The Right to Live - The Right to Die - Should Euthanasia be Legalized?

Question

I watched a program about people dying in Palliative Care. It showed how they deteriorated and finally to where they were on their death beds. They lay there - sometimes for days, struggling to breathe, with the death rattle in their throats. It was painful to watch, and I can't see how anyone could watch and not see that allowing this seems very much like torture. If this were YOUR loved one, how could you watch this? Do people really believe that we need to 'go through Hell' to get to Heaven? Can we watch the people we love, going through torture, and feel this is okay?

I'm not talking about Euthanasia for any situation other than this one - the struggle for breath that's slipping away, with NO CHANCE for recovery ...

Answer 1

Of course it should be legal. It is so arrogant of the people who believe otherwise that they should have a say in the personal decisions made by an individual who is not harming anyone else. The most arrogant are those that try to enact a religious reason to keep people alive- who is to say there religious thoughts are better than anothers?

I do believe, however; that it should only be allowed if the sufferer has agreed to this beforehand, and when in a lucid state. Despite the pain that it may cause a spouse/parent/ child/etc., that decision should not be theirs to make.

Answer 2

I don't agree with Euthanasia, because I believe the choice to live or not should always be up to the patient.

That may sound odd, but remember the important difference between euthanasia and assisted suicide. In assisted suicide, the doctor provides the means and the patient performs the act to end their own life. In euthanasia, the doctor performs the fatal act.

Except in vary rare circumstances, I belive the patient should always have the final action and the final say over whether they continue or not. And there are almost no situations where the patient would be consciously able to consent to euthanasia, but not physically able to perform some action (even if it's just flipping a switch with their tongue).

So, while I am a strong supporter of a person's right to choose when to end their own life, I believe the final act should always be one performed by the person, not some other third party.

Answer 3

No. Who is to say that the patient has no chance of recovery? The doctors? That's a big can of worms to open. To many law suits would come of it either because someone was euthanised when they "shouldn't" have been or that they should be and doc's won't let them. I would not have wanted someone to tell my mother it was ok for her to have someone end her life even though she was obviously starving to death and finally dehydrated. She was in pain even though she was wearing a morphine patch and getting morphine in suppository form, because she couldn't swallow, and having trouble breathing. She lasted 10 days without oxygen before she died. It was a horrible death but I still wouldn't have wanted someone just injecting her and killing her at her wish. When it was time, she left us. (She went about 40 days with barely any food intake.) Euthanasia is not the answer. The patients right to refuse treatment even though family wants it should be the issue here. My mother had a DNR and a living will. They continually shook her violently when she stopped breathing in those last 40 days to make her take another breath. I think they should not have been able to even do that. DNR means DNR! The shaking made her breath again when she possibly would have died. Fix that issue!!!!

Answer 4

I watched my grandfather as he was dying from lung cancer. He was in a great deal of pain, and he chose not to eat or drink toward the end...because it would end sooner.

I had flown back to IL to be with him for 10 days. It took longer than that for him to finally pass away. It was awful to watch. This formerly vibrant man was reduced to skin and bones. It took all of his effort just to lift his head off of the pillow.

About 10 days before he died, he started hallucinating. He was imagining awful things - like his family was trying to kill him. It was horrible to watch him go through.

If he would have been given the option to have enough morphine that it would have allowed him to die, I know he would have taken it. And I wouldn't have blamed him one bit.

Yes, I would say it should be legalized.

Answer 5

This is exactly why euthanasia should be legalized. Seeing a person just lying there in pain, and for what reason. It would almost be like torturing that person if you didn't let them go in peace.

Answer 6

yes every body should have the right to die at the time they want,even today sucide is not legal,its a crime,but look at the suicide rate its rising and what can we do for it.nothing people willing to die will suffer any pain to die,so those with sufferings and difficulty in living should be allowed to die in the presence of the family members with proper permission from the court,but beware in a country like india this laws can be missued for getting people killed for property.

Answer 7

I'm sorry, but I agree with it. I guess those against it would rather see those poor terminally ill people suffer until they die. Like lung cancer is supposed to be incredibly painful. But, no one thinks about that, do they? And, these people are going to die anyway, why not let them choose how they are going to die? I just don't get it.

Answer 8

I believe that's for the states to decide. Oregon has legalized euthanasia, I believe. Nothing is stopping the other states from trying to legalize it.

Answer 9

Thats a tough question, its very highly debated. I am going to disagree and say it should be illegal, it seems like the 'humane' thing to do, but its still murder, and i cant stand for that, its not the lords way!

Answer 10

How could someone determine what would be legal to die...mental disease and deformaties are permanant and make people suffer...where would it end....when it starts.