Euthanasia: should it be legalised?

[mountain_tiger]

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Note: This blog is mainly looking at voluntary euthanasia. Involuntary euthanasia is a whole different ball game.

So far, euthanasia is only legal in a handful of European countries and a couple of US states. The question is, do you think that it should be legalised on a wider scale?

Personally, I think that it should, although I can sort of see the other side's point of view. I mean, if someone's suffering, and they don't want to live any longer and request death, wouldn't it be better for them to die painlessly rather than live and suffer needlessly?

Often religion comes into play with this, with the idea that, 'You shall not commit murder'. However, one of the other key messages of religion is to do good foro ther people. In that sense, killing someone who requests death could be considered an act of love, because you wouldn't want them to be in pain their whole life.

The 'slippery slope' argument doesn't really hold much ground if you think about it. Some say that it's 'the thin edge of the wedge', and it could lead to other decisions such as involuntary euthanasia taking place. However, there's quite a big difference between the two. The difference between killing WITH permission and without permission is quite big.

Still, that's basically my view on it. What do you think?

 

[Noobicidal]

I'm for it.

 

[bobson]

Why the hell is it illegal in the first place? This is the first I've heard of this.

 

[mountain_tiger]

Why the hell is it illegal in the first place? This is the first I've heard of this.

Well, it's not completely illegal, per se. If someone's declared brain dead then they're allowed to turn off their life support systems.

But other than that...

 

[Teran]

It's legal in Switzerland. I'm for it.

You know, you should really join the temp debaters and post in the Proving Grounds. Most of your blogs are well... debate threads.

You'd find a better audience in PG/DH.

 

[Jupz]

Isn't involuntary euthanasia just murder?

 

[IC3R]

The thing about murder is it would require some malicious intent. If the person suffering requests the doctor end his or her life--simply to end said suffering--then it is not murder...

...at least, one would hope it is not (omg angry doctors wut).

If they don't ask for it...I dunno.


I believe these verses cover murder in the Bible:

16--But if he struck him down with an iron object, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

17--If he struck him down with a stone in the hand, by which he will die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

18--Or if he struck him with a wooden object in the hand, by which he might die, and as a result he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death.

19--The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him.

20--If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died,

21'or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

Pretty much, if you hit someone with a weapon, or your own hands/feet/teeth/etc., with the intention of killing him or her--and it does--then you are considered a murderer.





More later, gotta go to work.

 

[thegreatkazoo]

It's legal in Switzerland. I'm for it.

You know, you should really join the temp debaters and post in the Proving Grounds. Most of your blogs are well... debate threads.

You'd find a better audience in PG/DH.

Spoiler

Twenty times this. We need new blood in the PG like mad. Only one person has been let in since me, and that is when the fall semester started (8/17/2009).

EDIT: He appears already to be a PGer.

As for my take on the subject: I do feel that it should be legalized.

@ IC3R--Please no religion into this, that seems to be a slippery slop here.

 

[highfive]

Legalize. I'm up for anything people see as wrong due to religion. I"m a godless heathen as you can see.

 

[DanGR]

Here's a good article dealing with what can happen if it's legal: http://www.jaapl.org/cgi/content/full/33/2/176

 

[Darkslash]

Will never get legalized in Canada that's for sure. Euthanasia infringes section 7 of the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms.

 

[IC3R]

You are still letting religion influence your decision, highfive--just in a different direction.

 

[RyuReiatsu]

Will never get legalized in Canada that's for sure. Euthanasia infringes section 7 of the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms.

I hope it will, seriously.
Despite the fact that it infringes the charter of rights and freedoms... Wasn't abortion legalized? I'm personally for it. Nobody should have the right to tell you whether you've got the right to live or die. Only yourself.

*Goes back to bed*

 

[mountain_tiger]

It's legal in Switzerland. I'm for it.

You know, you should really join the temp debaters and post in the Proving Grounds. Most of your blogs are well... debate threads.

You'd find a better audience in PG/DH.

Oh yeah, I remember signing up for that... then completely forgetting about it lol. And thanks for not insta-locking it.

 

[Xivii]

Euthanasia? Of course it should be legalized. People in Asia have as much right to be young as anyone else does

 

[altairian]

Euthanasia? Of course it should be legalized. People in Asia have as much right to be young as anyone else does

That was worse than a joke I would make. That's pretty bad =(

For the topic at hand, it should be legalized in a way that leaves no room for a "slippery slope". Something like you need multiple doctors to sign off on it as the best course of action. I read an article about an Australian woman who was campaigning for legalized euthanasia, she had terminal colon cancer which made her unable to have a bowel movement...she lived in constant pain and died vomiting up her own fecal matter. Anyone who wouldn't sign off on euthanasia when someone is facing an end like that...is just plain evil.

 

[LoganW]

That was worse than a joke I would make. That's pretty bad =(

lol it was pretty bad joke

This should be legalized along w/ gay marriage, abortion, etc.
religious people who are stopping these things from being legalized seriously need to stop cause they're wrong and it's hurting innocent people

 

[SuSa]

Dying far less painlessly then blowing your own brains out.

I don't see why not?

 

[Chris Lionheart]

Voluntary euthanasia should have never been illegal in the first place.

 

[Sucumbio]

lol this is scary, there's a website euthanasia.com

from there:

Euthanasia: The intentional killing by act or omission of a dependent human being for his or her alleged benefit. (If death is not intended, it is not an act of euthanasia)

Arguments For Euthanasia:

* It provides a way to relieve extreme pain
* It provides a way of relief when a person's quality of life is low
* Frees up medical funds to help other people
* It is another case of freedom of choice

Arguments Against Euthanasia:

* Euthanasia devalues human life
* Euthanasia can become a means of health care cost containment
* Physicians and other medical care people should not be involved in directly causing death
* There is a "slippery slope" effect that has occurred where euthanasia has been first been legalized for only the terminally ill and later laws are changed to allow it for other people or to be done non-voluntarily.

Hrm, meh, ugh, blah. I suppose the only real ? to be derived out of all this would be whether or not assisted suicide is a violation of the Hippocratic oath. "Do no harm." I'd submit that in certain circumstances it's more harmful to let a patient continue suffering than to let them die. Assisted suicide is a way to speed the natural process of death, painlessly. The doctor may have reservations in helping a patient die because the Oath (this is where the devaluation of human life plays in) demand(ed) that a human life was more valuable than what a human or doctor could do with it, in other words, you should leave it in God's (the Gods') hands. But since a while back there's been revisions and new Oaths drafted that don't put these toils of morality on a doctor. The Declaration of Geneva for instance maintains a lot of what you'd expect in terms of what is expected of a doctor, but keeps from making the mistake of mixing religious ideology with medicine (a science).

So with that I would say Yes legalize it, but only for those patients that are terminally ill, with no hope of recovery, and whose suffering can no longer be endured.

 

[Teran]

I don't believe in these declarations and oaths and rights etc etc.

I don't really value human life more than any other form of life, so I think putting people down isn't really a big deal.

 

[Darkshadow7827]

For the legalization of euthanasia. Until strong no arguments are present, I will with hold all my arguments for it.

 

[§witch]

Will never get legalized in Canada that's for sure. Euthanasia infringes section 7 of the Canadian charter of rights and freedoms.

Wrong. Section 7 is the right to life, liberty and security of the person. We should have the liberty to choose, not have that choice made for us. It's going to brought up soon in the supreme court and it should tip in favour of legalization this time around.

 

[Xivii]

That was worse than a joke I would make. That's pretty bad =(

For the topic at hand, it should be legalized in a way that leaves no room for a "slippery slope". Something like you need multiple doctors to sign off on it as the best course of action. I read an article about an Australian woman who was campaigning for legalized euthanasia, she had terminal colon cancer which made her unable to have a bowel movement...she lived in constant pain and died vomiting up her own fecal matter. Anyone who wouldn't sign off on euthanasia when someone is facing an end like that...is just plain evil.

It was meant to be corny. Don't hate

But yeah I agree it should be legalized. I don't think it's possible to make sure it is always used only as the best option however.