How do you feel about "Assisted suicides"?

[smkie]

your procedures do nothing for pain in the end...don't kid yourself. Take a tour of your nearest full scale nursing home and see just how effective those procedures are. WE keep people alive for so long until their will is gone and there is nothing but a shell left a shell in pain and dispare. It is all about money yet once again.

 

[sparks19]

your procedures do nothing for pain in the end...don't kid yourself. Take a tour of your nearest full scale nursing home and see just how effective those procedures are. WE keep people alive for so long until their will is gone and there is nothing but a shell left a shell in pain and dispare. It is all about money yet once again.

OK so that person can (long before it gets to the empty shell point) refuse treatment. there is nothing that forces anyone to get treatment.... but allowing assisted suicides opens the door for so much misuse. it may help a few people here and there but what about the people it is truly not helping? you say this is all about money.... you don't think money is going to work it's way into assisted suicide? You bet your arse it is. But no one can force anyone to get treatment. Like someone already pointed out.... look at the stats in places where it is legal.

 

[Laurelin]

There is also a great survey from patients in Oregon who requested a lethal overdose. Many of them were not seeking suicide because they were in so much pain but for a variety of reasons. Financial, depression, etc. I wish I could find it again.

 

[Vivien]

I think God should decide when someone goes. My personal opinion.

 

[Dizzy]

Not sure if anyone bothered to look at the links re: Dignitas.

But here is the homepage, poorly translated by google.

DIGNITAS HOMEPAGE

 

[Dizzy]

I think God should decide when someone goes. My personal opinion.

What if you're not religious?

 

[Buddy'sParents]

OK so that person can (long before it gets to the empty shell point) refuse treatment. there is nothing that forces anyone to get treatment.... but allowing assisted suicides opens the door for so much misuse. it may help a few people here and there but what about the people it is truly not helping? you say this is all about money.... you don't think money is going to work it's way into assisted suicide? You bet your arse it is. But no one can force anyone to get treatment. Like someone already pointed out.... look at the stats in places where it is legal.

Refuse treatment and be in more pain? That's not fair...

Attempted suicide.. misuse to some and a "godsend" to others who are living that life.
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Perhaps one can not comment until they have been in a position to experience so much pain and having to entertain the thought of having a terminal illness.

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I think God should decide when someone goes. My personal opinion.

What about people who do not believe in God?

 

[bubbatd]

If it was legalized , it would be abused . I agree with Sparks . There are too many out there who just want out and families who would be happy without them as a burden . Personal pain is hard to evaluate . God gives us no more than we can endure .

 

[Dizzy]

Argh! It IS legal places... granted, on the edges of the law... PLEASE look at Dignitas!

 

[amymarley]

I believe the above also. I also think it is very important to speak your mind a head of time to one or two people you fully trust. This may sound bad, or not, but I have a father who did over 23 years, Special Forces, Green Beret... if anything he knows how to kill, in several different ways. And not only that, but he can do it (as most S.F. can) in a way that it can't be traced, because if you are asking a family member to do that for you, it's hard enough. Not only on you, but them, and also you don't want them doing prison time for it either.

Know what you want, plan for the future, make your wishes known. Also, I just stated an instance above, that does not mean I am going to have my father stop my life, he may be dead before me, it was just a thought.

But yes, as long as the topic was spoken beforehand, it should be up to the individual.

 

[Laurelin]

Argh! It IS legal places... granted, on the edges of the law... PLEASE look at Dignitas!

It IS legal in some places, and it doesn't work in those places in the long run. Yes, it can help a few, but in general it is too vague with too much left to doubts. There are no punishments for people abusing it, there are no regulations, no actual numbers of everyone who has died. And it has happened EVERYWHERE where assisted suicide is legal, and the governments will admit it. You just have to look it all up.

 

[sparks19]

Refuse treatment and be in more pain? That's not fair...

Attempted suicide.. misuse to some and a "godsend" to others who are living that life.
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Perhaps one can not comment until they have been in a position to experience so much pain and having to entertain the thought of having a terminal illness.

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What about people who do not believe in God?

Treatment does not include pain killers..... You can be given painkillers or morphine or whatever.... but refusing treatment is refusing anything that will prolong your life and your suffering.

Ok so misuse for some and Godsend for others. while yes I imagine it would be a Godsend to others.... is it really fair for those who don't want that to have to suffer it anyway. If we want to talk about what is unfair.....

Of course I haven't personally had a terminal illness (obviously) nor do I suspect anyone here has either. that does not make my opinion less valid because I have not lived a life of such pain.

I can just see how it would be grossly misused and abused..... I would hate to be put to death because of some loophole that said I was suffering too much and some greedy family member just wanted my inheritance.... sure people say it should be you that asks for it.... when someone is in pain and or delirious they can be convinced to do a lot of things they don't nessecarily want..... and what if that person cannot speak or write and hasn't put it in their will..... should that greedy family member be the one to decide your fate? Should you be left to suffer because you lost the ability to ask for it? How much suffering is too much? How should the suffering be determined? should they just start allowing people suffering from depression come into the hospital and get assisted suicide? After all they are suffering an intense amount of pain.... why should they be discriminated against? How do you know if that person is in their right mind and not out of their mind on medications or suffering from a severe fever or suffering dillusions? there are just too many IF's. I fear too many people would be sentenced to death without truly knowing what they want or what is really happening.

it's sad that there has to be that many if's but it is reality..... I don't think it is fair that ten people might die against their true will for that one person that really wants it. Humans just cannot be trusted to carry out such an act and not end up abusing the power they have been given.

 

[~Jessie~]

I think God should decide when someone goes. My personal opinion.

I am also curious about what if you do not believe in god...

 

[Dizzy]

Used and abused.

As far as I am aware noone can choose to end your life for you.

We are having a euthansia talk in uni tomorrow - BIG coincidence!!!! I shall attempt to attend the lecture and let you know what goes on - apparently 3 lecturers are talking, and ALL have different views - we have been promised a fight... sorry.. debate

 

[sparks19]

Used and abused.

As far as I am aware noone can choose to end your life for you.

We are having a euthansia talk in uni tomorrow - BIG coincidence!!!! I shall attempt to attend the lecture and let you know what goes on - apparently 3 lecturers are talking, and ALL have different views - we have been promised a fight... sorry.. debate

So if you can't speak you should be forced to suffer? and again.... people can be coerced into doing lots of things they don't really want.... especially under the influence of pain killers or other meds.... fever....or dillusion. Certainly it is "your" choice in the end persay.... but that is only words coming out of your mouth.... what if that is truly not your will? I mean look at some women in abusive relationships and the things they can be talked into doing..... even against their will... but they don't argue because they are too afraid. it happens. What if you alter your will during a dillusion or under coersion? it happens too. Too many if's for me.

 

[Vivien]

If I did not beleive in God. Then it would really become a question of personal morals. I wish there was a medication that would cause a person to live free of pain. I would never wish for someone to live out their last days in pain. If it were not for my faith then I would say Legalize it... but only for those that had no way of overcoming their illness and death would result at the end, through suffering. I don't beleive that a person healthy and has just given up on life should be given the choice just because they don't want to live anymore. In that case I would consider euthanasia as a form of suicide. I am still young, still have a lot to learn. I've read each post and had taken it into consideration before typing my first post.. I still stand by that, however many of you asked for the other side.
eta- also I would say that allowing legalization for a beatable form of illness.. even if there is suffering involved should not be done

also to those that asked, many people posted in the view that you were asking from me. Im not sure if you wanted my opinion because you already got it, I explained to the best of my ability... not sure if its what you were looking for though

 

[jammer]

In the event that the person will not get well and they are in an enormous amount of pain, I would agree and support the decision. However, if it were say my mother...I would try to exhaust all options with her first. I watched my grandmother die of lung cancer, at the end she was gasping for breath. She was slowly choking and that is horrifying. I start to panic when I have a little trouble breathing. I can't even imagine how scared she was. If asked, I would have supported her decision to end it quickly. Adults should have the right to end their lives if there is no possibility of getting well.

What about children though? I'm not so sure I could support it with my own child. That's a question to ponder.

 

[Buddy'sParents]

Of course I haven't personally had a terminal illness (obviously) nor do I suspect anyone here has either. that does not make my opinion less valid because I have not lived a life of such pain.

Actually, there are some members that have terminal illnesses and those that have been stared in the face with life scares.

It should be up the individual if they wish to die or not. No one else can make that decision for them. That is why there are living wills in which some people may state what they want done in case this or that happens. IT DOES HAPPEN. To people of all walks of life it happens.

No one can sit and tell me that they would rather live a life as a "vegetable" than being free of the pain and knowing that the life they lived is no longer. How dare any human be so selfish as to declare that they have a right to keep such an individual alive when the individual has said they do not wish to live. It's called respect and no, God is not in everyone's life so there is no cop out of "God only gives us what we can handle" or "Only God can deliver us from the pain and suffering of the world."

 

[amymarley]

That is why you plan ahead, no matter what your age. As for God and religion, that can be a whole other debate...a long one at that. For people that are that extreme, they won't even read this post, for others who also believe.. I thought I read somewhere that God was all forgiving. A good God would forgive... A good God would forgive a person, just like his son "died" or sacrificed himself on the cross.... it's all about interpertation and faith.

 

[sparks19]

Actually, there are some members that have terminal illnesses and those that have been stared in the face with life scares.

It should be up the individual if they wish to die or not. No one else can make that decision for them. That is why there are living wills in which some people may state what they want done in case this or that happens. IT DOES HAPPEN. To people of all walks of life it happens.

No one can sit and tell me that they would rather live a life as a "vegetable" than being free of the pain and knowing that the life they lived is no longer. How dare any human be so selfish as to declare that they have a right to keep such an individual alive when the individual has said they do not wish to live. It's called respect and no, God is not in everyone's life so there is no cop out of "God only gives us what we can handle" or "Only God can deliver us from the pain and suffering of the world."

Sure there ARE people with terminal illnesses and have stared death in the face.... but those people are obviously not yet to any kind of point in where assisted suicide would be their only way out..... either that or those people are dealing with their illness very well.

But not everyone MAKES a living will.... that's what I am saying. There are so many people that die without ever making a will. So if those people are suffering.... should they just have to suffer because they didn't make a will prior? and when do you determine how much pain is too much for them if they can no longer say it for themselves.... even if it is put in a will. When does it become acceptable for assisted suicide? whenever you find out that you won't make it another year? or do they have to wait till near the end of that year? What should the perameters be?

Ok so how dare someone keep someone else alive when they shouldn't be.... but how dare someone else be given the option to make that decision for them either.... if there is no will then the former is going to happen anyway right? so it is up to the individual.... it should be up to the individual to carry out their own sentence.... sure not everyone has the strength to do so but I also don't think it fair to ask someone else to end your life for you.... You can ask them to stop treatment but I don't think it is fair for you to request they kill you..... You will go peacefully but that person may have to live and be haunted by that for the rest of their lives... that is not fair either.

there are lots of things that aren't fair and it sucks..... but there are STILL just too many what if's for me.