Euthanasia

Asking someone to relate a situation e.g. euthanasia, to a person very close to them is a method often used by people to argue a point.

However, if we are going to judge a situation in an objective way, then it is best to look at it from a neutral view. I would be way too entrenched in subjective feelings if it was my mother, so in all honesty I don't know what I'd do. Most likely...yes I would help her, if that is what she asked me to do and she was is terrible pain. The thought of letting her keep on living with so much pain is worse to me, no matter how sickening the thought of killing her is.
Even if I said I wouldn't do it. It wouldn't prove your point because that is an extremely bias situation in which I would have many factors, namely my love for my mother, holding me back from doing what may be the right thing.
 
Scanty said:
Asking someone to relate a situation e.g. euthanasia, to a person very close to them is a method often used by people to argue a point.

However, if we are going to judge a situation in an objective way, then it is best to look at it from a neutral view. I would be way too entrenched in subjective feelings if it was my mother, so in all honesty I don't know what I'd do. Most likely...yes I would help her, if that is what she asked me to do and she was is terrible pain. The thought of letting her keep on living with so much pain is worse to me, no matter how sickening the thought of killing her is.
Even if I said I wouldn't do it. It wouldn't prove your point because that is an extremely bias situation in which I would have many factors, namely my love for my mother, holding me back from doing what may be the right thing.
Click to expand...
That is all I needed to know. Thank you for your honesty.
 
You know LL, if you'd stop and think ,maybe some people post things NOT to get an argument started in their thread maybe you'd be a bit more reasonable..seems you argue everything out just for the point of arguing.
 
OK first, I argue like shit, I know. I'm too young and inexperienced to do a proper argument, but I will take more philosophy classes that teach me how to do a proper argument. I also lack experience, and of course the knowledge. Euthanasia is very touch to me, so I apologize for my outburst up there.

Hm I talked to my boss, who is also very right-wing, and he enlightened me on a few things. First, you cannot argue for or against euthanasia based on common principles. Your stand on euthanasia is an opinion, and as such I can only state my opinion and perhaps some reasons. So, instead of trying to convince people, I will just state what I believe.

First, I will not help someone over the edge. I will not lethally inject him at his own request. Instead, I will ask him if he still wants life support or life prolonging drugs. In most cases, taking that away will let natural death come along soon.

Second, I believe it is the person's right to refuse life support and/or drugs. So if he prefers to be removed from life support and not take any drugs, except pain killers, I will honor that. If it causes him to die in 3 hours, so be it. I think everyone has the right to choose if they want to die or not.

Third, I have an objection to legalizing euthanasia because the possibilities for abuse is just... a lot. Thousands of people are murdered in the Netherlands because of doctors who take the liberty of "helping out" people without consent. That is one reason. I also have moral objections to helping people die.

Fourth, well as I already mentioned, I would shoot someone myself that was condemned to death. I would never help someone commit suicide, and I would never murder a baby.

Those are my opinions. :)
 
i support it. im also in favour of choice and the death penalty. although id rather the person who wants to die to think it over and think of the consequences, im all for it
 
I find it interesting that some people have a problem with killing someone who doesn't deserve to die, but want to. And don't have a problem with killing someone who might deserve to die but doesn't want to.

In reality these are just two situations that have a couple of factors reversed. Better to just remain neutral on both cases, imo.
 
I say if anyone wants to check out early, let em. Leave more air for the rest of us to breath.
 
PuterTutor said:
I say if anyone wants to check out early, let em. Leave more air for the rest of us to breath.
Click to expand...
Sure, but don't ask me to inject you with potassium chloride. :)
 
LastLegionary said:
Third, I have an objection to legalizing euthanasia because the possibilities for abuse is just... a lot. Thousands of people are murdered in the Netherlands because of doctors who take the liberty of "helping out" people without consent. That is one reason. I also have moral objections to helping people die.
Click to expand...

I don't know how it works in Holland, but i think it SHOULD work this way:
- First you decide to "die".
- You call a judge or a person with enough power to certificate your will.
- The euthanasia process should be done only after the judge certificates the will of the patient, and the family or doctors have explicit conscent to do it.
 
Just take me out back and plant a 9mm shell in my forehead. Much quicker than letting the courts and a doctor decide. You could die of old age waiting for such a decision in the US.
 
it should not be decided by a judge, the judge will only certify that you are willing to die, this will help you in this way:
- the risk that someone "euthanize you" against your will, will be considered murder.
 
I agree with your thought, Luis. But you give the judge the power to sign something like that, they are going to start wanting to make decisions about who can and cannot die too. It's just our nature.
 
indeed, some cases might be considered suicide and the others might be considered as euthanasia. The line might be very thin, but it is still better than letting the doctor decide it.
 
LastLegionary said:
OK first, I argue like shit, I know. I'm too young and inexperienced to do a proper argument, but I will take more philosophy classes that teach me how to do a proper argument. I also lack experience, and of course the knowledge. Euthanasia is very touch to me, so I apologize for my outburst up there.
Click to expand...

LL, learning how to 'do a proper argument' has nothing to do with classes you take. Considering other people first instead of posting what you want for selfish reasons. Someone once told me they type and retype replies time and time again before clicking reply. They do that to take care and not insult other people or react inappropriately. That's what I call 'doing a proper argument'. And I think Justin has a point.

As far as my opinion goes... After transporting the terminally ill for as many years as I did, being with people in their last stages of life while in excruciating pain or drug-induced stupor, and being faced with the decision of letting my own grandmother die in my ambulance because she had a Do Not Resuscitate order, I'm for regulated euthanasia. But that's the bitch of it... The regulation, who decides, when, where, how. As with *anything*, it has a potential to be abused.

Once you witness the daily pain (mental AND physical REGARDLESS of drugs) of someone who is terminally ill, I think your opinion might change. As of right now, Living Wills and DNR's are the only thing we can legally produce to decide how we want to live or die. I am the executor of both my parent's Wills and for good reason. Because they know that when the time comes, I will put my own selfishness aside and abide by their wishes. They made the decision, I just make sure it's carried out. If it was a decision on euthanasia, I would do the same.
 
i think the principal is clear that euthanasia is neither suicide or murder. the wish of one whose physical state is in slow, painful decline [effectively set to die naturally anyway] but who wants the dignity of death that is with the support of family and friends to me places it beyond suicide which is often the result of a heightened mental state and despair of an able person, and murder which is the forced death.

many people who are old or ill simply give up, their death comes quicker for their decision. but many who are suffering debilitating illnesses know that they will effectively cease to have a choise in the future and could be left to live on in a way they do not want but have no choice.

the choice of one who is dying of a terminal illness to die at the time of thier choosing, to say goodbye, be supported by family and friends is vital for mental weel being. medication might take away the pain but it also removes the concsiousness, leaving those dying 'not there'. to be left delerious or veegetative merely to be kept alive and not in pain is to many undignified and painful for them, their families and friends.

i have instructions from my father to switch him off if he was ever on life-support and not likely to live. i would want the same.

the ultimate love i could show to someone is that my selfish need and hopes for thier survival or 'just one more day' no matter what the cost is, could be shrugged off for their peace and dignity.
 
Well said ris. Did your father put his wishes in writing? I ask because my Uncle told my Aunt verbally and she held on to him for over a week, torn between letting him go for his sake and keeping him on life support (brain-dead) for her own reasons. In the end she made the right decision but it caused even more grief than we already felt at that point. It was a horrible thing to go through but it's what prompted my parents to make their decisions legal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top