What do you all think about Euthanasia?

[mom'sfolly]

Agreed TT. This is a very complex issue. We've all heard of so called "angels of mercy" who are serial killers who use hospitals as their killing grounds. I'm also deeply suspicious of Kevorkian, who was a pathologist, becoming an advocate of assisted suicide. His motives did not seem to be those of a deeply committed physician trying to find answers for those in need. I'm always suspicious of solutions looking for problems.

However, modern medicine has become very good at aggressively treating life threatening illness, and fatal illness. What it hasn't become very good at is good pain medicine and counseling; so you end up with people in extreme pain, depressed and unable to continue. Patients are seldom even given the option of not treating. There are also people who are not in pain, but are very ill, and don't want to continue life as they are living it. If people are not in pain, and have had the opportunity for counseling, and still want to die, maybe they should have that right. Some of these people are unable to end things themselves, which is where the entire issue comes up.

Saying that you are "pro-life" is all fine and good, but it doesn't address the larger issues of patient choice, death with dignity, medical intervention with natural death, treatment of the dying, etc. If come to your "pro-life" position through a thoughtful process, and understanding of the issues, I see no problem with the position. In my opinion, if you haven't gone through that thought process, and made a moral choice for yourself, it is a simple cop-out for having to think about disturbing issues.

 

[chickened]

Sounds like a form of suicide assisted suicide if you ask me, perhaps mentally he has some illness or is unstable enough to making the right decision, I'm pro life and would be against ending his life but then I don't know all of the circumstances or what's going on in his head.

This is one of the arguments against PAS that you may have the blood of someone else on your hands when you commit the act... however merciful one appears to be.

 

[chickened]

Agreed TT. This is a very complex issue. We've all heard of so called "angels of mercy" who are serial killers who use hospitals as their killing grounds. I'm also deeply suspicious of Kevorkian, who was a pathologist, becoming an advocate of assisted suicide. His motives did not seem to be those of a deeply committed physician trying to find answers for those in need. I'm always suspicious of solutions looking for problems.

However, modern medicine has become very good at aggressively treating life threatening illness, and fatal illness. What it hasn't become very good at is good pain medicine and counseling; so you end up with people in extreme pain, depressed and unable to continue. Patients are seldom even given the option of not treating. There are also people who are not in pain, but are very ill, and don't want to continue life as they are living it. If people are not in pain, and have had the opportunity for counseling, and still want to die, maybe they should have that right. Some of these people are unable to end things themselves, which is where the entire issue comes up.

Saying that you are "pro-life" is all fine and good, but it doesn't address the larger issues of patient choice, death with dignity, medical intervention with natural death, treatment of the dying, etc. If come to your "pro-life" position through a thoughtful process, and understanding of the issues, I see no problem with the position. In my opinion, if you haven't gone through that thought process, and made a moral choice for yourself, it is a simple cop-out for having to think about disturbing issues.

I think this is why most rely on a higher leaning above their own intellect to aid in the decision.

 

[thaiturkey]

A higher leaning? I don't follow. Perhaps a higher learning is what you mean. What higher learning?

 

[cassie]

Quote:
Huh?

 

[oldrooster]

Sounds like a form of suicide assisted suicide if you ask me, perhaps mentally he has some illness or is unstable enough to making the right decision, I'm pro life and would be against ending his life but then I don't know all of the circumstances or what's going on in his head.

My thought is if he can communicate why can't he refuse food and water and die within a couple of weeks due to starvation/dehydration without aid of any person?

 

[mom'sfolly]

When the man the OP posted about died, he had been refusing food for a week and had pneumonia. It was a much harder and nastier way to die than the euthanasia he has requested. I think it must take ferocious will power to starve yourself to death. Starving isn't an easy death, and neither is pneumonia. In the end he did choose his death, because he had orders for no medical intervention.

His main method of communication was by blinking.

 

[cassie]

Quote:
That burden is one that I would be glad to accept. If a loved one finds life to be intolerable because of pain and terminal illness, I would be willing to help them end their suffering in any way I could. Legal or not. I just hope they would do the same for me. There are many things in this world that are much worse than dying, believe me.

 

[chickened]

That burden is one that I would be glad to accept. If a loved one finds life to be intolerable because of pain and terminal illness, I would be willing to help them end their suffering in any way I could. Legal or not. I just hope they would do the same for me. There are many things in this world that are much worse than dying, believe me.

That is exactly my point. Most will not accept that burden because they believe it is not thier right. Putting one out of thier misery is not PAS and should not be considered the same. It can be done without a doctor. This is another argument against PAS... is it a doctors role? The state seems to think a doctor is the only one that can accomplish the deed and that is just not so.

(bold type) just out of curiosity have you died before? I have heard many say what you are saying but all of them have never really actually died and came back to talk about which is worse.

 

[chickened]

Huh?

In other words will they go to hell if they do it. If they believe they will then they have leaned on thier belief by refusing, that doesn't mean they will not do it for some insensitive reason either.