Euthanasia - Legal or Illegal?

There seems to be quite a lot of discussion on this lately... For people who are not really sure what euthanasia is, it is the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die, as by withholding extreme medical measures, a person or animal suffering from an incurable, esp. a painful, disease or condition.

Personally i feel that if a person has a terminal illness and is suffering, euthanasia will relieve the patient of his/her pain and suffering. However, there is also the problem or religion and choice...

So i'm just curious to see what are the opinions of others on this topic...

 

I'd probably just leave it up to the individual - it's your problem if you have to decide whether a family member has to go through pain and suffering or could simply pass in peace, not for others to decide. And, much like Seph said, I don't think a lot of people would want to live through something extremely traumatic or in a state that you're just alive, and barely at that.

I don't want to be a vegetable - I'd rather be dead than alive just for the sake of being alive.

 

I think that it's a question of ethics. If someone were completely incapacitated with no hope of revival to a "normal" life, would you want them to go on being alive and suffering because you're selfish and can't bear to let them go, or do you cast your own feeling aside and let the person have what they deserve......release from torment? Some things are more important than how you feel. Like the other persons feelings or desires when in a dire situation.

I recently had the unenviable heartache of watching my best friend die from AIDS. I know there is no way in hell that, out of my love for my friend, that I would've been selfish enough to make him want to keep on living (suffering) just because I would miss him. I hated to watch him waste away, but at the same time I'm relieved to know that he is no longer suffering from such a dreaded disease. I will always have the memories of the things that we shared, good or bad, and I will treasure them forever. I wish no one had to go through such suffering.......I miss my friend......

 

seph is right.
if the person/family/group no longer can provide services to maintain the persons life, how would they keep it in going. basically, who would end up paying for it if the persons family/group can no longer provide it? would it be the state/nation, etc....?

 

in some cases this issue can go either way, but my opinion is that if you have a person who is in a vegetable state and will never wake up it might be better to let them go on and pass over, but if te person has a possibility who recover than no it should not be allowed

 

My opinion is, if a person is in no hope for recovery and in great pain, its better to just end his\her life. example is a person in a deep coma or in final stage of any life threatening sickness.

when i write my life will, i will have that written on it.

 

Wow, The UK Laws have Issuses,
seriously

 

No, it doesn't.
Liable to be charged does not equal automatically guilty... For example, if you killed someone out of self defense, you would still be liable to be charged for murder. Likewise if you were present (no one else) when someone decides to take his own life.

I heard euthanasia is OK in the Netherlands? How is it?

 

Yes it does,

Read what you wrote, For self defence i can be charged (Murder Wise). What Kinda shits that ?

Lets say someone there in my house at night trying to steal my shit, and i killed him lets say by Stabbing him. il get charged for deffending my house, my shit inside, and who ever is in the house at that time including myself.

What Kinda shit is that ?

 

Ye But WTF ?

hes in your house trying to steal your shit and will do what ever nessasery to get out with something that doesnt belong to him, even if it includes having to hurt someone.

Its the robbers fault, he desserved to get shotgun up the ass. how can the victem get a life sentance for it ?

 

I see i see.

In the Burning moment of that situation you aint gonna go looking around like "What weapon shal i use to scare him off ? my machete, my 5ft knife, my staff, my shotgun?"

youl just pick up the neariest most deadliest weapon to were your are at. so they atleast shouldnt give the victem life sentace, Common, hes a victem of a theft that didnt work

 

Isn't Euthanasia "Pity" killing? because it basically rids the person of pain? And usually, it's asked by the person enduring the pain? Doesn't that constitute under Suicide then?

 

Well your Kinda right (I leant this in R.E Lessons which i failed on my Exam, LOL !!)
Euthanasia is "Pity" killing in other Terms, truly Euthanasia is help from someone to die that cannot kill themselfs.

like lets say, someone thats fully parilized, cant move hands, legs, head ETC. well, since they cannot kill themselfs, someone will do it for them at the Free will of the person that is in that condition.

 

Yea I don't think anyone is saying they agree with it, just pointing out that it's the law here. In my opinion, if you break into someone's house, you're taking the risk that they could kill you. It's your own damn fault and you lose your right to "safety and security" once you trespass on someone's property with the intent to cause harm (either through physical violence or theft or whatever). But anyway, back on topic.

Euthanasia laws are tricky for sure. On the one hand, I don't see the point in forcing someone who doesn't want to live to do so. That's ridiculous, ESPECIALLY if they are battling a debilitating and/or painful disease.

On the other hand, those who have no say in whether they are euthanized (i.e. comatose patients or those with paralysis that prevents any communication) should not be subjected to euthanasia simply because a loved one or guardian believes it's what they would want. I say this because many people say now that they would rather die than go blind or be paralyzed, but studies have shown that these afflictions do not detract from finding happiness in life. In other words, though most of us think we couldn't be happy living in those states, generally speaking, we could be.

My opinion on it: Euthanasia for those who ask for it for themselves. No euthanasia for those who are unable to communicate.

 

Euthanasia is just difficult, because it's about life. You decide if another person should live or die.

The only other example which is legal, whcih I can think of is the death penalty, in which a law, written by the representatives of a large population may decide if a person lives or dies.

Another example related to life, is stemcell research. When can you take cells from an embryo? When is it equal to taking a life?