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Author Topic: Euthanasia... Right or Wrong?  (Read 2602 times)

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Mogul

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Re: Euthanasia... Right or Wrong?
« Reply #4 on: Thu, Aug 18, 2005, 22:11 »

Sure, if someone is strern about to end his life and is smart enough not to announce his will before others, the state or whoever would have rather poor chances to prevent the person of suicide. I also regard the right to finish one's own existence as a fundamental right of a person.

But, there is still the question how to deal with people, who are obviously not in the mode to make responsible decisions? There are many people who have a legal guardian because they are regarded as not able to make decisions even about their money. Certainly the state does not "own" our bodies, but society (another word for "state") has not only demands against, but also certain responsibilities for its members, want't you agree? I'm sure non of us would let our own (or neighbour's) small children  to play with that sweet ice bear in the zoo, or let the desoriented grandmother to make a trip to Nevada on her own just because she wants this.

Not everybody is a mature, clear-minded individual who is capable to overview the complete consequences of his/her actions. In my opinion, there is a balance to be kept between the "freedom of choice" and "responsibily for others". Though, the border between "care" and "enslaving" can be hard to draw at times, that's true.
"Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right!" Salvor Hardin

Feral

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Re: Euthanasia... Right or Wrong?
« Reply #3 on: Thu, Aug 18, 2005, 12:47 »

To my mind, the question of euthanasia turns upon the ownership of an individual's body. Surely I am in complete ownership of my own person. Should I wish to end my life, it is my choice to make and the state ought not interfere in it--even if my choice might be seen as excessive, imprudent, or foolish. For the state to have an official say in the matter suggests that the state has some degree of ownership over me--a situation that I would find intolerable.

Now, should some other person (Vicky, for example) decide to end my life, that would be an entirely different matter. No matter how desperately miserable Vicky might think that I must be, ultimately the choice to end my life cannot be his, unless I have had the forethought to empower him to act as my agent in this regard.

Stonewall was a riot.

Mogul

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Re: Euthanasia... Right or Wrong?
« Reply #2 on: Thu, Aug 18, 2005, 08:27 »

Right or wrong, it's a difficult topic... Most likely, there is no general answer to this question possible.

Any individual of clear mind should be indeed free in his/her decision to part at a timepoint he/she regards the most appropriate. No one has the right to moralize about his/her decision, so far we all agree. But, is it really that simple? Why should anyone feel necessary or desireable to look for an end of his/here life? Sure, in some cases people are suffering unbeareable pains and it's a duty of mercy to help them to a soon end. But these cases are maybe not that much often as we generally suppose. The doctors say it's possible to smooth many pains by an appropriate use of narcotics.

Sometimes older people just say that they wish to die because they don't want to "bother" their relatives with problems. In such cases it's surelly absolutely wrong to accept such a "wish" and murder someone who probably was just confused by his vanishing powers. Isn't it better to talk to those people and make them clear that even if they are weak and helpless and require permanent care, their relatives feel glad to care for them?

Another candidates for suicide are lonely young/middle aged people who get mad because the reality does not fit their initial hopes for a bright future, love and general happiness. Yes, the world is far from being perfect or even good, but there is only this chance each of us has. The death will come soon enough, and before it's absolutely OK to try and make the best out of life, isn't it?
"Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what is right!" Salvor Hardin

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Euthanasia... Right or Wrong?
« Reply #1 on: Tue, Jul 26, 2005, 04:57 »


Is it right to "live" (miserably isolated and filled with painful despair and overwhelming desolation), which isn't living at all?  Is it wrong to want doctor assisted suicide?  If so, why?  Who says it's not right?  A silly mythical figure in a fabricated book?  What about those folks who haven't lost their minds and don't believe in deities of any kind?  They should be forced to suffer?  Endure, just because?

Why are people *SO* caught up in the lives of those who would rather die? Why? Why not mind your own gawd damn business? Why not allow some dignity and companionship in the final moments of a tortured soul's life by not getting involved and forcing your way-of-life upon another? Anyone that goes door-to-door in their free time to 'save' their neighbors' souls with invitations to join their Church Congregation on Sunday, would at least have consistency in this matter, but everyone else should just help themselves to a nice, tall, warm glass of shut-the-hell-up.

Do you want to make a difference?  Give this issue some thought, regardless as to what your stance is on this topic.  Let's be progressive!  Let's legalize euthanasia. Let those folks who are tired of tolerating Mankind's small-minded, power mongering the freedom to choose for themselves!  Give them options.  Why can't people end their lives without the fear of a failed suicide attempt, leaving them incapable of taking care of themselves, much less able to carry out their hearts' desires?  Psychological and psychiatric evaluations can properly gauge if such an action is a legitimate course of action, or a mental state/disorder that can be persuaded/treated/explored.  Nations send innocent young men and women to places that they have no business being and they do NOT all come back alive.  Why allow lives that would be lost and/or wasted also prove to end as a waste?  Does it not make sense to give some dignity to those who want to end this life by allowing others to benefit from healthy organs, rare blood types, bone marrow, strong-beating hearts, liver, kidneys and so much more?  If one life, that wants to die, can improve a dozen struggling lives in poor health, why not make winners of everyone?  I'm sure if I were Terry Schiavo, I would have very much liked to have died in another manner altogether.  Humanity rarely gives me reason to feel pride - this is no exception.

Recap:
-Send soldiers to fight and die in a war that they never waged or wanted = acceptable.
-Oppose the suffering-suicidals' rights to die, so the struggling-to-survive may continue to suffer (especially when the death of the willing-to-die could give a new lease on life to the desperate-to-stay-alive ) = acceptable.

It is tragic how men in power attain and maintain that power, wage wars, disrespect their neighbors and then mistreat their own people without giving thought to the consequences of such actions.  I hope euthanasia is an option available to EVERYONE one day that doesn't ever have to be exercised.

Sometimes it's not about exercising rights... but really more about having those rights to exercise.
Solo, the one and only.

"I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart."-- Anne Frank (1929-45), German Jewish refugee, diarist, captured and sent to concentration camp.
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