Euthanasia, do you support it?

[devonin]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

I agree with Devonin on this. Um, despite the phrasing. I'm pretty sure everyone knows what he meant though.

What's wrong with the phrasing, I've just expanded a response about Euthanasia specifically into a statement of a general principle of mine.

Consenting adults should have the right to do absolutely anything they want, with no exceptions.

some people would say that you don't have 100% clear mental faculties in the first place.

The legal system has standards to measure mental competance, considering that one can use a lack of such competance to render themselves immune to prosecution. Pass their test, be considered mentally stable and fit to make such decisions.

[Cavernio]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

So what if you don't pass their test, yet you want to die really really badly? Do you think that you should be able to be euthanised then? People compare this to putting down your pet, but your pet's not deciding whether they want to die.

[devonin]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

If you aren't deemed mentally fit to make decisions for yourself, your legal next-of-kin/guardian can make such decisions for you. In such a case, it would be their call. However, presumably if you're the kind of person who would want to be euthanized, you would have made such arrangements legally beforehand when you were in fact mentally capable.

I know I've given a number of people pretty explicit directions under which I want off of life support, so my bases are as covered as they can get while these arrangements don't carry the force of law.

[welsh_girl]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

I'm 100% for Euthanasia, noone should be forced to suffer a painful illness, knowing they're gunna die sooner or later.
If we're aloud to put an Animal down when it's suffering, why not a human, we suffer more mentaly and emotionally than a Dog.

And it's the worse feeling in the world watching a family member in hospital for weeks knowing they're dying and secretly suffering something which is killing them.

[Tokzic]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

Euthanasia kind of implies that the person who needs to die, for whatever reason, can't kill themselves, but is able to communicate that they wish to die. So I guess this really only covers situations where whoever is in need of an end is simply physically unable to do it, which really doesn't cover much. Of course, if someone with no arms no longer wants to live and needs to be offed, I'd say it's perfectly acceptable.

I disagree entirely with devonin on the grounds that someone besides you should determine whether it's okay or not for you to die. Under no circumstances should someone else decide what's suitable for me, especially such a large decision as whether or not I should continue living.

I also would like to question "in a fit mental state to make the decision". You have to wonder exactly how stable someone is if they want to die in the first place - either clear headed enough to even look past base instincts, or jumbled enough to completely ignore base instincts. Especially when put in the position where you need someone else to kill you, you have to wonder exactly how straight you're thinking at the time.

EDIT: I kind of reiterated what Cavernio said. Serves me right for losing patience halfway through the topic.

[Reptile5000]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

Consenting adults should have the right to do absolutely anything they want, with no exceptions.

So murder/rape/robbery/etc. is alright?

[Frozen Beat]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

My friend did it to his dog because his dog was old, couldn't walk, was turning kinda blue, and his knee joints were totally worn out, and his age was close to the oldest dog that ever lived o_o.

[funmonkey54]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

There's a small differentiation between euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia is more of a mercy killing, whereas assisted suicide is done with the patient's consent.

Taking this into account, I don't believe that euthanasia should be legalized due to the fact that the patient may not want to die despite the fact that he/she is in extreme suffering. Assisted suicide, on the other hand, is committed at the behest of the patient.

Assuming that the patient is in a stable state of mind, I believe that we should honour his/her request to end his/her life.

In conclusion, I'm completely against euthanasia. And although I don't like the concept of assisted suicide, I don't believe there's much we can do to stop it.

I couldn't word it better.
I think this is exactly how I feel on the subject.

[sarahxjane]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

There's a small differentiation between euthanasia and assisted suicide. Euthanasia is more of a mercy killing, whereas assisted suicide is done with the patient's consent.

I could have sworn that euthanasia and assisted suicide were fairly similar.

I don't believe that euthanasia should be legalized due to the fact that the patient may not want to die despite the fact that he/she is in extreme suffering.

Have you ever been in excruciating pain?
Can you put yourself in their position?
If you are in so much pain that you wish to die -- isn't that reasonable cause to let them die?
Anesthesia can only work so much.
Although I have never been in such a situation, and my opinions may change -- I'd rather be put out my misery.
What kind of a life can a person lead like that?

Assuming that the patient is in a stable state of mind, I believe that we should honour his/her request to end his/her life.

Agreed.

In conclusion, I'm completely against euthanasia. And although I don't like the concept of assisted suicide, I don't believe there's much we can do to stop it.

You are entitled to your own opinion, however I believe that it should be legalized.

[mellonxcollie]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

Have you ever been in excruciating pain?
Can you put yourself in their position?
If you are in so much pain that you wish to die -- isn't that reasonable cause to let them die?
Anesthesia can only work so much.
Although I have never been in such a situation, and my opinions may change -- I'd rather be put out my misery.
What kind of a life can a person lead like that?

Living a miserable life is still living, and many people (including myself) would take that over death. If I put myself in their position, I value my life so much that I would want to live. It is not your place to decide that for me. Even if I was in excruciating pain, I would never want to die. I'm never going to get this back, so I want to live out life as much as I possibly can. No matter what condition I am in.

If they want to die, then that is a different story. If you, personally, would rather be put out of your misery, then you should tell someone you love that it is your wish to do so if, god forbid, anything like that should ever happen to you. However, if a person has not laid out specific requests, I believe it should be assumed that they want to live, and they should continue living.

Maybe to your standards a person cannot live a "good life" while in a lot of pain, but they can certainly still live. And it is nobody's decision but the person in pain's.

[TD_Project]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

Lol, I can see the future now. People putting down other people during an illness thinking they won't get better without properly examining them, and not giving a chance for healing.

Which reminds me of a topic I should start, *gets writing*

[1961casey]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

I am going to make a clear distinction in that euthanasia does not involve the consent of the person being killed. Assisted suicide, on the other hand, is totally dependent upon the consent of the person being killed. With that definition in mind, I would absolutely oppose active euthanasia.
Many arguements in favour of euthanasia are based upon the concept of 'quality of life'. The problem is that one person's high quality of life is totally unacceptable to someone else. For example, in some societies owning a certain number of goats, cattle and chickens would qualify a person as being 'rich'. Obviously in our society that would be a joke. Simalarily living in a shed or hut could be the high life where many others would crumble under 15 degree temperatures. For some, being sick on a regular basis due to a variety of diseases would be commonplace where others are bedridden with a cold. For me, 'quality of life' is what you want it to be or what you are willing to accept.
I could be quite content living in a tent in a park. I could learn to put up with that chronic ache in my joints. I could bask in the sun while the temperature is a balmy 10 degrees. I could be grateful that I am alive and capable of accomplishing great things in the future. All of this could be my quality of life.
Others could look at me and pity my poverty. They could wonder how I manage to keep a positive outlook on life. They could also have me arrested as a deranged lunatic who has no grasp on the realities of life, but that would not necessarily change my outlook on what is important to my quality of life.
The same applies to those who are physically disabled. Should we kill them because they can't walk, talk, see, hear, or feel the same as we do? How about Stephen Hawking, a wheelchair bound genius whose writings and thoughts are greatly respected? Should he be euthanised because he can't walk or talk clearly? Should someone be killed because they can't understand our words or feelings? How can we claim to understand someone else's feelings or thoughts who can't communicate? Does that mean their lives are inferior? Terry Fox lost a leg to cancer, ran halfway across Canada and then had to quit when cancer spread to his lungs and then killed him. Some would say his life was a failure in spite of the fact that he has inspired an entire generation to keep trying. He inspired a legacy that has raised millions of dollars for cancer research. Should he have been euthanized instead? Perhaps some people are so badly brain damaged that they are in a vegetative state. Should they be euthanized, when their greatest pleasure in life is the touch of a blanket on their cheek?
Some people claim that euthanasia should be used in cases of extreme and chronic pain. But how severe and how chronic? A stubbed toe for two days? How about post-operative pain for two weeks? Two years? No hope of recovery? Bedridden and doubled over in agony? It's amazing what the range of tolerable pain can be for some people while others can't handle a sliver. Some people have endured chronic migraine headaches and yet prospered. Others are crushed when their feelings are hurt.
How about old age. Some think that when a person is of an advanced stage of life, they should consider leaving this world a little sooner than when mother nature decides. Again, there are too many variables involved. How old is 'too old'? Should they be pitied because they can no longer walk, let alone run a hundred meter dash? How about Alzheimer's disease? Does it matter to them or to us when they no longer recognize their loved ones? If they suffer a stroke or heart attack does that automatically mean they no longer want to live?
Morally and ethically euthanasia cannot be supported because there is always a potential for a full life no matter what our definition of 'full' might be.

[devonin]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

I am going to make a clear distinction in that euthanasia does not involve the consent of the person being killed. Assisted suicide, on the other hand, is totally dependent upon the consent of the person being killed.

How about a distinction wherein euthanasia is does without the -current- consent of the person being killed, but not without their consent entirely?

I have already made it clear to several of my family members and friends a number of circumstances under which I don't want to be kept alive. Pretty much all of them, were I in that situation, would render me unable to give informed consent at the time. Thus it would be euthanasia and not assisted suicide, but since I've already told people where I personally set the bar for a standard of life that is too low, your other objections don't apply either...

there is always a potential for a full life no matter what our definition of 'full' might be.

That's actually just an incorrect statement. "There can always be X no matter how we define X" makes no logical sense. No matter what our definition of full might be? Given any definition of 'full' there will be all kinds of situations where there is no potential for that definition of 'full' to apply.

[Necros140606]

Re: Euthanasia, do you support it?

euthanasia, assisted suicide, suicide. all of them are very similar but there are some important distinctions.

euthanasia includes the concept of assisted suicide, but also means the end of a person's life when that person is in a vegetative state. i personally think both of them are correct. you can do anything you want with your life as long as you don't hurt others. that said, with a legal euthanasia, who believes a painless death is better will be able to do so, who believes in the sacrality of life or simply doesn't want to stop grasping on his/her life can choose to suffer and stay alive as long as possible. as for people who are braindead, or completely paralyzed as they are not anymore functional, they should be able to be suppressed by relatives' decision; a persona in such a condition is no different from a living corpse anyways. i don't like people who want to impose their ideals over others. when there is freedom, both parts can do whatever they please without getting into useless conflicts. suicide is also acceptable. no matter the reason, if a person wants to end their life it their choice. life does not belong to anyone other yourself, so you're the only one who should have the power to decide.

So murder/rape/robbery/etc. is alright?

way to make up out of place statements. taking away my own life is exactly the same thing as breaking something of my property, or hurting myself. since i have full property over me, my belongings, and my very existance, i am not harassing anyone. robbing, killng, raping are all examples of violence against others's freedom. think before you post.