Euthanasia- Angelique Flowers dying wish

[Collin Li]

Yeah, ninwa, if you set up the contracts properly beforehand, that would work well. They are your rights, so you can also choose who can help you use them in dire situations.

Off-topic:
I don't think I would ever register myself as an organ donor because I have heard stories where there are perverse incentives for carers to take less than optimal care of you (since you are only an active organ donor after you're dead).

[ninwa]

should you die

lol I'm immortal
my bad

coblin, that's a scary thought ... I hope I don't get almost killed young then. On the form it said "young organs from people under 25 are especially precious" or something.

OK now I'm scared

[costargh]

Yeh my English and R.E teacher was telling the class about her neice who was in a car accident in Canada and was in a coma and the doctors said look she'll never come out of the coma, so you should take her off life support and let us take her organs and give them to people who need them... the initial response was no but after persistence from the doctors and guilt tripping the mother agreed to let them do it ... and the mother of this daughter always wonders now whether they did enough to save her, or just wanted to take her organs to help others.

[Mao]

Euthanasia would probably involve contracts to protect the doctor/administrator from accusations of murder.

Of course you don't let someone else make a decision like that for you. Only you can make that choice.

As for irrationality, it is extremely patronising to suggest that individuals making their own decision should not be allowed to.

if you were the victim of a traumatising traffic accident and was reduced to a permanent vegetative state, would you rather be alive or dead? Personally, I would rather be dead than a burden like that to my family, but if there were no system in place which I can proxy someone I trust to make that decision for me, I'd be stuck in that state.

let's also assume that your fiancee for some reason revoked the engagement and dumped you. you feel absolutely depressed and want to kill yourself, and go down to the doctors to be euthanised. Should that be allowed? You obviously are a perfectly fine human being who is overreacting, and to ask a doctor to proceed is clearly against the Hippocratic Oath (there IS harm done).

[ninwa]

I think euthanasia should be restricted to terminal illness / vegetative state / etc. cases. There's always a chance the person wanting to commit suicide can be rehabilitated, whereas in those cases the chances are almost nil (assuming that the doctor is competent)

[Collin Li]

Emotional, but their choice is theirs.

If a doctor chooses not to administer the dose, that's also his choice (it takes two in the transaction). Family, friends and doctors are there to help you make the right decision, but they can't make it for you.

I condone allowing a proxy, as long as it has been previously agreed on, and written out clearly on a contract. Otherwise, the law should not allow this.

[bubble sunglasses]

  Maybe they could have the choice to kill themselves, but beforehand have to go through a process galling enough to deter anyone not 100% serious about killing themselves

[costargh]

Mod, add poll to thread "Should Euthanasia be legalised?"

[bubble sunglasses]

Mod, add poll to thread "Should Euthanasia be legalised?"

\

  and make an option: "should it be regulated?"

[ninwa]

i would if i knew how to ><

EDIT: yay I did it but spelt euthanasia wrong

Queen of EPIC fail

EDIT 2: nvm didn't realise I can change polls

[Mao]

ninwa
Goddess of EPIC fail
Global Moderator
Part of the VN furniture

you have been sainted now

go get your name changed to St. Ninwa

[AppleThief]

I wrote an essay on euthanasia in philosophy last year, and there are also opposing practical arguments to consider such as greedy relatives pressuring family members into consenting, in order for inheritance to come early. Similarly, some doctors may pressure patients when they themselves are pressured by hospital budget.

There are also theoretical arguments against euthanasia, such as the Roman Catholic Church's Doctrine of the Sanctity of Human Life, asserting it is wrong to take a human life, except in exceptional circumstances such as war.

Note: I'm not saying I agree with either argument, I'm just providing food for thought, since there don't seem to be many arguments against euthanasia here.

If anyone is interested, my main source was the text Euthanasia – is it a 'good' death? (1997), written by Barry Taylor, a reader in the philosophy department of Melbourne University. It is a very interesting read, setting out the arguments for and against.

[Mao]

haha, my knowledge on this topic comes from this very source (that book was an awesome read) and that very subject.

There are also theoretical arguments against euthanasia, such as the Roman Catholic Church's Doctrine of the Sanctity of Human Life, asserting it is wrong to take a human life, except in exceptional circumstances such as war.

I think you meant "theological", and they are quite easily dismissed =D

I found the part where euthanasia in its extreme can lead to eugenics to be particularly interesting

[jess3254]

As for irrationality, it is extremely patronising to suggest that individuals making their own decision should not be allowed to.

I'm all for Euthanasia in the palliative care setting, however Coblin, I assure you, I am the first to admit that decisions and requests I made while unbelievably sick were completely irrational. Being unwell really does cloud your judgement (oh, plus Valium lol). For example:

1. I asked a nurse to kill me so my boyfriend didn't have to see me so sick.
2. When my boyfriend came in, I asked him to cut my legs off because they were hurting too much and were "useless now."
3. Asked to be discharged from hospital to go home and die
4. Asked to be discharged from hospital so I could go to school and catch up on work
5. Asked to be discharged from hospital so I could go to my friend's party
6. Told the doctor to remove the nasogastric tube because it hurt my nose
7. Then told the doctor to shove his stethoscope up his arse.
8. Asked my surgery to be performed with no anesthetic because I was sick of being asleep.
9. Told my boyfriend that I was breaking up with him.

Anyway. I am glad that none of the above occurred, and they didn't take my request of "please kill me" seriously!! Everything was in the moment, and the illness I had was effecting my thought process. That's just my experience though, lol.

So, there should be safe guards in place to ensure no one is accused of murder, and that it is what the patient truly wants. And it should only be available in palliative care IMO.

[jess3254]

I think euthanasia should be restricted to terminal illness / vegetative state / etc. cases. There's always a chance the person wanting to commit suicide can be rehabilitated, whereas in those cases the chances are almost nil (assuming that the doctor is competent)

+1