Interested to hear people's thoughts on euthanasia. It is currently illegal in the UK to help someone die. Something I don't really agree with.

Personally I am of the opinion that if an adult on their death bed wants to end their suffering then they should be entitled to do so. It should not be anyone else's right to force a person to endure pain. On the other hand, are people in an insightful position (like say family) entitled to make the decision on the behalf of the person in suffering when they may not have the mental or physical capability to decide themselves.

Example:

My uncle's mother in law has alzheimers. Really, really bad alzheimers. She requires full time care, and cannot be left alone. This is due to the fact that she cannot look after herself due to other health issues and obviously due to alzheimers itself. The problem is she doesn't recognise her own husband, and has had many an episode of fright and terror, sadness and confusion. She has called the police on several occasions thinking that her son is a burglar, she has hid in her neighbours back garden for fear of being raped by her husband and has gone on random walks down the motorway because she does not know where she is or what she is doing.

If you were this woman would you want to carry on? If you were in a constant state of confusion and bewilderment at the world around you would you see a point to living every day? If you did not recognise someone you have spent 50 years loving would you seriously think that life has anything more to give?

Well I can't speak on my uncle's mother in law's behalf, but personally, I'd want someone to end my pointless existence.

Obviously at this moment in time euthanasia is not an option, but if it were legal I would think it would get some serious thought. However is it right for others (who care about nothing but the well-being of the individual I might add) to decide whether or not such an individual should die?

I used this example because it is something I can personally relate to and something I have seen the effects of first hand, however I'm sure there are other scenarios where someone might not be in the right 'frame of mind' to decide if they want to go, and it could then be down to family members to decide.

What are your thoughts on this?

I've made a poll on euthanasia in a more general sense.

We put down animals when they are suffering needlessly, why don't we do the same with humans?

Just yesterday I had to watch an 18 month old Golden Retriever put down because his idiot owner couldn't be bothered vaccinating him against distemper.

That dog died far more peacefully than my mother in law who had to rot away for six months before she finally died.

When someone says "you wouldn't do that to a dog" they are right. But we do it to ourselves.

(January 5, 2012 at 8:09 pm)Minimalist Wrote: That dog died far more peacefully than my mother in law who had to rot away for six months before she finally died.

When a human is told they have only 6 months to live by a doctor, a vet would turn around and tell you they need to be put down.

What is more humane?

I'm all for assisted suicide. I would want to if it came to the end, but not close enough. I would, personally, like to have that option.

If someone tries to stop me from taking my life if I can't go on much more then I'll take them with me.

Yes I totally agree with helping someone sure of their own accord and not dying a slow painful death.

Did you see that Terry Pratchett program on assisted suicide?

(January 5, 2012 at 8:15 pm)5thHorseman Wrote: Did you see that Terry Pratchett program on assisted suicide?

No, was it any good?

I heard about that, and also how there is a movement for UK law to be changed in the news.

After seeing my uncle over christmas it's something I've been thinking about, so decided to make the thread.

It's a tough question, I think - one with many layers and subtleties that make a yes/no answer for me difficult.

Assisted suicide in the case where the person in question is lucid and is able to clearly make their wishes unambiguously known? I strongly support it in this case.

Euthanasia in the case where the person has not, and cannot make their wishes known and is incapable of giving consent or voicing non-consent? This is less clear to me - while on the one hand, I would want to help ease their suffering, I wouldn't presume to know what their choice would be, nor would I want to act in a way contrary to their wishes.

Having been in a situation where my father and I had to make a decision regarding keeping my grandmother on life support or not, those questions are not easily answered. I have wondered many times whether we made the right decision or not.

For me, life support is different. Taking someone off life support is not the same as actively 'putting someone down'.

Unless people state in advance what their wishes are, via Living Will.