.

Having said that, basically I don't think that humanity should be able to "play God" as it were and decide who lives and dies. Additionally, I don't really think humans should be in control of deciding when a person "deserves to" or "should" die, for whatever reason, be it committing a crime or being an "inconvenient burden" or whatever, like an unborn baby.

However, I also believe that everything in life happens for a reason, and if a person feels that God's method of ending their suffering is to provide them with the ability and circumstances to end it with euthanasia, then there may be some merit to that. I don't know really. I do know that suffering from something beyond your control sucks, and I can only imagine what that pain and toil would be like for someone who was so severely affected by it that it completely took their quality of life away. In these types of situations, which is something I'd probably want euthanasia limited to, or at least I'm going to for the sake of argument, I don't think that assisted suicide is by any stretch of the imagination an "easy way out", and is (hopefully, at least) never a decision that is come to lightly.

At the same time, I know that I and I'm sure many others do wish that my death would coincide with that of my beloved, as that way neither of us would have to live without each other and we would die in each others' arms. But that's probably wishful thinking, and it seems like the only way to ensure that would happen is through some means like assisted suicide, which as I've said I'm not entirely morally comfortable with the idea.

So in the end, I really don't know where I stand on the issue. I guess that at the end of the day, I'm still very much in favor of life over the option of death, but I don't personally feel it as equated and black and white as my views on the importance of life when it comes to abortion or the death penalty.

Humans are hunters by nature.
There for we are animals.
Animals choose who lives and who dies.
If you can't keep up with the herd you die.
If you are week you die.
Governments have no say in it and religion has no say in it.
Nature takes care of itself.

[Pokerkitty6]

Only the strong survive...

[navuta]

also in poker... only the strong the luck survive..
...
See you at the tables...lol...
I agree with Eutanasia... People jump off the bridges and nobody cares...why would they care if u whant to die in peace on your bed???
I really don get it..
Have u seen that movie? bridges????
nice one...

[targetguy1]

Dr. Jack Kevorkian is the first thing that comes to mind when i read the this thread. There are so many differen types of euthanasia. I for one say leave it up to the person that is suffering. Give them the drugs they need and let them do it if they want. I understand it could be considered it suicide but if this something that really want then they should do it to themselves instead of having help.

I dont agree with people helping other commit this. i consider that to be muder. I understand they give them permission to do it but still i think if the person really want to stop suffering and die then they will end their life on there on. They dont need help or assistance killing themself. By letting doctors get away with this we are letting them act as if they were god. They are not god and just humans like we all are. A doctor that is involed in such action shuld be held respondsible for his or her actions. Doctor are supposed to help heal the body not shut it down.

Anyways i am not for this but if the person insist that it must be done then let them kill themselves and not have any help a for i see that as muder.

[PANAMHIEST]

I dont really have any views on this subject. I think if a person is in a state

of mind where dying is better than trying to live, and they have sufficient

medical evidence to back that up, then if they want to end it, so be it. The

grand ol government lethally injects perfectly healthy criminals convicted of

crimes everyday, or almost everyday. They(government) are just a bunch of

hypocrits when it comes to this subject, and the fact is they would rather

see a terminally/medically person suffer than go peacefully, as opposed to

letting a caged criminal legally die peacefully, instead of letting them suffer

from their crimes. This doesnt really makes alot of sense does it? I may go off

the subject a little here, and go so far as to say that the government makes

it perfectly legal to kill a innocent little baby in the state of texas as long as

the child hasnt reach the 6 month term yet. The child has a heart beat,

he/her can laugh smile or cry, is usually perfectly healthy, but yet this is

legal. Does that make sense? Where is the justice in that? what happened to

morals? does anyone even give a f@#k?