Euthanasia

This is one of those topics that people feel very strongly about. Please try to keep it as a topic we can learn from and not take it a personal level nor make attacks on anyone for thier stance. I have seen us discuss/argue/debate many topics on this board but I don't think we have ever approached this topic on the human level (I believe it was once discussed on the Pet board in regards to putting an animal"down."

Do you believe in Euthanasia?
Does it change your opinion if the ill person does it to themselves rather than have a family member or a doctor (ala Kevorkian) do it for them?
Did you once feel adamantly against it but changed your postion after a close friend or family member fell deathly ill and was living in massive pain?
How about if someone was living with an incurable disease, couldn't take care of themselves because of weakness or disability but lived with no life altering pain.
Last but not least (don't hold me to the last part as I may come up with more). Does whether or not the sick person have children (not adult children, but someone in 21 or younger).

I couldn't sleep and I was watching an episode of "Without a Trace" it was the episode where Martin's aunt goes missing. She has cancer and belongs to a cancer support group that meets up in person. Thru the episode we learn that she helps others in the group who have severe pain come across medications to help take their own life. She just provides the meds but the patients have to take the pills themselves.
It was such a hard episode to watch and had me in bawling like a little child.

Re: Euthanasia

Tough topic, but personally I beleive in it even though it's completely against my religion.

My thoughts are that if a person is not going to make it and/or live their life as a vegetable with no brain activity - then the option to be put out of their misery should be available. I don't understand how it is humane and just to allow mankind to live in pain and suffering just so that they are alive. Where is the humanity in that?
Obviously, it's a personal choice, but if the individual either requested to be euthanized before they ever got sick or do it themselves then it is what they wanted.

I don't think the individuals age should matter nor whether or not they have children - it's a very personal decision. Would it be better to have your child grow up watching you in horrible pain and misery or dealing with the grief of death and moving on? To me, I think it would be better to be able to move forward.

My opinion wouldn't change based on who does it...if the person wants it done and is not capable of doing it themselves then they would need to have someone else do it.

I'm not sure how I feel about it regarding someone who is "just" disabled - I think that if they are that unhappy then it should be an option, but in that case it may or may not be necessary.

Lastly, I think it's amazing how we feel it's humane to put an animal out of it's misery, but human is allowed to suffer.

Re: Euthanasia

That reminds me of an episode of Nip/Tuck. I could go on and on about this subject but I won't. I'll just bring up a few things. First of all, I think one reason why it is such a touchy subject is that it is one that comes with A LOT of liabilities and the government doesn't even want to go there. Here we have states that have the death penalty for murder and I'm sure that many people would see this as murder, so there is a lot of hypocricy.

Anyway, we also live in a country that allows people to put their pets out of suffering and misery and yet, a human being must live with it. It makes no sense. When I was 14, we had an elderly aunt live with us. She had cancer. She was in so much pain, at night she would moan and cry for god to take her. She WANTED to die. There was nothing to do for her but give her medication and hope it kicked in. But if she were a dog or a cat, we would be called inhuman for not taking her to the vet and letting her just go peacefully asleep. I couldn't fathom how we as people could do that to someone. Now, I'm not an advocate of suicide, but this is where they line gets really fine. In essence, it is suicide, but where, in what world, in what religious book or governmental doctrine, is it written that a person MUST suffer in agony and excruciating pain for the final days of life??? How is that a pursuit of happiness or the right to life? So is it suicide or is it just speeding up an inevitable day?

Do I believe in it? Yes. I do.
I think there should be doctors who 'specialize' in this area.

Is it all about pain? No. I could not even imagine how difficult a life must be for someone who can't even do a basic daily task. Look at Million Dollar Baby. Is life more important than quality of life? Should a person spend the next 30 years where their only control is blikning their eyes? No.

And if children are involved, well, honestly, that is a personal decision. It's up to the person. Would I think worse of a young mother than an old lady doing it? No, pain is pain...it doesn't discriminate.

Re: Euthanasia

I understand it but I am one to not give up so I would have an issue if someone asked me to pull the plug. For me, it would be at what stage do you do it? Is it really the end?

There is always that thought process that would make me wonder if I did it too soon and someone still had a chance.

I don't think I would ask anyone to pull the plugs on me. A part of me says yes but overall I am a fighter and I don't want people to pull the plug. Maybe I would be fighting for my life and they don't know it. But what if I was trying to fight for my life and I would know they are killing me and I can't do a thing about it because I can't communicate and they just think they are respecting my wishes.

Re: Euthanasia

Its a tough topic, but I think that what a person chooses to do with his/her life is their personal choice. If I saw a family member suffering and asking to end it, I would respect their wishes. In the same sense, I would want someone to respect my wishes if I didn't want to continue to live due to a disease or complication or whatever would bring me to that decision.

I can see why some may feel it could be giving up.... but I think you really have to look at the person's quality of life. A member of my family was brain dead in the hospital (before I was born, my dad has told me this) and she was only alive because of a machine breathing for her. That was no kind of life for her and after multiple tests and being told she wouldn't pull out of it, she was taken off the machine.

Re: Euthanasia

Posted by Gertyrae

Tough topic, but personally I beleive in it even though it's completely against my religion.

My thoughts are that if a person is not going to make it and/or live their life as a vegetable with no brain activity - then the option to be put out of their misery should be available. I don't understand how it is humane and just to allow mankind to live in pain and suffering just so that they are alive. Where is the humanity in that?
Obviously, it's a personal choice, but if the individual either requested to be euthanized before they ever got sick or do it themselves then it is what they wanted.

I don't think the individuals age should matter nor whether or not they have children - it's a very personal decision. Would it be better to have your child grow up watching you in horrible pain and misery or dealing with the grief of death and moving on? To me, I think it would be better to be able to move forward.

My opinion wouldn't change based on who does it...if the person wants it done and is not capable of doing it themselves then they would need to have someone else do it.

I'm not sure how I feel about it regarding someone who is "just" disabled - I think that if they are that unhappy then it should be an option, but in that case it may or may not be necessary.

Lastly, I think it's amazing how we feel it's humane to put an animal out of it's misery, but human is allowed to suffer.

Re: Euthanasia

I just wanted to add that I think "pulling the plug" (taking someone off life support) and euthanasia are two totally different things.

Taking someone off life support takes away artificial means of support and the person dies naturally. (By the way, this is not illegal and a good time to mention that everyone should have a living will so your family members aren't left with this decision should something horrible happen to you.) Euthanasia is taking affirmative steps to kill someone who is suffering or to assist that someone in committing suicide. I personally think that is an important distinction.

I won't comment on euthanasia b/c I honestly don't really have a comment... It's an area where I do not have a strong opinion right now.

Re: Euthanasia

I agree with Kara - there is an extreme difference between euthanasia and taking a person off life support. Because this post is about euthanasia, I won't venture into my opinions on life support.

As for euthanasia, I firmly believe it's a persons right to take their life, and to do so with the assistance of another person if they cannot do it themselves. But, there have to be certain checks in place, and that's why it should be regulated, in some form or another, by the government, to ensure it is done safely, humanely and without any corruption or scandal.

Re: Euthanasia

i believe in euthanasia, provided that the person with the terminal illness still has all of their cognitive abilities and can make the decision on their own, without being swayed by someone else. who am i to decide who should suffer because it's not "their time"?

also, from what i have read (especially on dr, kevorkian, who i studies in grad school) in most cases, people who perform euthanasia on others don't do it because the dying person doesn't want to - they do it because they physically do not have the capacity to do so. in that case, some might consider euthanasia a sort of good deed - the dying person WOULD do it themselves but simply cannot.

Re: Euthanasia

I always like to refer to Euthanasia as "Death with Dignity". I am a supporter of this and believe it should have guidelines and regulations, but I honestly believe it should be up to the patient in the long run.

When someone is suffering from pain that is unmanageable and cannot enjoy the quality of life that every human being should have why should we make that determination that they should suffer. I know I want to go peacefully in the night as do most, so shouldn't they be able to as well.

Re: Euthanasia

I'm not really sure what I believe I could go back and forth on it.

On a side note when I was younger and heard this term I always wondered why anyone would be against The Youth In Asia they are people too. Eventually I learned.

Re: Euthanasia