on euthanasia

[just_a_sliver]

French Woman Who Sought Euthanasia Dies By MIKAEL HOLTER, Associated Press

Comments

[johnmill79]

I agree with what you say, that people should have the right to decide when they wanna go. I can see the tough ethical issues there, though. How do you insure that it was indeed the patient's wish? I guess you'd have to bring in witnesses to verify?

I hope that's a question I never have to deal with on a personal level, neither with myself or friends.

[just_a_sliver]

I agree. A medical ethics board would definitely have to come up with reasonable standards for both doctors and patients. It would be tough, though, because of the differences between each case. It just seems cruel to force people to suffer so much when an alternative is available that would be more suitable for them. Plenty of people can agree that a brain dead person can be taken off life support. I don't see why a victim of extreme terminal suffering should be preserved against his will just so that the timeline of his life is longer.

[kniblet]

I absolutely agree on ethical standards, but I'd go a step further and say each case should be evaluated individually by an ethics committee.

Poor woman. I'm glad she's no longer suffering, however she got there.

[crazedrambling]

I have long struggled with this particular debate, and the older I get, the more I understand the need to have legislation in place to protect those who are suffering through any further turmoil. I have had several family members who have lived their last years/months in complete misery as we all stood idly by and watched. If any of them had asked for help to end it all, I would have understood. They were being pumped full of life-sustaining medications that only prolonged their pain. As I said previously, I have always been on the fence, but when it gets personal, it can drastically change your way of thinking.

[just_a_sliver]

I agree. It's so easy to be against principles that have never been put to the test.