Euthanasia, For or Against?

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A subject being debated at the moment - should mercy killing be allowed?

What do you think? Should Voluntary Active Euthanasia be allowed?

 

I for one wish to be able to decide whether I'll rot away in tubes or go less painfully. As long as the patient has a sound mind and is capable of expressing the desire, or can be proven of having done so at an earlier time, I'm all for it. One shouldn't be forced to live if they don't wish to.

You sure have a knack for choosing touchy topics, wobbly fella. I can already hear the galloping horses ...the knights are riding into town.

 

I am very much Pro on this issue. My mother died a very painful death due to lung cancer (she loved her cigarettes). I don't believe anyone should have to go through that. By that I mean the dying and the dying's family.

 

Completely, yes. This is one of very few subjects that I will NOT argue on. If anyone's against it, then I hope you die a long and excruciating death.

 

I agree with my feline friend here.

 

It's a difficult question. I think it depends very much on the individual case rather than the issue in general, every situation is different. Although I am wholly against the case of Charlotte Wyatt, the terminally ill baby in the news at the moment. She was born early and has a brain that's complete mush apart form one emotion : pain. Her parents are fighting for the doctors to resuscitate her should she have a crisis, and have just been given what they want. The poor child feels nothing but pain, all day every day. It's cruel beyond words.

 

Completely, no. This is one of few subjects that I will NOT argue on. If anyone's for it, then I hope you'll die as soon as your family decides that.

 

Against. Against buying hours or days with artificial means if the person doesn't want it but against euthanasia, as well.

 

I'm for it. And this reminds me of one song by Death, Pull the Plug:
Memories is all that's left behind
As I lay and wait to die
Little do they know
That I hear their choise of life

End it now, it is the only way
Too cruel, that is what they say
Release me from this lonely world
There is no hope - Why don't you

Pull the plug
Let me pass away
Pull the plug
Don't want to live this way

Once I had full control of my life
I now behold a machine decides my fate
End it now it's all to late

What has now been days, it seems like years
To stay like this is what I fear
Life ends so fast, so take your chance
And make it last

End it now, it is the only way
Too cruel, that is what they say
Release me from this lonely world
There is no hope - Why don't you

Pull the plug
Let me pass away
Pull the plug
Don't want to live this way

I don't see any solution in this. You don't want a person to suffer being connected to all those artificial means but you also don't to "pull the plug".

 

@Arendil:
Ha ha. And in all seriousness, I hope I do too. You might hold it against your family if they did it to you, but I know my family and wouldn't hold it against them even if it was done for the worst of reasons.

 

I don't believe it's obligatory to fight for each passing minute if it's already known that the person is dying. But I don't believe in stepping in and cutting it, either.

 

Very hard subject, I'm against letting people die when there's still hope, but on the other hand, keeping people alive while death is inevitable is useless too. But I find it nearly impossible to draw a line here, people in coma can come back after 15 years or more, and some deadly ill people can recover a bit and live a few more years in relative happiness.

So i'm against euthanasia as a concept, but ''letting someone go'' is sometimes okay, I'm not sure if this is really euthanasia...

 

I'm for, if the person has absolutely no chance of surviving why let him/her continue suffer? Not only euthanasia will end the suffering of the ill patient it will also give time to doctor to concentrate on other person who can be saved. I don't want to sound insensitive but it's a waste of time and medical ressources that could be used for other patients.

I am clearly for. but only if requested by the person or family. No Doctor should have the right to determine if a patient require euthanasia.

 

I'm with Ofelix. In fact, that is almost exactly what I was going to type.

 

You just love starting fights, don't you, Barmy?

And to answer the question, with some reservations, yes. Having watched both my grandfathers suffer (paralysed and with no hope of recovery) following multiple strokes has inspired me to write up a living will which makes it abundantly clear that I don't want to exist like that.

 

Because of my ill-health I've had to create a will and also look at a medical power of attorney and tried to sort out some of these questions.

For instance I have a DNR for hospitals now and have stated my wishes that if I'm in a permanent vegetative state that a court order should be applied for to remove the machines and euthanasia to kill my body rather than leaving it to starve to death.

 

Hm... We had to debate this in civics class.

I am for. All the way, and in almost all cases. If a doctor declares there is less than 5% recovery,someone is in a vegitative state should have their pulled. Yes, there are cases when a person does come back after so many years, but they're destroyed. The technology age has increased so much every year, a person waking up after 15 years would have a traumatic experience. They have no job, no money, no technical skills, their family is 15 years older, their friends moved away, some people they've known may have died or be on the verge of dying. What's the point of bringing someone back only to let them face chaos psychologically?

However, I shall bring up my final decision for law. If someone is in a vegetative state, then if in 3 years the doctors still conclude nothing can be done for them, pull the plug. If, like Susan Rodriguez, someone approaches the court for permission to die earlier, then it should be granted.

 

I am against youth in Asia.

 

What? I don't see your point there, what's the link with euthanasia ?

 

"Euth...an...asia"
Youth...in...Asia

/me waits for Ofelix's