Euthanasia?

MegaDude

Anyone against euthanasia if you are sick with a terminal disease and you don't wish to die a protracted death?

I have thought about this a lot since a coworker's grandfather here in the U.S., dying painfully of cancer, drove around and saw his relatives one final time and then killed himself. They found him in a car by the side of the road. He did it with a pistol. I thought how sad it was that he had to kill himself in such a risky way but also alone.

A French woman with a debilitating condition who lost her government request to have euthanasia and killed herself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHhOv-4KCyQ

Interesting article on people who got professional help outside their own country for their final exit:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/she-lived-in-fear-of-what-was-happening-to-her-britons-who-went-abroad-to-die-447903.html

A Dutch man who is advanced in age and deteriorating health, who lost his wife to painful cancer, wants to die:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cSdwj8muPQ&feature=related

FreudianSlip

I'm only for it if the surviving family isn't left with significant debt because of it.

BurnTheShips

Looks like Euros are offing themselves in droves these days.

BTS

rebel8

When Hurricane Katrina hit and there was the fiasco with the nursing home patients left there alone, a lot of people said they should have been euthanized. That is one situation where I feel it's totally unethical--to kill someone w/o their knowledge/consent.

Other than that, I'm for it, provided the person is of sound mind to decide.

People are euthanized every day in US hospitals. It is done by morphine drip. This is given by the doctor/nurses, many times w/o consent or knowledge of the family/patient, when the person is definitely going to die. The persons respirations are depressed to the point that they cannot breathe. That is not very humane at all. In these cases, where it is already common practice, the practice should be modified--

1. Make it less painful/uncomfortable
2. Have the patient's consent, or their family's if the patient cannot make decisions
3. No healthcare professional should have to participate if they don't want to
4. Let the patients take pills themselves if they want to--let them have control
5. Lawsuits and criminal action should not be allowed if the doctors follow proper procedure, drs shouldn't have to defend themselves against lawsuits for this

choosing life

After working inthe health care field and watching many suffer, some for years, I believe it should be both legal and available. There have to be rules such as Rebel8 mentions. It is already practiced in the states, ever heard of a "slow code"?

They are doing other things, such as morphine, as rebel8 mentions. One thing they do with morphine now is to put a small amount in a breathing treatment when someone is slowly dying of a respiratory disease. It helps ease air hunger, that feeling that you can't draw a good breath. I find that merciful.

If you believe that God is truly merciful, why would you insist that a person suffer needlessly? We put our pets to sleep to spare them. I often think that it would be really hard on the family. Then I think how hard it is for the family to watch a loved one suffer on and on. I think you would have to be brave to go gently into that dark night.

dogisgod

I believe you should have the choice and if unable have it recorded so it can be done for you. Life without quality is worse than death. Death would be the kind and loving thing to do.. We do it for our animals with great love why not ourselves?

hamilcarr

Does life belong to God or to the individual human being?

Given my doubts about the divine, I tend to go for the latter.

Good death.

hamilcarr

That is one situation where I feel it's totally unethical--to kill someone w/o their knowledge/consent.

Few people will disagree since you're describing cacothanasia.

I hope anyone knows even in godless Europe (for example the Netherlands or Belgium), euthanasia can only be performed when the patient's suffering is unbearable with no prospect of improvement and when the patient is aware of his situation and has given formal consent.

BurnTheShips

What's wrong with youth in Asia?

MegaDude

Ah, Burn. Even on this topic, levity.

Euthanasia?

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