Wednesday, September 2, 2009
It is not wrong for somebody who is terminally ill to choose voluntarty euthanasia. Its wrong for anybody to suffer and be left suffering when we or they know there is no hope for them. If it were to be legalized i definately think they should have restrictions on it. There would have to be no way of surviving much longer to even be an option for the person. We legalized abortion because there are certain cases where women dont want the baby to be born whether its predicted dissabilities or chances of being mentally ill or just unplanned pregnancies. If we give somebody else the right to choose whether somebody else will even have the chance to live, we should give ourselves that right. With healthcare becoming more available to people this will help many people who cant afford surgeries or certain medication they're in need of, which will reduce the choice of voluntary euthanasia. There are many people who wont give up and will keep fighting whatever situation there in until the end, but for the people who choose to give up or dont have a choice but to suffer should at least be able to have the choice of relieving their pain.
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I wonder if you could clarify the exact issue of voluntary euthanasia and how it is different from physician assisted suicide. In clarifying the definition it might be useful also to discuss where you would like to legalize it. This defintion is important becuase euthanasia is currently legal in the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Thailand, and physician assisted suicide is currently legal in the states of Oregon and Washington. Oregon legalized PAS 12 years ago and Washington did so last year (see http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/11/05/washington-passes-initiative-1000-legalizing-physician-assisted-suicide/ for more info)
ReplyDeleteOnce you clarify that particular point, I wonder if you could answer why suffering has become something so negative in our society, as if everyone's life should always be easy, even at the end of their lives?
How about the people on pain management medication, who haven't got a voice for themselves? Having lived through a similar situation with my grandmother this is not a subject that I approach lightly. As a child of four years I was adopted by my grandparents, so through my life I always saw my grandparents, as parents. My grandmother was akin to a beam of sunshine, and she could make everybody smile. About four years ago my grandmother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, which had promptly spread to her stomach and brain. Her only request was to be able to say goodbye to loved ones. Unfortunately as the cancer spread, she was placed on pain management meds, and was unresponsive to any stimuli. My family and I was left to make one of the toughest decisions of our lives, knowing there was little hope for treatment, we made the decision to remove life support, as this seemed the only sensible course of action. Since then I have suffered severe regret, for even though there was little hope of any miracle treatment that could have possibly sustained her life, or at the very least given her any kind of quality life, it still went against her final wish. I sat as my grandmother breathed her last breath, so even though I am happy she didn’t have to suffer anymore, I have to ask myself, “Who was I to make this decision?”
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ReplyDeleteAs citizens of the United States, we are supposed to be protected. Taking the life of an innocent person is wrong, regardless of the circumstances. Even if someone chooses this, the doctors would still have the ultimate call. What gives these doctors the right to decide who lives and who dies? By taking a life, the doctor is saying that the patient’s future is not worth living. This is no different than a murderer. Also, think about those who wish to commit suicide. These people believe they have no more purpose in this world. Some should not be able to decide to die while the ones who really want to are looked down upon and not given this choice from a doctor. If this happens, we will no longer all be considered equal. Furthermore, children are sometimes born mentally handicapped, and doctors say they will never have a long or normal life. However, there are times when the doctors are wrong, and the child may never even get the chance. There are also mental hospitals where people with schizophrenia or other disorders may cause them to never be able to leave. But this does not mean they should die. Where will the line be drawn between what is or is not ethical? In the end, we are all people and deserve a chance at life.
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