euthanasia (Assisted Suicide)

[LuShes]

OK I think we need a "Controversial Forum" rather then us keep using general or political forum boards ;p

Anyways...Now heres something to chew on. Should Euthanasia be legal? For some reason the goverment sees it as murder. Now I know if I was dying from some terminal disease, with no cure, where drugs were having no affect, but keeping me in a vegetable state. I think I should have the right to choose if I wanted to end my life.

Now this is where religion comes in, and says "NO, you will be damned to hell, for taking your life!" Now I dont really think the church should have a say if i go to hell or not ;p If I wanna go to hell, then thats where i am going!

I do think Dr.Kevorkian, should not of been charged with murder. The patient wanted to die. He helped them out. If it is legalized, I think it should regulated and have family permission as well to some degree.

 

[Shmad]

Anyways...Now heres something to chew on. Should Euthanasia be legal?

Well I dont know about anyone else, but seriously if I was terminally ill, bedridden and had no desire to live, I would want to die, not live in excruciating pain until my day came. I would sooner go peacefully by euthanasia.

Now many of you might say "YOU ARE DAMMED IN HELL FOR ALL ETERNITY". Get real, I am doubtful what God had in mind was for people to suffer terminally ill in excruciating pain for months, or even years before their time was up. And if it is the case, then ok, Im going to hell, but hey I'll see ya there

If the person was able enough to, they would have taken their own life, but if you are THAT far gone and in that much pain that you can't and want to end your pain and suffering and that of your families, then its YOUR call. Remember people, you can judge all these people who support it and call them "devil :twisted: worshippers" or whatever you want to, but in the end it all comes down to one simple fact: ITS THEIR LIFE, NOT YOURS!

 

[Jonas]

Agree with Shmad

I agree with Shmad, someone SHOULD be able to commit suicide if they're living a painful life or not even REALLY living at all. Assisted suicide should be allowed with a signed form so the doctor can either inject with a deadly dose or pull the plug on any machines they may have.

 

[Vancome]

Tsha, you know what? UH UH

Yes, no... People should not be able to kill themselves.

 

[Shmad]

Re: Tsha, you know what? UH UH

Yes, no... People should not be able to kill themselves.

Some people should not be allowed to have children, yet its nearly impossible to stop them..

 

[firestarter]

why should people not be able to off themselves. I don't feel that they should be able to collect insurance money from it. But hey if you are living in pain and don't want to continue doing it then why should we be forced to suffer. It seems now we are keeping more and more people alive on some machines not knowing what kind of quality of life we are giving these people. We just figure that if your heart is beating then you are alive. I know that I personally would not want to live if I was laying somewere in a bed with no ability to care or even feed myself. What is the point really. For the people that disagree why don't they try to lay in bed in the dark for a week straight with nothing to do other then sit there with there own thoughts and see what they have to say when that week is up.

 

[Andem]

I agree with firestarter.

If someone is living a life that's not even worth living.. Why continue it with a machine or medication? I don't care what any laws say, if I have a brain tumor and have 3 months to live (or whatever the time period may be), I would commit suicide myself if no-one could help me.

 

[Shmad]

It should be legal, and I DO think insurance companies should still have to pay, the person still (if you think about it) died BECAUSE of whatever they had. Let it be cancer, etc. They had cancer so they took their own life rather than to deal with the constant pain and the pressure it was putting on their families. So in effect, the person died BECAUSE they had cancer. Im sure you could look at it about 400 other ways too, but it should be legal, and one day it will.

 

[stinkyshadow]

cold death

Euthanasia should be legal, however in order for someone to be killed voluntarily, they should go through many legal documents with a lawyer and a doctor. The family should know of the decision and be willing to either accept or persuade the person out of this option. The "going to hell" is purely religious, for all anyone knows, you could just lay rotting during your afterlife.


-Carrie

 

[Daz_Hockey]

I agree, why should WE help the youth in asia?, can't they just get jobs like you or I? lol

 

[tracy]

I don't know many nurses who don't think it should be legal. I have no problem with someone choosing to end their own life on their own terms. Where things get sticky is where the patient doesn't have the ability to make the decision on their own. Should their family get to decide to kill them?

 

[Curiosity]

I believe a terminally ill person should still be able to exercise control....

To foresee this situation, some medical directives include that possibility even though it is not legal, but
may be when the patient is unable to dictate his/her wishes.

Hospice caregivers will give additional morphine to hasten death once it has begun but some will not discuss it openly only with family members.

Personally I opt for euthansia, and dislike that someone would have to make that decision for me - it puts a burden on another human.

If we live in a world where abortions are routinely performed, what is the problem with hastening the end of life?

 

[EastSideScotian]

I donno about euthanasia. I supose if someone is suffering and wants to be killed, it could be their wish, but then what does that Make Normal Suicide? acceptable?

I mean if you say thats ok, then whats next a nice room in the mall where you can Hang yourself?

In away all Suicide is assited. I.E the rope, gun and so on....but euthanasia is someone else doing the work...so where would we draw the line?

 

[Zzarchov]

Normal Suicide is fully legal in Canada.

The legal quibble is helping someone else die. There is also the problem of what if no one wants to help you? Its one thing to say you have a right to die (which I agree with) another to say someone else should be legally bound to kill you (something I don't agree with).

 

[someguy513]

euthanasia (assisted Suicide)

Well even if it was legal the doctor would still have a choice on whether or not they would choose to kill you. This brings up the whole Kevorkian issue. Which boils down to if they won't kill you I will no prob it is after all what you want. Alot of pople in the U.S and in other countries abused the opportunity to receive assisted suicide they did it not receive it because of suffering in a sense they just didn't want to be a burden to their families and could not imagine themselves disabled.

 

[feronia]

OK I think we need a "Controversial Forum" rather then us keep using general or political forum boards ;p

Anyways...Now heres something to chew on. Should Euthanasia be legal? For some reason the goverment sees it as murder. Now I know if I was dying from some terminal disease, with no cure, where drugs were having no affect, but keeping me in a vegetable state. I think I should have the right to choose if I wanted to end my life.

Now this is where religion comes in, and says "NO, you will be damned to hell, for taking your life!" Now I dont really think the church should have a say if i go to hell or not ;p If I wanna go to hell, then thats where i am going!

I do think Dr.Kevorkian, should not of been charged with murder. The patient wanted to die. He helped them out. If it is legalized, I think it should regulated and have family permission as well to some degree.

First off, not all religions will damn you to their concept of hell or any other. In my opinion every human being has their own lives in their own hands. It is every single person’s right to end their life how they choose and no one has the right to say any different.

 

[MattUK]

"Normal Suicide is fully legal in Canada"

I am not so sure it is anywhere in the developed world. The laws on Suicide are actually really really stupid. Its actually illegal to ATTEMPT suicide, but it is seen as legal to commit ONLY because you cant prosecute a dead person. Well, you could, but its a bit pointless. Thats certainly the law in the UK - and I understand that its the same in the US and Canada as well.

Personally, in a perfect world I agree with it, but there are so many if's, but's and maybe's around it, that I think it would be impossible to legalise. I think it was Tracy earlier who said "what if the person is not able to make the decision", what happens then? Do a greedy money-grabbing family get the decision? Or a doctor? Or the next bloke to pass the bed?

What if at the time you were in so much pain that you agreed to it, a few hours later you felt a bit better, and no longer wanted to die - but you have signed forms so the doctor or your family can still legally kill you and at that time, it may be against your wishes. Does that become unproveable murder?

Finally, I do not think it is fair to ask any other human being to kill you. I personally could not turn off that machine, or pump a lethal dose into someone. I would not be able to live with myself afterwards. Therefore, I would never expect anyone to put themself in that situation for me.

The way I look at it, I may have a year to live with cancer or something, if I choose to die - how would my family feel if 10 months later a wonder drug came out that cured all cancers? Say I was only 46 at the time - had I not chosen to die, I could have lived another 30 years with my family.

Too complicated. Too many boundaries. To many factors to take into account in each different case. Leave it as illegal.

 

[Vereya]

In Russia a person, who had tried to commit suicide, but survived, is immediately placed for treatment into a lunatic asylum, if it can be proven, of course, that is was an attempt of suicide. And it is obligatory, no one would ask for that person's consent to be placed into a mental insitution.
I consider it is a greatest violation of any person's right to decide when to put a stop to his life. And I am talking of euthanasia, as well as of regular suicide. From the ethical point of view - who can advise you to live or not to live? Who has the necessary understanding of your life circumstances, to be able to decide it for you? Life is a treasure. The point of life, its meaning is just - to live and not to die. But sometimes you just have to stop. And it is your right to make this decision. And from the logical point of view - where is the logic in prohibiting euthanasia, which is just another kind of suicide? I mean, if I choose everything in my life, from school or University, to a place to work, I choose my spouse, with whom to spend my life, I choose my life-style, I choose everything for myself. And after a certain age it would appear very strange if I asked someone's permission to marry, to divorce, to get a new job or to take any other more or less significant step. So why should I abide by someone else's opinion when it comes to choosing my own Life or my own Death? I strongly believe that euthanasia must be legalized. However, there must be some procedure to ascertain that the person in question is really willing to die, so as to avoid the possibility of masking a murder as euthanasia, but I don't think that it would be too difficult to develop and to apply such a procedure.

 

[annabattler]

I just had this conversation(re assisted suicide,or hastened death,whatever you want to call it) with my doctor.
My husband and I had just made out our wills,powers-of attorney, and living wills...which then entailed discussions with our son and our relatives....we just wanted them to be aware of our wishes.
My doctor showed great understanding(part of her job is looking after folks in long term care facilities,and local area nursing homes), and I know that in the event of any catastrophic physical event,she will do the right thing,according to my wishes.