Assisted suicide?
January 5, 2012 at 7:59 pm
(This post was last modified: January 5, 2012 at 8:01 pm by Napoléon.)
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?
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?
