Right to die

[KnockEmOuttt]

This past February, my grandmother (whom I was the closest to in the family) was diagnosed with cancer. We looked into options to fight it. Within two weeks of diagnosis she was bedridden in the hospital. She suffered there for a little over three weeks. It was apparent within the first days of her illness she wasn't going to get any better. She continued to suffer for those three weeks in total agony (she was a trooper and rarely complained, even though she had a tube literally running from her nose to her intestine draining the fluid that was blocking her up, she lived on no food for almost two weeks. Still, I knew that she was miserable.) She was ready to go, she wanted the pain to stop, but it just dragged on and on. I wanted so desperately for her suffering to end, as did she, but it took a month before the suffering stopped.

So tell me, why is it that she shouldn't have been given the option to have ended it?

I truly feel for you, I know it's painful for all. My aunt several years ago had cancer and died a miserable death and her suffering was extended because my uncle could not let her go, that was a terribly selfish thing for him to do, she wanted to go she was tired of the pain. So it could get worse if people who are involved become selfish. My father told us that when there was no hope to let him go, we loved him enough to do that, we kept him on morphine until he died so the pain of his body shutting down would not be so bad. I even prayed that if he was not to recover that God would go ahead and take him so he would not have to suffer. My church has prayed that God would take people who were not going to get well so they would not suffer and in most cases He called them home within a couple of days. We have prayed that prayer for those who earlier in their lives joined in those prayers of mercy, knowing they would be happy we loved them enough to ask God to end their suffering.
My uncle is proof we do not always have control over our own lives, if we do not want someone extending our lives we need to have a living will made out for our doctors, stating only to have pain killers and water, when one is not feed there is no pain suffered, so we do have some control over our death, but no one should have there lives shortened by what people call mercy killing. I know that doesn't make much sense to you especially after what I said about prayer, but I believe that our lives belong to God and His will should be allowed to the end of our lives. One never knows how God may be working with others.

All of this is reliant on there being a god in control of all of this. However god was obviously not a factor in this, since prayers in either direction had no effect (regardless of who was praying). The only things that were real during that time were the pain and the people experiencing it.

What you believe belongs to god is subjective opinion, it can't be enforced on people who don't agree with your belief (unless you suggest a theocracy.)

The truth is that if someone wants to die they have the right to, and you can't really stop them. Sure, you can make it difficult for them, but they'll do it sometime, somehow. The least we can give them is dignity.

And anyway, what would be wrong with someone in that state choosing to die? They're barely living anyway.

[genkaus]

Why should we have the right to end our lives,

Because it is our life.

we do not have the right to take the life of others

Because that is not our life.

except in the case of protecting ourselves from a killer.

So there are cases where we do have the right to take someone else's life?

Many diseases are killers and we have the right to kill them if we can, so there is no need to take our own life.

A disease is not a human. In fact, a disease is not even alive.

Back to the case of someone trying to kill us, it's just like a disease we can't always be successful in fighting the threat, so should we just give up and kill ourselves.

Irrelevant. You have the right to die because it is the logical corollary of your right to live.

[NoraBrimstone]

Yes. I thinkit should be legal. Obviously regulated, though. Like it is in countried where it is already legal, like Switzerland and The Netherlands.

I've watched people I love die so horrifically from cancer, I don't want to die like that. I don't want to reach the stage where I am pissing and shitting myself, am no longer able to walk, no longer able to eat solids. If I know I have less than a year to live and start to lose my dignity in such a way, I would like the option to end my life then. I believe everbody deserves that option.

I live in a country where if your pet cat has a horrible illness that would result in a slow death you can choose to end their suffering, but if it is your own life, you can't choose that for yourself. It makes no sense.

[The Grand Nudger]

The religious right whines about something every time the wind changes. That being said, I don't think the whining from any faith group would even compare to the legal battles that would sprout up in the wake of legalization and regulation.

As far as whether or not suicide should be legal -I don't think that matters. While you can technically be charged with a crime post-humously...who gives a shit?

Involuntary euthenasia would be about ten times stickier than capital punishment, which is already a macabre form of euthenasia (though we're hoping to end the suffering of others, not the euthanized -admittedly).

Taking a philosophic stance about something and suggesting legality are entirely different things. I would honestly love to see some suggestions as to how such a thing could be effectively regulated. Nothing groundbreaking -we're not writing policy- but I think it would be an interesting break from the norm round these parts.

For my part, I'd suggest that the regulations be such that it takes a very long time, and multiple face to face interviews to be approved for the procedure. I also suggest that providers be limited to non-profits.
(involuntary euthenasia is out of the question for me)

[NoraBrimstone]

To me, involuntary euthanasia is an entirely different ballgame. Euthanasia, to me, is about a person making the choice for themselves and would be pretty easy to regulate.

Involuntary euthanasia would need to involve multiple doctors' opinions and the involvement of lawyers in order to protect a patient from malintent.

[Reforged]

This past February, my grandmother (whom I was the closest to in the family) was diagnosed with cancer. We looked into options to fight it. Within two weeks of diagnosis she was bedridden in the hospital. She suffered there for a little over three weeks. It was apparent within the first days of her illness she wasn't going to get any better. She continued to suffer for those three weeks in total agony (she was a trooper and rarely complained, even though she had a tube literally running from her nose to her intestine draining the fluid that was blocking her up, she lived on no food for almost two weeks. Still, I knew that she was miserable.) She was ready to go, she wanted the pain to stop, but it just dragged on and on. I wanted so desperately for her suffering to end, as did she, but it took a month before the suffering stopped.

So tell me, why is it that she shouldn't have been given the option to have ended it?

I truly feel for you, I know it's painful for all. My aunt several years ago had cancer and died a miserable death and her suffering was extended because my uncle could not let her go, that was a terribly selfish thing for him to do, she wanted to go she was tired of the pain. So it could get worse if people who are involved become selfish. My father told us that when there was no hope to let him go, we loved him enough to do that, we kept him on morphine until he died so the pain of his body shutting down would not be so bad. I even prayed that if he was not to recover that God would go ahead and take him so he would not have to suffer. My church has prayed that God would take people who were not going to get well so they would not suffer and in most cases He called them home within a couple of days. We have prayed that prayer for those who earlier in their lives joined in those prayers of mercy, knowing they would be happy we loved them enough to ask God to end their suffering.
My uncle is proof we do not always have control over our own lives, if we do not want someone extending our lives we need to have a living will made out for our doctors, stating only to have pain killers and water, when one is not feed there is no pain suffered, so we do have some control over our death, but no one should have there lives shortened by what people call mercy killing. I know that doesn't make much sense to you especially after what I said about prayer, but I believe that our lives belong to God and His will should be allowed to the end of our lives. One never knows how God may be working with others.

"My uncle is proof we do not always have control over our own lives, if we do not want someone extending our lives we need to have a living will made out for our doctors, stating only to have pain killers and water, when one is not feed there is no pain suffered, so we do have some control over our death, but no one should have there lives shortened by what people call mercy killing."

Sorry, no. I'm not letting this one slide. How is purposefully starving yourself anything other than suicide? What, thats ok but any other form of suicide or mercykilling is just a step too far?
Do you have any idea how much of a hypocrite you actually are? According to you self-imposed death is immoral, wrong and people who do it will be punished by God or whatever but the particular brand you guys carried out?
Nah, that was ok because it was natural. Newsflash; poking a bear with a stick or lying on the edge of a cliff that is likely to break off would both be "natural" ways to die. There are many and you could say "Oh look God did it" but you'd be talking bullshit wouldn't you? If you deny someone sustenance for an overly extend period of time then they will die. Thats what happens, God or no God. You all knew this and you went through with it fully expecting it to happen as a result, not through the power of "prayers" but because thats what happens. You starve someone, they die.
Don't try to give yourself a free pass you don't extend to others.

[Annik]

You have the rights to your own life. However, I think it should be our responsibility to try and convince them to hang on. Maybe not in the case of painful, terminal illness (in which case, I can't in good faith convince them to hang on).

[NoraBrimstone]

You have the rights to your own life. However, I think it should be our responsibility to try and convince them to hang on. Maybe not in the case of painful, terminal illness (in which case, I can't in good faith convince them to hang on).

Your responsibility should be to support them in an obvious time of need. Not force your opinion (on a subject you thankfully don't understand) on them and make them feel even worse about what is happening to them.

[Ryantology]

If I want to end my own life, for whatever reason I want to, and you don't like it, why don't you just kill me? Absolutely it should be legal.

However, there are mitigating, non-legal circumstances involved a lot of the time. But really, I think that is something a person needs to think about and consider on his or her own. It isn't something which should be mandated by law.

[Faith No More]

I agree with Rhythm that people have the right die, but legally implementing euthanasia would be extremely difficult. Not that it couldn't be done, but there are so many factors that it would be a monumental task.