Thoughts on euthanasia

[Ravenshire]

I lost my Dad last week, who had been battling with cancer for 7 years (although it was pneumonia that took him in the end). Before it was clear his death was imminent, I had always been kinda passive on this issue, sort of agreeing with it but not having strong feelings.

As my Dad was getting weaker, he was starting to suffer, which was obviously very uspsetting for us. However, due to euthanasia being illegal in this country (United Kingdom), there was nothing the nurses could do other than give him painkillers and sedatives to calm him. This really woke me up to the issue of euthanasia, we were sitting in the hospital for pretty much a whole week witnessing him slowly getting weaker and in pain, and it made me so angry. I'm so angry he (and other people who have been through this) had to suffer and there was no way we could make it quick, just because it's against the religious beliefs of other people. I think it's so unfair, we don't put our pets through this when they are terminally ill and it shouldn't be any different for us.

I want to ask, how does the forum feel about euthanasia? Do you agree with it or not?

Also I can see a difference between suicide and euthanasia. To me suicide is giving up when there is still a future (I have sympathy, but it's not the same as euthanasia) while euthanasia is preventing pain and suffering when death is imminent anyway.

I watched my mom go through essentially the same thing. I can't agree strongly enough about it, no matter what you want to call it. Allowing the patient to decide when and how they will die once the death is unavoidable should be a protected right, not something to be fought over in court. Fuck the right to lifers and the others on the conservative right that argue against it. Suicide is legal in most jurisdictions. It's assisting that get's folks in trouble and usually just attending is enough to be considered assisting. Until the laws are changed, this will continue to be a rank injustice.