is pulling the plug on someone living because machines the same as assisted suicide?

Question

i have to do a debate ad i am on the con side of assisted suicide but im confused do u think pulling the plug is the same?

Answer 1

The machine is technically keeping the person allive, although the brain may be dead. New scans are now being made (overseas somewhere) that have shown in at least one patient that even when an MRI (typical brain scan) showed no brain activity, this new scan said there was. this may help you in your debate...that was recently in the papers so google it or something. it was in the last maonth I am sure.

Answer 2

Do you mean from a legal point of view, theological point of view, or...???

Legally, for it to be suicide, you have to help the person comply with their wishes. While a living will might suffice, usually the person whose pug is being pulled has no ability to make their wishes known. I'd guess it's that competency test that makes the difference.

Second, pulling the plug is done because the person has no hope of regaining mental function. Beyond that, no plug is pulled. On the other hand, "assisted suicide" can be done for any number of reasons - even unhappiness (actually, that's usually the reason).

Third, "pulling the plug" is governed by laws and medical standards. So, it is not the same.

I don't see the debate here.... this is a slam-dunk.

Answer 3

No, it's not the same.

While both actions leads to death, "pulling the plug" is typical of a comatose, un-responsive person, while assisted suicide, is a cognitive person, making a decision themselves.

BTW... if assisted suicide becomes a 'right' afforded by the constitution, as some people suggest, then anybody / anytime can exercise their 'right' without getting 'permission' by a doctor or someone else. We'd then have strip mall killing centers, like abortion clinics, where you could walk in and "exercise your right" to do yourself in. Other's workers would help you "exercise your right".

... ouch!!

Answer 4

"Pulling the plug" to me, is not assisted suicide, but you are changing the natural idea of death. To end a life, for their benefits may sound good but if God wanted them to live just a little longer, maybe it's for the better.
This is a very controversial argument, because, well, some people this it is suicide, murder, or none of those.

Answer 5

If a person is in a chronic vegetative state with no hope whatsoever for any improvement, pulling the plug is still always a difficult decision to make, but it is certainly not assisted suicide.

If someone requests help in committing suicide, he knows what he is doing. He may be in pain, but is certainly not in a chronic vegetative state.

Answer 6

Not necessarily because when a plug is pulled, there is no hope for the patient and implied by the physician in charge. In assisted suicide, it is with the person's request and permission.

Answer 7

No, it's not. Sometimes, people don't pull the plug because they think that, but they are in fact merely slowing the dying process and extending the beneficiary's suffering.
Assisted suicide deals with providing a way of dying for someone who is not going to otherwise die soon ie someone who is sick, but still has complete organ function.

Answer 8

It depends on the condition of the person. Some people will never be able to live with out the machines and they will never have any kind of quality of life. If they are brain dead, why would you want to assist a life that isn't living?

Answer 9

No! The 'plug' is pulled only when the patients life is not viable, meaning s/he is unable to live without life support and is unable to make the decision for him/herself.

Answer 10

No. It depends on how u look at it. If u love someone and they do it. it would be like u killed that person. but on the other hand it would be like u is finally letting that person rest in peace and go be with God.