What do you all think about Euthanasia?

[furbabymum]

X3. You don't get any Brownie points in this life for pain. As for myself, I have zero pain tolerence. If faced with a terminal illness and unending pain, the only thing I would want is OUT and I hope those who love me would help me find a way if I couldn't do it myself. Contrary to what some people seem to think, death is not the worst thing that can happen. Not even close.

I'm glad someone understands. I was beginning to think I was weird.

 

[chickened]

My life experience is probably a lot different than yours. I have lost a lot of family members to horrible diseases. I don't fear death. It is a relief to those who suffer and those who stand by and watch them suffer. It's a horrible feeling of impotence you get. You want to help your family member. You want to make them well. Take away their suffering. In the end you can do nothing but watch as they suffer and ultimately die. I don't want to suffer like that. If my death is going to happen but only after I've suffered horribly then I'd want to die before the suffering. I'd want to save those I love from watching the suffering.

Not to say I wouldn't fight through illness. I'd fight cancer and such. But there are some things that when you get them there is no cure, just death. I choose death.

Anyway, I meant you don't choose when you're born but you could choose when you die. Maybe you wouldn't make that choice but would you really deny others the opportunity to make that choice?

I would not deny anyone that choice but I would not support it at the government level. People have the ability to kill themselves already or plan for it. When doctors become grimm reapers I draw the line.

I too have seen people die slow painful deaths and have seen them at peace in the end pain free.

I just do not think I have a right to take my life when I had no right in giving it.

I have seen couples get closer and love each other more than ever from illness so I think it can work both ways. Like I said we all die phsyically.

 

[sourland]

Bruce, I went through something similar this spring with a close friend who had terminal cancer. He made it about a month longer in horrible pain than I would have before he ended his suffering. We had several talks about it as his time wound down. He asked me once if he waited too long and didn't have the strength in the end if I would do it for him.

Would I have done it?

He would have done it for me.

I guess by the standards of most people that makes me an evil person.


I can live with that.

Sorry, Terry, you don't qualiy as an evil person. Humane comes far closer to home.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote: Thanks George. I'm just a bit touchy about this whole subject, especially with the things I've seen and went through myself.

 

[newfoundland]

This is such a hard subject to be objective about. On the one hand you have the devastating situation of the terminally ill perhaps in acute pain, and it seems positively cruel to prolong their torture for there is no chance of a recovery. Balanced against this is the slight chance that some unfortunate person might be unwillingly 'helped on their way', from those who stand to gain.

I went to the paralympics on Thursday and what I was privilidged to witness there was truly inspirational. I do wonder if all of those young people would have survived to triumph so spectacularly if euthanasia was widely practiced. All I can say is I'm glad the descision is not mine to make.

 

[OldGuy43]

Am I the only one who see's the incongruity in a society that insists on ending the life of a murderer or rapist in such a way that they will not suffer, and at the same time refuses to allow it's honest citizens a painless and dignified death?

 

[sourland]

Am I the only one who see's the incongruity in a society that insists on ending the life of a murderer or rapist in such a way that they will not suffer, and at the same time refuses to allow it's honest citizens a painless and dignified death?

No, I am right there with you.

 

[chickened]

Am I the only one who see's the incongruity in a society that insists on ending the life of a murderer or rapist in such a way that they will not suffer, and at the same time refuses to allow it's honest citizens a painless and dignified death?

It is the unseen slippery slope that always accompanies such laws... not all citizens are honest either.

Capital punishment is for punishment not mercy.

 

[loanwizard]

Yes, but Capital Punishment needs to be faster, public and painful.

 

[cassie]

Quote:
The trouble with capital punishment is that some of the people on death row are innocent. Far too police departments are much more interested in clearing a case than they are in solving it. Sloppy police work and inept defense result in wrongful convictions.