Debate: Should Euthanasia Be Legal?

[marley2580]

I'm not too sure how I stand on euthanasia tbh, but I do think that assisted suicide should be legal. If a person wishes to end their life and are unable to do so themselves, it should be legal for a person to help them.

 

[ChloesMummy]

I don't know, I would like to be able to say yeah it should be legal in some cases but policing it would be too difficult. How do you determine who is 'eligable', what about the effect on the family/friends that assist? Should it really be put on Drs shoulders when they have sworn an oath to save and protect life? The list goes on an on....

Pallative care is the way i think it should stay

 

[buttonnose82]

see it is difficult, but also maybe worth remember, for illnesses such as cancer there are huge support networks for most people in most cases, but sadly there are other illnesses that a long, slow, and awful yet they have no real support networks.

Even with out there pallative care, it can be a nightmare to get care in place for someone suffering from some of these illnesses. We fought tooth a nail to get FIL respite care, we had to fight for specialist equipment to be put into his home, but with other more common illnesses you can get these things easier (I have seen it with my own eyes, so don't tell me it isn't true ) we seem to have to fight for everything in regards to FIL's care, which seems very unfair

Anywayyyyyyy, if there are good guidelines in place it won't be abused, it needs to be a group choice (patient, councilor, dr and judge) if any one disagrees then it shouldn't go ahead

and like i said it should only cover certain illnesses and each case should be decided on a individual basis, so it isn't a case of 'you meet this criteria therefore you can', it should be a 'you meet this criteria therefore we can discuss it further' but it doesn't automatically mean yes

 

[Tegans Mama]

I think it should be legal, but the hitch, like others have said, would be putting rules and guidelines in place and enforcing them. It would be full of bureaucracy and by the time someone had ruled a person fit, their time may be up, or they may have suffered a great deal. My Nana has emphysema (COPD) and was diagnosed a couple of years ago. She was given a life expectancy of three years max, and now she is just waiting to deteriorate and eventually die. Although she hasn't actually said so in as many words, I know she wishes there was a way she could make her passing easier and do it in a way that wasn't too painful for herself.

With regards to children and euthanasia - as most of you know, my little girl has Spina Bifida. I cannot imagine having a child born with a debilitating disability and not knowing before hand. In a case like Tegans, she has a good quality of life. However whilst I was in hospital with Tegan I saw a little girl (born at 40 weeks, presumed healthy and about a week old) who had a very severe form of cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy aswell. Her Mum told the nurses, she wished there was something she could do, because the baby was in so much pain and she knew she would be better off if she passed away peacefully. She did pass eventually, but her mother and the child herself had to endure another 3 weeks of suffering, and the babies heart stopping at least once a day, only to be resuscitated by the doctors. I think any mother, in that situation, would consider whether or not keeping their child alive was the right thing to do.

 

[AppleBlossom]

I just think that a person has a right to decide what they want. If someone is truly fed up with battling a terminal disease I think they should have a right to say they want it to be taken away and that wish should be respected. It works in other countries, I think if there were strict rules in place there is no reason it couldn't work here without being abused. I would hate being in the position of wanting to end my life because a disease or illness was slowly killing me but knowing that nobody here would help me and if I wanted to have it done I would have to go through the hassle of flying out to another clinic where they would do it. The last thing you want when you are dying is to have the stress of having to go and have your wishes granted elsewhere.

 

[jenny_wren]

im all for it

as long as the person is able to make and
understand the decision to end their life
then yes they should be able do it ...

i've seen my father suffer for the last 15
years with an illness that is not terminal
yet he cant eat, drink, walk, speak, use the loo
or do anything a 'normal' person should be able to!
he could live until he's well beyond 80 odd,
he's not even 50, so potentially he could
suffer for next 30 odd years ... to me thats
cruel and unfair so why shouldn't he be able
to make the decision to end his life? why should
he suffer for years? doctors and such have all agreed
there is nothing more they can do for him, no amount
of medicine is going to make him even remotely better,
no amount of 24 hour care is going to take his illness
away and magically turn him into the man he was 15
years ago so now we just have to wait for
death to come naturally!

i think those who are terminally and very ill should
get a choice afterall it's their life they're the one's
going through it, not us, if they can and want to fight
it then fine but people should get the choice!

a 'normal' person has the choice, there are plenty of
ways to end your life, so why shouldn't those that are
ill and unable to commit suicide have to suffer simply
because they cant physically do it themselves? it upsets
me to think that these people have to go through so much
pain and heartache and there's nothing they can do about it,
we have to just sit by and watch time slowly eat away at them
how is that fair?

if this was legallised there would have to be very strict
rules and circumstances so people cant claim they 'wanted'
it to get away with murder, it would have to be done by professionals
and there would have to guidelines and humane ways of
doing everything but yes it should be legal and i hope if im ever
seriously ill and want to take away the pain that im able to do
so before it's too late for anyone to help me!​

 

[AppleBlossom]

Jenny xx

 

[KrisKitten]

Not getting involved with the debate but
Jenny xxxx

 

[jenny_wren]

thankyou girlies

certain topics bring back the emotional
side of everything and this is a strong one
for me

xxx​

 

[x-amy-x]

Hum, this is a hard one.

But all I will say is, making the decision, yourself to end your life in such sad sad circumstances, is not going to be an easy one.

Part of me thinks euthanasia should be legal but then again I don't know much about this Paliative care? It probably sounds like what I'm thinking would be best. Basically allowing them to die by stopping their care but controlling their pain? But again this has to have been the patients choice.

No way on this earth do I believe a family member should be able to make that decision on their behalf. Taking someone else's life into you own hands without their given permission, I don't agree.

xx

 

[Tegans Mama]

thankyou girlies

certain topics bring back the emotional
side of everything and this is a strong one
for me

xxx​

xxx

 

[Blah11]

Amy - that's the general idea. Just letting nature take its course and let them die peacefully and without pain.

Jenny -

 

[Logan's Mum]

I reckon the gods put us on this earth for a reason, we have to live our life to the full and for as long as our bodies will allow. Therefore I dont agree with euthanasia and go for palliative care (agree with Blah11 on that one ). I just think theres something not right about some babies struggling for life, fighting to stay alive, and then theres people who just decide to die. It makes life appear less meaningful
I fully respect the opinions of people who agree with euthanasia though, it would not be an easy decision to make.

 

[tasha41]

Maybe it should be decriminalized? If you are terminally ill and do your will, as many terminally ill patients do revise theirs.. I think you should be able to include that. Really I don't believe that ANYONE else can make the choice for you though, like your power of attorney etc. Not sure how I feel about parents being able to let their terminally ill little ones go though. I think it's probably better that their deaths are made to be as painless as possible? Like being removed from life support, pain medication, etc- not euthanization.

Also I think doctor assisted suicides should be decriminalized as well. No one should be forced to live if they are suffering so badly, with no hope of recovery, that they want to die. Some of these patients are not physically strong enough to commit suicide, and in many religions, the act of suicide, killing yourself with your own 2 hands is seen as an unforgiveable sin. Now personally I don't believe that, but many more traditional people do.

LEGALIZING leaves the door open to far too much abuse. Decriminalizing would see stricter guidelines and procedures followed around it, and criminal charges laid against those who don't follow them.

 

[andbabymakes3]

Somebody said - My life, my choice when to end it.

I watched my mum battle cancer, endure radio and chemotherapy, not able to eat/drink, couldn't hold her grandaughter because she was too weak. Just before she passed away we were told that the cancer was unquestionably terminal and the tumour had grown onto her aorta and would definitely rupture (which would be irrepairable) - but could have been days, or weeks, or months. Sadly, it was only 8 days.

If, heaven forbid, she had gone on to endure more time of feeling like a ticking time bomb, and she had said she wanted to go peacefully, at home - you bet I would help her. In a heartbeat. She was my mum and I would have walked on hot coals to take her pain away.

The incredible lady who was in the news recently for helping her daughter die - in my mind is just the most brave and selfless person. What an incredible thing to be able to see beyond your own selfish reasons for wanting someone to live. Her daughter suffered endlessly and because of her mothers love, she is now at peace.

However - I think the only person who should be able to decide is the patient. Not family etc - that leaves it open to all kinds of nasty stuff.

 

[coccyx]

theres people who just decide to die. It makes life appear less meaningful
Don't think people 'just' decide to die. . Who knows what they have been through before reaching that decision.

 

[Blah11]

Some sad stories in here Sorry for everyones losses.

 

[hopeandpray]

i think that it shouldn't be legal. there are alot of families that cannot afford healthcare and i would be afraid that severly ill people would feel that they had to do it to make life easier for their families

 

[Naya69]

yes but only in certain circumstances like if you have a terminal illness and dont want to go through the pain but not just becuse your depressed this could really hurt your friends and family x

 

[cherryglitter]

a 'normal' person has the choice, there are plenty of
ways to end your life, so why shouldn't those that are
ill and unable to commit suicide have to suffer simply
because they cant physically do it themselves? it upsets
me to think that these people have to go through so much
pain and heartache and there's nothing they can do about it,
we have to just sit by and watch time slowly eat away at them
how is that fair?

​

Really agree with this!! xx