tackling the big issues.... should we make euthanasia legal in australia??

[haste]

Euthanasia - your stance?

Do you think we should be given the right to Euthanasia? Of course this includes two fronts - both the determination of our own lives and that of our loved ones.

Personally myself, if struck by an incurable condition that renders me bedridden with no quality of life in the present or future - I think I would prefer to have the option to die with dignity, and instruct family members of my wishes.

On the other foot, if it was one of my family members - I'd actually find this hard, more due to the emotional battle. I would hate to see someone suffering but on the otherside of the coin death is so absolute - I guess we always harbour hope, this would be the emotional battle for me. A hard thing to decide.

Euthanasia also poses the question of whether we have the rights to our life?

Interested to hear poople's thoughts.

 

[middle finger]

It should be allowed. I'll do what the hell I want with my life. If I was terminally ill and quality of life was low, I would want the option of ending it then and there. My 2 cents.

 

[UnSquare]

Where's Me Hemlock

Yes.
I'm excited about death,
can't wait (well.......) to give it another bash.
If it's good enough for Socrates
it's good enough for me.

Give people control over their own lives,
making a crime of Euthanasia is just plain
weird, as are it's comparisons to tryna dispatch
ol' peeps off early, religious beliefs of anyone other
than the person in question, and it's comparison
to suicide through depression in younger (even older) years.

Gee, that was well written.

 

[Urbanhog]

Legalise Euthanasia,

Thats my opinion, I am a Pro-Euthanasia person.

I just personally it's people's right to die, if there's no chance for recovery or cure, I would rather just have the lethal injection rather than waste years of my last stages of life in pain and vegetable coma state.

But there's got to be strict laws and guidelines I believe so it won't be abused as "easy way out" or used as "murder tool" for some pissed off doctors. I believe that patients must go under many exams to check and explain their reasons and that kind of thing while they are in right state of mind, not depressed or suicial.

I watched this docomentry on ABC or SBS few years back I can't remember but it was very emotional and moving docmentry but was set in The Netherlands where its tolerenced or legalised not sure, and followed a man and a doctor in the dying man's last moments and they also showed the doctor giving the dying patient injections of seditives then other injection of the lethal dose of god-knows-what to shut down his system.... it was pretty moving and watched him sleeping and died peacefully, that brought tears to my eyes a bit.

I personally think it will save the taxpayers a lot of hassles, because it costs a fortune to keep a dying person in its vegetative state alive with all these cocktails of drugs, life supporting machines, running costs, and staff/carers, even I may sound bit of a prick, "just give them lethal injection and it will save taxpayers millions."

I mean I just personally it's very selfish for relatives being so emotional, using emotional blackmail and wanting them to stay alive even they are in vegetable state and just live in hope that there will be some "breakthough medical technology" that will magically cure them, but a lot of medical breakthoughs these days are somewhat mildly effective in the early stages of their medical conditions not in the late/later stages of their conditions.

I just cannot image myself laying on hospital bed with so many drugs and machines sticking into my body just to keep me alive while I am in vegetable state.

I will just simply check out Dr Philip Nitschke's websites and medical sites and I will do it myself before I reach that stage where I can't do anything myself even my relatives don't like it or not, they just got to accept my views and rights, gee all I got to do is just take high doses of diazepams washed down with good glass of $1500 bottle of wine or single malt, and cover my head with plastic bag, maybe I will try make the plastic bag colourful so my death won't be too dull.

Then I will leave this earth before I reach any worsen stages of whatever medical conditon.

 

[preacha]

your life, your choice
that's my stance

 

[syntech]

it should definately be legalised.
it doesnt mean that you have to take the option, just let the people that want to be able to.
just like it should be with abortion. you should have the right to choose.

and like urbanhog said, there should have to be very strict guidlines throughout the lead up to the actual decision. i think its unfair that ppl can be so sick and not want to suffer any more and they cant rest in peace. as for the family issue, it might be hard to deal with, but in most situations i'm sure that they will understand, if not agree with it.
i know that if my father, grandmother or anyone in my family were to be terminally ill, then i would support them fully if they decided on euthanasia.

 

[yes'm]

It would have shocked me if this board had a different stance to Euthanasia, after all most of us are off the opinion that a person should be able to put whatever they please into there bodies in a free country... if that happens to be a lethal dose of anesthetic

I think there should be guidlines...
- you dont want granny being pressured into euthanasia by rotton kids trying to save an inheritance.
- you dont want someone feeling pressured into euthanasia to alleviate the pain to there family members who are suffering with them.

I DO think you want people to be able to end their personal pain if that is their choice

 

[Dandy]

Provided that proper guidelines and amenities are developed and drawn up and made clear [and understood] to all in a position to dictate whether or not they wish to take part in this I see no problem.
Obviously specific scenarios [or potentially problematic scenarios] would be taken into account to ensure that the outcome(s) was in the best interests of the patient - obviously, as they are the one's making the decision.

 

[ashaman]

Yes, and yes. although for the last, they need to sign a copy of who's allowed to make a choice, and if there's more than one person, a vote would take place.
heh.

 

[haste]

It would have shocked me if this board had a different stance to Euthanasia,

Well true, especially in regards to one's own life - but I think it would be a different kettle of fish when deciding someone else's fate - well for me anyway. I don't want any of my family members to suffer, but I don't think I could let go so easily.

Its an emotional issue and emotional issue are not so black and white.

 

[smileyfish]

My father has done some work in dementia wards and has basically asked me to put an end to him if he ever ends up in that kind of state. This is not a terminal illness or a case where he would be in pain, rather he cannot cope with the concept of being in that state and also wouldn't want the rest of his family to see him like that.

This is a very difficult position for me. If it were a terminal illness I wouldn't have so many issues, but a demented person has no realisation of the state they are in, so he would not be suffering. That said, dementia wards are very scary places and I know the rest of the family would have a hard time coping with one of us being there. I just hope no-one in my family ever develops dementia and I never have to make a decision whether or not to follow my father's wishes.

With a serious terminal illness I have no problem with euthanasia: either killing myself or helping a family member. But then, I've always been relatively comfortable with death. For other people actively letting go of a loved one could be very traumatic, especially if they fear death or have religious convictions against euthanasia.

Like most, I believe euthanasia in this country should be legalised and independently monitored. Properly legislated I can't see any major problems with legal euthanasia, and lets face it, we could do without spooky Philip Nitschke

Smiley

 

[papermate]

It would have shocked me if this board had a different stance to Euthanasia....

As Haste also has agreed, so do I. I'm waiting for the person who has a point of view that contradicts those already posted.

Its strange, and I think the implications of leagliseing Euthanasia would be great. If I'm not wrong the legal ramifications of Euthanasia is based on the religious belief or values. And although we are all aware that society's typical Christian religious values are becoming less and less important - a legal stance that supported Euthanasia would be a step in the wrong direction so to speak.

But then again, look at abortion. I'm glad that we don't tend to have the fantatic that the USA produces in regards to Abortion. I dont think we will see any sort of the same in regards to Euthanasia either.

Ironically - (for those that live in the Hills District) - have you notice how massive the Hills Song community is. I have friends who are travelling OVERSEAS, just to come and visit the church! I wonder what the stance would be if it was discussed among its members? I'm not sure that all its members would be unspportive of Euthanasia being legalised. But then again I think that the Hill Song Christlina Life thing is not so much about promoting the Christian Values. I think there is alot of focus on materialising the Christian values as a reward system. I dont want to get too off topic... but in the end I support Euthansaia.

 

[muzby]

for those who have been in the position, it is heart breaking to watch someone you care about deteriorate and waste away in front of your eyes... towards the end, they are so doped up on drugs that they dont even know who you are at times.... then further on, there is the drug induced coma... then the life support gets switched off...

so basically, you only get to say goodbye to the person, and how do you know if they hear it??

and sometimes, when they die whilst still concious (ie not in coma..) they probably dont even know who you are by the end... so the person you are saying goodbye to isnt the one you've known your whole life..



imagine then, if you are able to say goodbye to your loved one, they are in a state that they are happy for you to remember them in, and they can recieve your goodbye and give you one back...



its your life... you can choose to end it with dignity.....

 

[Killing_time]

My opinions have been expressed through the posts above me.
I don't see the need to re-write them.
I sympathise with you Muz.

PEACE

 

[Pseudo G]

On the serious side: I wouldn't say I'm pro euthanasia, I'm pro choice. It should be your choice what you read, do, eat, drink and subject your body to as long as it doesn't harm anyone else.

On the not serious side: I don't think euthansia should just be legalised, it should be compulsory. Imagine how better we could make our schools, roads and public utilities if we diverted money away from hospitals and old age care? People should have used by dates like milk. </bad joke>

Personally, I'd (choose to) end my life before it got to the stage where I'd be shitting in my pants cause I didn't or couldn't make it to the toilet in time. That's not a memory I'd want to leave with anyone who loved or cared for me.

 

[Adikkal]

Ahh, well i just did a philosophy on the ethical issues surrounding Euthanasia and something i thought at first to be a clear cut case of "of course it should be allowed" caused me to think a bit more.

Theres differences - on one side you have passive euthanasia which is where the doctors remove treatment which is sustaining life and without it, the patient dies. This is already legal and used in hospitals though not ALL that often (at least officially). Then there is active euthanasia, which is where direct action is taken to end the patients life.. such as a lethal injection.

The ethical issue this raises is that we are essentially legalising killing someone. Now although capital punishment is already legal in some places, this is morally justified (supposedly) as retribution for a morally unworthy action. The thing about euthanasia is that we are killing someone based on the judgement that their life is no longer worth living. The issue here that supposedly as soon as we start legitimising killing based on when life is no longer worth living it theoretically will erode our respect for life and we will start justifying killing in more circumstances. How valid this claim is I don't know, but it is interesting to take into account.

Essentially, i'm not sure. The problem with euthanasia is not so much that its the persons choice but because of the moral implications it places on all those involved...

something to consider

Adikkal

 

[eze451]

i have always said when i start to get to the stage where i cant do physical activities, my eyes and ears arent what they used to be etc etc i will off myself.... i dont want to die like my grandad did, going from stroke to heart attack to stroke whilst spending 99% of his time in front of the tv.... not for me, no way

 

[Damn Youngen]

I personally plan to be dead by age 30, so anything past then would be a pleasent surprise. I am all for the choice of wether to live or die, but as many others have said, it should be regulated to prevent everyone with a case of mild or serious depression trying to top themselves in the easyist way possible.

 

[CHiLD-0F-THE-BEAT]

I will never understand why we as a society, deny these people the last ounce of dignity and control they could ever hope to have.
To me, death is a given right.

That said, the idea of euthanasia is not necessarily a clear-cut, or practical one.
There are many questions and limits such as mental health, and determining when one is past the stage of being able to live to societies acceptable standards, or to enjoy life as they should.
And it's for that reason, that I don't think active euthanasia will ever find a legally recognised place within our society.

 

[doofqueen]

I think it should be pro choice and people should have the right to die in dignity and not have to live the rest of their lives in pain and humiliation.