Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
Field Researcher
Original Poster
#1 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 12:02 AM
Default Your views on euthanasia
This came to my mind after knowing yesterday from the news that Mario Monicelli (an italian film director) died at the age of 95. At first I was not shocked, he was an old man. Then, I discovered that he had suicided, he had jumped through the Hospital's window because he didn't want to continue suffering (he had been diagnosed cancer).

Do you think this is fair? Do you think there should be a legal way for people to die when they want to end their lives?

I would like to know your opinions about euthanasia, so feel free to elaborate your ideas as much as you want and don't limit yourself to replying the questions.
Advertisement
Mad Poster
#2 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 1:29 AM
I think that people should be able to die the way they want to so I do support euthanasia, however I realise that it's incredibly difficult to put into practice because there are so many issues to take into account.
Instructor
#3 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 1:42 AM
It could be pretty iffy when it comes to euthanasia too. Some people are in a coma, and the painful decision is made by someone else in the case of non-voluntary euthanasia. Now we can't know for sure whether these people would have wanted their lives to end or anything, so there will always be arguments. Some people call euthanasia mercy killing while opponents call it murder.

From my point of view, the most acceptable form of euthanasia is the voluntary one where a patient is in too much suffering and wants to be put out of misery while there is no other way out. But other than that, it's a tough thing to think about. I could sit around all day weighing my own arguments for and against euthanasia without being able to make a personal statement in the end.
Lab Assistant
#4 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 1:44 AM
Not really. What if the next day you would have found out the diagnosis was wrong, or you got better quickly?
Maybe it's just me, but I would rather take my chances.

My blog ---> Here
Instructor
#5 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 1:47 AM
Yeah, that would be ideal of course. I mean I'm saying if euthanasia has to be carried out then that would be the most reasonable case for it to be put into practice, imo.
Inventor
#6 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 2:52 AM
People should be allowed to die with dignity. If they are chronically ill and would rather die now, on their terms, than continue to suffer with a quality of life that is abysmal then they should be allowed to make that choice.

Yes, it's really hard to let go of a person that you love and you want them to hang on and you hope and pray and fight for a cure but it's so much worse, actually, to watch the person you love fade into a shell of who they once were.

I'm not suggesting we start letting people kill themselves as soon as they are diagnosed with a disease that has the potential to be cured but for those whose quality of life really cannot be improved? Let them go on their terms.

kittens!
Scholar
#7 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 3:54 AM
Anyone who suicides on the basis of one diagnosis is an idiot, and well... kind of "deserves it". Not the most PC way to put it I know, but I'm not feeling very PC lately.

As to the topic, I believe that wickedblue put it best:
Quote:
People should be allowed to die with dignity. If they are chronically ill and would rather die now, on their terms, than continue to suffer with a quality of life that is abysmal then they should be allowed to make that choice.

One thing I've mentioned elsewhere, and deserves re-iteration, is that everyone should have what is commonly refered to as a "living will". This is a document in which the signer indicates preferences or directions for the administration and/or the withdrawal/withholding of life-sustaining medical treatment in the event of terminal illness or permanent unconsciousness.

Sarcasm is a body's natural defense against stupid.
Banned
#8 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 5:52 AM
I support euthanasia. There is many diseases which make you suffer without *any* break. I would not want to spend like three years in unending, unbearable pain.
I always want to ask people who says "life is so valuable, it is better to live with pain than die" whether they felt the pain in their life for more than ten minutes.
When it goes to people who is in the state of... well, I do not know the right english word. There is people whose brain is damaged so severely that they will never return to conscious state. I think if relatives take them home and care for them, everything is all right. If nobody wants them, there goes euthanasia. I would not want my body to lie for several years somewhere among strange (is it the right word?) people while I, my personality is dead already. Human body is not valuable by itself, it is the personhood that differ human from animal.
Banned
#9 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 5:56 AM
Quote: Originally posted by kattenijin
Anyone who suicides on the basis of one diagnosis is an idiot, and well... kind of "deserves it".

Everyone should be allowed to be idiots. This is what democracy exist for
(I support democracy though.)
Instructor
#10 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 6:39 AM
I support it, but in a way it can sort of condone suicide, and certainly make suicide easier.
In a world where depression is common, that definitley does not help.
However, we put our animals down, to stop there suffereing (usually.) One of my dogs, was put down last year due to the fact she was 16 and had an awful eye absys type thing. She was going to die, we were just making it peaceful and reducing her suffering.

If human euthanasia is introduced, there will have to be careful rules and regulations surrounding it.

Smile.
It's easier than explaining why you're sad.
Banned
#11 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 7:36 AM
Quote: Originally posted by x-tashi-x
I support it, but in a way it can sort of condone suicide, and certainly make suicide easier.
In a world where depression is common, that definitley does not help.

Why? Why do you think suicide is bad? Why people do not have right to choose death, since it do not affect anyone else' right to choose life?
Alchemist
#12 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 9:30 AM
Lance, by committing suicide, you hurt your family, your friends, your acquaintances. In my view, people who do this are jerks, whom never think about the consequences. I completely DISAGREE with euthanasia, and that's how it'll always be. It's pure suicide.

And, concerning animals, it's the biggest mistake someone could do. It's like making someone shoot your animal.

In conclusion, no. I didn't, don't and will never agree with euthanasia.

Evil doesn't worry about not being good. - The Warden, Dragon Age Origins
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
#13 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 9:42 AM
I agree with euthanasia in cases of serious chronic illness, especially degenerative illness. If I knew that I was sick with a disease that would take my mind and turn it to mush and make my body a useless prison, making me nothing but a burden to my family and loved ones who would have to see me like that... yeah, I would definitely want to work out something that, once I was past a certain point, I could be put out of my misery. Living a life with no quality of life is no life at all, and benefits nobody.

TheCreeper - So if someone in your family was sick with a chronic illness and would likely die soon anyway, and was in horrible pain, unable to even get out of bed, and would never recover, you think it would still be a selfish act for them to have someone help them die, to end their suffering? Euthanasia isn't usually just random suicide because you're depressed and don't want to go on, but to end a life that is otherwise not worth living.
Banned
#14 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 10:41 AM
Quote: Originally posted by TheCreeper
Lance, by committing suicide, you hurt your family, your friends, your acquaintances. In my view, people who do this are jerks, whom never think about the consequences. I completely DISAGREE with euthanasia, and that's how it'll always be. It's pure suicide.

Concerning euthanasia.
So you prefer to watch your parent/wife/brother unending suffering until they finally die? That's sadistic.
Concerning suicide.
People do not commit suicide just to annoy their neighbors. They commit suicide when they have serious problems and cannot overcome those problems on their own.
Née whiterider
retired moderator
#15 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 11:25 AM Last edited by whiterider : 1st Dec 2010 at 12:11 PM.
Euthanasia is such a complex issue... in principle, I support it: people who are of sound mind, and who have a disease - a confirmed disease with no chance of the diagnosis being wrong - which is chronic and incurable should indeed be able to choose to die. Having experienced both, I know exactly how hard it is to go through the death of a family member; and I also know how hard it is to see a family member waste away, unable to physically do anything for themselves, unable to communicate and unable to remember any of their life, living completely devoid of the life and personality that their loved ones loved about them. Now, I would never suggest euthanasia to anyone - but if someone wishes to avoid the latter by opting for the former, then I absolutely can't fault that choice. The end of one's life is always going to be painful and upsetting: whether it is painful and upsetting now, or painful and upsetting over the course of the next five years, is a personal decision, which should be taken with those closest to the person.

On the other hand - the practical problems are overwhelming. How do we ensure that no euthanasia is performed under pressure from others? How do we ensure that only those of sound mind may be euthanised? What do we do about those not of sound mind, who would want euthanasia if they were not impaired? How do we do it in practical terms? How do we ensure that we don't end up with horrible failures and foul instances of a person taking hours to die, in pain all the while, as we see in US executions? I do, however, believe that tackling all these problems is a necessity in a truly liberal or caring society.

If you haven't already, I strongly suggest you (general, anyone, you) watch Terry Pratchett's Dimbleby Lecture. It's a very eloquent (obviously) and moving exploration of the issue, and it's very interesting to see what exactly the issues are in the eyes of someone who's facing a long and devastating illness - there are a lot of things which, I guess, you or I don't really think of when we're looking at the issue theoretically. (Start at 3/6 if you want to skip the Alzheimers section, though it's useful background info)

What I lack in decorum, I make up for with an absence of tact.
world renowned whogivesafuckologist
retired moderator
#16 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 12:04 PM
Quote: Originally posted by TheCreeper
That's because they don't love life enough, which proves they have real mental problems.


We're talking about euthanasia, not general suicides due to depression. How is someone who is sick with an incurable illness that has them in constant pain and misery supposed to love life? If someone will never get better and is near the end of their life, and their quality of life is horrible, why shouldn't they be allowed to end it a bit early to end their suffering?
Inventor
#17 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 12:32 PM
Quote: Originally posted by TheCreeper
That's because they don't love life enough, which proves they have real mental problems.


Two things:
We're discussing euthanasia which is entirely a different thing than suicide.

You're being insensitive to those who suffer mental illness. Also, incredibly short sighted. It's not as black and white as that.

kittens!
Banned
#18 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 12:38 PM
wickedblue, why do you think suffering from emotional pain is something completely different?
Instructor
#19 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 1:57 PM Last edited by jooxis : 1st Dec 2010 at 3:12 PM.
Lance, I assume that emotional pain is usually temporary, no matter how tough it can be to go through. And people committing suicide out of emotional pain, well, might have committed suicide over a temporary problem that would have eventually solved itself (if not with the help of friends and family).

However if you're physically sick and incapable of living a comfortable life and there is no known cure- you're pretty much at the end of the road. You can KNOW it won't ever get better.

So ending your life because your girlfriend dumped you and ending your life because you have to live in a hospital attached to a feeding tube forever is not really the same thing in my eyes.

Still, to say that people who commit suicide are "jerks" is just... hateful and silly.
Scholar
#20 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 2:59 PM
I'm not entirely sure how I feel about euthanasia. Many people on this thread have mentioned cases of letting someone die who would die without life support, which I don't think of as euthanasia. I think that there is nothing wrong with removing someone from life support. It's causing someone, who would otherwise live, to die that I'm not sure about. On a purely practical level, I want to be a doctor and I don't think that I would be allowed to perform assisted suicide because it is illegal in most places. The Hippocratic Oath is generally interpreted very strictly and it says "do no harm". Taking a life, even one lived miserably, is generally considered harmful.

On a philosophical level, I'm stumped. I think of rationality as the core component of personhood, the quality that defines us as humans, so I'm not as bothered by allowing a braindead person to die, because that person likely does not feel a thing and will never be able to communicate or think again. If a family wants to keep their braindead relative alive, though, it is their choice. For people who still have their rational mind, I think it is a shame to throw it away. It seems a shame to cut short the time you have to learn and experience, even if that time is full of pain and looming death. Further, to have someone else help you commit suicide seems a lot like well-meaning murder. I think it is a little selfish to put the responsibility for your death in the hands of another. I do realize that not all terminal patients are able to take their own lives, though.

On the other hand, I think that people should generally have control over their own lives. I think that people should be able to choose the course of their own lives, within the best of their ability because no one else has more right to that life. In theory, there shouldn't be a problem with choosing suicide; it is the particular situation in which a person requires the choice of another in order to carry out their wishes that is problematic.
Inventor
#21 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 4:17 PM
Oaktree, I understand your view and agree. I just think this: "I think it is a shame to throw it away. It seems a shame to cut short the time you have to learn and experience, even if that time is full of pain and looming death" is different than what we're discussing. A person who is still capable of experiencing life while managing pain is not a person that would be a good candidate for euthanasia. There are patients who continue to live for many years but have no quality of life to speak of. There is no experiencing life from a bed, unable to move or speak or interact with the people they love. Not only is death certain in that case but I see it as cruel to say they must continue to live. That's not living.

Lance, I don't really know how to answer your question. Mental illness is hard to live with and for some, it really doesn't ever get better and while I have a lot of sympathy for people that take their own life because they don't see a way out of it, I don't see it as the answer. It's different than euthanasia, though. Suicide is a private, secretive act that is done out of desperation and fear and it's safe to assume that the person is not of sound mind when they made that choice. Euthanasia would be performed only if it could be proven that the person choosing it is of sound mind. This is a really tough subject and there are a lot of shades of gray, so many that I don't think we could possibly discuss them all. In both cases, a life is being ended and the people that love them are going to suffer but I see euthanasia as an act of compassion for a person who has no quality of life.

kittens!
Mad Poster
#22 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 6:00 PM
I disagree with euthanasia for much the same reasons as I disagree with the death penalty. Great in theory, but where exactly is the incorruptible person who will make sure it is never abused? I know people, unfortunately, who were perfectly happy to encourage elderly relatives to check out early in order to access what they mistakenly supposed was a huge estate. (They failed, fortunately, but they didn't have any medical professionals on their side, either.)
I also would like to point out to you the rate of medical advances. What was an incurable condition with a likely death two decades ago frequently isn't now. I have a relative who has been fortunate enough to receive a lot of cutting edge and in testing treatments that have extended his life. He's made it to double what the docs told him they thought he'd have to live, and his quality of life is a lot better than what anyone would have supposed at diagnosis.
Theorist
#23 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 7:04 PM
Quote: Originally posted by TheCreeper
Lance, by committing suicide, you hurt your family, your friends, your acquaintances. In my view, people who do this are jerks, whom never think about the consequences.

People are normally allowed to be jerks when what they're doing essentially only harms people's feelings too.
Field Researcher
#24 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 8:05 PM
It's a tough call. I think if someone wants to end on their own terms, it's completely fine. The issue lies in if they don't know their survival chances, how the family reacts to the news, ect.

It also depends what you call euthanasia. You could say it is someone denying treatment such as dialysis. You could also say it is letting someone go after a accident rather than them recovering because they don't want to.

So, I guess as the end statement of my post, I feel if someone is facing death or pain/complications/ect, I guess I am fine if they don't want to go on.
Mad Poster
#25 Old 1st Dec 2010 at 8:16 PM
We've reached the point where it's possible (with modern medicine) to prolong life long past its normal course, causing pain and suffering. This is a new problem that we've created. We need new points of view to deal with it.

Years ago, when someone got a deadly disease, they'd die fairly swiftly. Now, they can linger for years, suffering from diseases for which there is no cure... only life-prolonging treatments. We need to have serious discussions on quality of life. It's not just about quantity anymore.
 
Page 1 of 4
Back to top