Euthanasia

I am assuming this means trying to legalize euthanasia otherwise this is not a political issue. as for legalizing euthanasia. a lot of red tape and specifications should be brought to the table. of just what incidents would euthanasia would be allowed. I think it is a long way off. some countries  have legalized this. i can only speak for myself in if I were very ill and was in pain all the time and there was no cure for me I would say I have that right to chose euthanasia for me. or if a relative had a living will specifying no artificial means of keeping them alive and they can no longer speak for themselves. I know this can be a heated argument I can only speak for what I want for me.

Shouldn't be a political issue.

Did anyone else see the new movie "Das Meer In Mir" ? I saw it this evening and after seeing something like that you just can't go against euthanasia.

It should not be allowed at all. To "The Red Yoshi," the Nazis made a film supporting it? Well, that says it all right there.

Another film "Dasein ohne Leben" A Nazi propaganda film supporting euthinasia. Uses Darwinist arguments to portray it as humane, scientific and logical.

Just like gay issues, this is not a political forum, it's arbitrary, and should be left in the private domain/states laws. If I was suffering and wanted to end my life, I should be allowed to, without the intervention of a misguided person believing they are morally helping me. It is none of anyone else's business. It's irritating when both sides (pro and anti euthanasia) use specific people/cases to aggrandize their arguments. Do not pretend to know what is right or not in this case, let the individual decide. Like I said, it's arbitrary. Believing that this is going to become on demand like abortion is really over-simplifying it. It's a reality that people have ended their own lives, since the beginning of humans. Doesn't make it right or wrong, just a fact of life. Only now is it becoming a public referendum, because we have the media as a debate source.

I know this is a serious issue but every time I see this word this stupid joke comes to mind. Man #1 What do think of Euthanasia? Man#2 Oh, I think they're just like youths anywhere else. ( youth in asia, get it) I know, I know, DUMB, but I just had to share it.

It is weird to rate euthanasia a 4, like saying it is good. it is not really good, however, I can only speak for myself, that if I were in extreme pain, or just a vegetable, or would all my limbs cut off, I would really rather die. I do not fear death. Nor should anyone else. No one is immortal or should pretend that they will be. Life with dignity is more important to me than just life itself. Now in the case where a person has not made known, or it cant be determined beyond a reasonable doubt,what their wishes regarding a mercy killing would be, that is tough. You would probably have to come down on the side of keeping them alive. However, there is something to be said for putting someone out of extreme or insufferable pain,retardedness or disability.

This issue rates a (temporary) 5, until interest in the Terri Schiavo case dissipates. In an attempt to establish the building blocks of the case, I am puzzled by the litigative process, and how Michael Schiavo has been successful in this painfully ambiguous case which looks like he had either a great lawyer or an incompetent judge. I think he would have needed clear and convincing evidence of Terri's wishes to die by any means imaginable, and instructions (maybe a little more than uncorroborated, convenient hearsay a dozen years later) and how did the court ignore his obvious monetary gain from her death as a result of his petition. This is America's first real public referendum on euthanasia. What a sorry case for precedent this greedy, unfaithful, uncaring lout has shown himself to be. How sad for those who sincerely believe in the rightness of his cause that their messenger is such a scum.

If a person is suffering and wants to end their own pain, they should have a right to do so and the government should have no hand in it.

After reading the other comments regarding this issue, it seems that most limit their analysis to one or two forms of euthanasia. The first form is essentially a settled issue, namely whether one should have the right to die a natural death (ie pulling the plug) if the patient chooses. The individual's wishes are typically communicated through a living will or similar document. The second form is more divisive, namely whether society should allow active measures (eg a lethal injection) to accelerate the death of someone who is suffering a painful illness or other malady. I personally see no material difference between passive and active measures under these circumstances; however, the two do raise different moral concerns. At least one issue surrounding these two types of euthanasia deals with people with legal dependents who refuse medical treatment on religious or other similar grounds. In other words, should one with legal dependents be able to refuse medical treatment if thos... Read more

If they wanna, let'em.

There isnt anything wrong with euthanasia for certain circumstances if an elderly person is did of a terrible disease and they know they wont live and are just suffering they are only helping her by not being misserable but also the family would have to agree to because it could be hard on them but otherwise i dont really think its a very good thing but if someone wants it to happen let it no one should try to stop it

Social issues are somewhat less important than the other more pressing matters on this list, but they are nonetheless widely debated. Euthanasia is a philosophical question really. If a case is really hopeless and a person wants to die on their own terms, then should they be allowed to do so? I believe voluntary euthanasia should be permitted under these circumstances. People choose their own ends, not anyone else, including the State. This is an indivdual decision that should be taken in consultation with competent medical help. Euthanasia has always occured, people just sometimes give up on life. There's no slippery slope argument that can be made here, suicide isn't going to be legalized over this. Seeing my grandfather die a slow, painful death because of terminal cancer has colored my views on this matter. It's a very painful experience to see someone you love go through the utter pain of having to undergo brutal treatments for an ultimately terminal disorder. I feel that people s... Read more

Ah, yes...more from the Baby Boomer/Me Generation: Gee, I don't want to take care of the parents who clothed and feed me, put a roof over my head and bought me a good education. All of that just gets in the way of our annual vacation to Martha's Vinyard. It also cuts into our McMansion and Volvo fund. Hey, Democrats...grow up and take care of the elderly. I swear with Democrats it's kill babies before they are born, and kill the elderly if they get too old. Selfish and shortsighted to the end - that's the Democratic Party in America.

What happens with psicological agony ?.... or heart pain ?... If my husband left me and I feel I want to die....or my son/dauther dies ...can I ask for euthanasia?...or if I´m depressed ? WHO CAN MEASURE THE PAIN OF OTHERS? ... I´m sure most of us would preffer corporeal pain than psicological pain...If we look at the researches made,most of the people who commit suicide, do it for personal problems, not for corporeal pain.....so at the end euthanasia will be applied to anyone who doesn´t want to live anymore....

Nobody should have to suffer through a horrible terminal illness. If that person wants to end their pain and suffering and be euthanized then it is their choice, not to be hassled or criticized.

If a human being no longer wants to be in this world, I belive they should have the right to take thier own lives. Government should not stop you nor favor you doing it in any way.

Never having been an overtly religous person, I do believe that we all have the right to do what's best for ourselves. If a woman has the right to do what she wants with her body (abortion), then why can't patients with a terminal illness who are in great amounts of pain and WANT to die with some self-respect and dignity do so at their own free will? Is it really the business of government to tell me that I can't kill myself? Am I committing murder if I'm infected with Aids and down to my last few months to live and am not able to get out of bed to do anything. Do I want to spend the rest of my life cradled up in a bed? Does the government have the right to order me not to do so? Not in my book. No legislation is neccessary here- it's the person's choice, plain and simple.

Euthanasia isn't the most important political issue out there as much as it is a moral one. I do believe that life is precious and shouldn't be wasted, but at the same time, the people who strongly wish to die because they are in pain probably have a good reason to feel that way. I can't say I know how a terminally ill patient must feel, and if they are at the point where they would rather die than feel that pain, I couldn't stop them from ending their pain. It'd be difficult to let a loved one go, but it'd be selfish of me to make them stay just for me.

I don't know how you could make a jump between euthanasia and simply removing people that one feels are a burden. Euthanasia is a personal decision and just as everyone has the right to live shouldn't everyone have the right to die (circumstances permitting). For example if I lived everyday of my life in complete physical agony then I would not want to live any more and if far to feeble to even kill myself, I would want someone to help me. Sometimes your time is up but your body doesn't know it yet.

I think euthanasia should be a personal decision, not a political issue. If someone is terminally ill and in a lot of pain and they want to die in their home with peace, comfort, and dignity, then they should be able to and anyone who helps them should not be charged with homicide.

In other comments, I've said to respect life and to abolish the death penalty. I've also said I wouldn't cry if Dubya were assassinated (well, tears of relief). Now here I say that people should end their own lives peacefully if they want. Huh? This isn't a matter of taking ANOTHER life, but your own. If you were suffering greatly all the time and tried all means to alleviate it but none worked, could you say you wanted to go on that way? It's not a happy decision, but may at times be a necessary one. If it comes to that point, I don't want to be prevented from ending my misery by a government that says I have to continue in agony.

If an animal is terminally ill and they are going to be in pain and won't survive or their quality of life won't be as good, we have them put to sleep. (and this is obviously without the animals consent) So why can't a human decide when they want their life to end? Netherlands and now Belgium have legalised Euthanasia, and I support them with doing that. If a person is in intense pain, if they are stuck in a bed 24 7, or being drugged up to the eyeballs just to survive, then why can't they put an end to it. Having to go through this means you don't really have a life anymore. Also, I can understand why people are against abortion as the foetus doesn't have a say, but the people who have this done, have specifically asked for their lives to be put to an end. We get to choose what we do with our lives, so why not choose to end our life in dignity?

Hmmm. This is a tricky issue, but I've got my thoughts on it. I think that if a person is suffering and wants to be put out of their misery, their wishes ought to be respected - not the wishes of right-wing meddlers who wish to tell them they are going to hell. There's no law against turning off someone's life-support machines, how is this any different? Take care, everyone!

Euthanasia is an emotionally-charged issue, and rightly so! Life cannot be taken lightly -- nor can the leaving of life. Like CastleBee, I have concerns about the possibility of this leading to abuse relating to mentally or physically handicapped individuals. I think part of the answer lies in the requirement that the decision must be made only when a person is mentally competent. I have a living will and would certainly expect my loved ones to respect my wishes. If I were to be stricken with one of the many painfully terminal diseases (ALS, for example), I would hope that physician-assisted death could be available before reaching the final agonizing stages of the disease. Unlike abichara, I don't think I need an excuse to choose death over life -- it's my life, surely it should be my death?

This is an extremely difficult issue to form an opinion on. I don't know, but I think that a fundamental right is the right to die if you choose to because you are so ill that you will be depleted financially if you continue to suffer.

Everyone has the right to kill themselve. This is my life - if I want to end it, that's my right.

I see this as the natural outgrowth of the legalization and cultural acceptance of abortion on demand. After all, we've had nearly 30 years now to get used to the idea that human life is valuable ONLY if it passes certain criteria. And, while there is still a waning group of very vocal opponents to our crumbling mores and selective definitions, I would say that society, as a whole, has had more than enough time to desensitize itself to the issue of the sanctity of life. As a matter of fact, an entire generation has now been born and come of age with these ideas in place. So, I guess the stage is set and we're ready to move on to the next act. Who will qualify this time? Is grandma's illness taking up too much of your time, upsetting those dreams of financial gain? Cancer patients using up too many medical resources, no longer viable contributing members of society? And what about the retarded, mentally ill, the blind and physically handicapped? Sure, it may start out being tout... Read more

I'm surprised that this isn't allowed in many countries. If I were suffering from a terminal illness I would like to know that I could just escape the pain and feelings of hopelesness. This is not murder, it's caring. If someone doesn't want to live, why should they be forced to. I mean, only a few hundred years ago farmers would take the olds that had become 'useless' and threw them off a cliff (atleast in Sweden). This way is far more secure and far less painful.

I'm proud of the Netherlands for being the first country in the world to permite euthanaisa, like I'm proud of Costa Rica being the only country in the world without a military defense! In this case we're talking about people suffering a lot, who almost are living hell at earth. It may be different reasons, some may have cancer, some may be unnatural old with every kind of illness & deep pains. Why can't human beings decide for themselves wether they want to live or not? Why does one human right state that all humans are ensured life, while none states the right to die or end the life when you want yourself? I guess it was too early thinking such a thought in 1966. If we have right to kill another human being in a war, why can't we help another person to die if (s)he wants it then? Democracy is the rule where none minority, not even a minority of one, is too small to not count. We don't have rights as a society, but as singular persons! :-)

Euthanasia is, indeed, another highly divisive issue. The right tells us that suicide lands a person in hell--life is sacred--one cannot be allowed to take life. The left tells us that the right to die is fundamental, and no one has the right to take that from you. I myself do agree with the right on one point--life is sacred, and the needless taking of life is wrong. But I cannot say that suffering people should be disallowed the right to die on those grounds. If I should ever fall victim to a debilitating, painful illness, I would like the choice to die with dignity. But such is not true with all people--many would like extreme, heroic measures taken to preserve their lives. And I definitely concur that, for them, that is the BEST choice, for it is what they want. All I ask is that we all be given that same choice to decide our own fate. Thanks for reading, and God bless! :-)