Thoughts on euthanasia

[Regina]

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.

[Minimalist]

Yes.  Especially when there is not hope.

[Anomalocaris]

It is always better to have control over one's own life than to hand that control over to the shady conman who would invent a religion and the self-important morons who think they had been divinely selected to stumbled over something tremendous when they by chance fall under the sway of the works of those con men.

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

The freedom to live your life as you choose MUST axiomatically include the right to end it how you choose, either on your own or with assistance.

Boru

[Chad32]

Yes, people should be able to choose a quick way to go out, instead of spending their last month or so bedridden. Sometimes people do get better, despite the odds, but the individual should be the one who makes that decision.

[c172]

I hadn't given it much thought until Brittney Maynard died. After that, for me it was a big fat "duh". We're inhumane for not allowing it in most jurisdictions. We're inhumane for not allowing it for the disabled who are sick and tired of rolling around in their wheelchairs with no hope of job or anything else of meaning. We're somehow still OK with allowing people to live completely incapacitated by physical or emotional distress.

What's worse is that the disabled community is fighting tooth and nail to not allow euthanasia because they think the rest of society is out to kill them because they are different.

And people hold this country of ours in such esteem (well, maybe it's just us that do that. Dunno).

[Dystopia]

Mostly yes with proper legislation - Reasons to allow euthanasia should be listed on the law, not subject to arbitrary decisions (after all, it's "us" making the kill right?) and conscious objection should be allowed for ethical/moral reasons.

[IATIA]

I thought 'Soylent Green' had it down to an art. !00% for.

[JuliaL]

Mostly yes with proper legislation - Reasons to allow euthanasia should be listed on the law, not subject to arbitrary decisions (after all, it's "us" making the kill right?) and conscious objection should be allowed for ethical/moral reasons.

My bolding.

I hope it's not.
Providing a humane and sure method, yes, but the agency and decision to die must always lie with the subject.

It would be horrific if the 'us' referred to became the feared and stereotyped death panel of partisan rhetoric.  Through apathy of the masses, intentional ignorance brought about by special interests or positive action by corrupt officials, 'we' could create unthinkable injustice.  Think Soviet psychiatry.

[Secular Elf]

My condolences for the loss of your father Yeuxleux. I am for euthanasia. If you are terminally ill to begin with and in such pain as to have little to no relief and no hope of a quality life to what time remains then you should have a right to die as you so choose, peacefully and painlessly.