Should Euthanasia be legalized?

Should Euthanasia be legalized?

  • Yes, if it's voluntary

    Votes: 42 67.7%
  • Yes, even if it's involuntary

    Votes: 5 8.1%
  • Don't have an opinion

    Votes: 5 8.1%
  • In no case

    Votes: 10 16.1%

  • Total voters
    62
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Jan 8, 2009
Messages
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What is Euthanasia?
Euthanasia (literally "good death" in Ancient Greek) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner. As of 2008, some forms of euthanasia are legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain), and Thailand. Stances on euthanasia vary greatly; it is called murderous by some and merciful by others. Such controversy arises in part from the serious moral issues attached to the subject and in part from the fact that "euthanasia" is an umbrella term that describes a number of different methods.
Euthanasia may be conducted with consent (voluntary euthanasia) or without consent (involuntary euthanasia). Involuntary euthanasia is conducted where an individual makes a decision for another person incapable of doing so. The decision can be made based on what the incapacitated individual would have wanted, or it could be made on substituted judgment of what the decision maker would want were he or she in the incapacitated person's place, or finally, the decision could be made by assessing objectively whether euthanasia is the most beneficial course of treatment. In any case, euthanasia by proxy consent is highly controversial, especially because multiple proxies may claim the authority to decide for the patient and may or may not have explicit consent from the patient to make that decision.
Euthanasia by means
Euthanasia may be conducted passively, non-actively, and actively. Passive euthanasia entails the withholding of common treatments (such as antibiotics, pain medications, or surgery) or the distribution of a medication (such as morphine) to relieve pain, knowing that it may also result in death (principle of double effect). Passive euthanasia is the most accepted form, and it is a common practice in most hospitals. Non-active euthanasia entails the withdrawing of life support and is more controversial. Active euthanasia entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill and is the most controversial means. An individual may use a euthanasia machine to perform euthanasia on himself / herself.
Discuss!
 
Only in Georgia and South Carolina.
 
The worst thing about Euthanasia machines is that they run windows and you get a dialog box which says

"Are you sure you want to end your life?"

[Yes][No]

or something similar.

EDIT: I wonder if thy have one to handle failure cases which says

"An unknown error has occurred. Do you still want to try to end your life?"

[Retry][Cancel]
 
What is Euthanasia?
Euthanasia (literally "good death" in Ancient Greek) refers to the practice of ending a life in a painless manner. As of 2008, some forms of euthanasia are legal in Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington the Autonomous Community of Andalusia (Spain), and Thailand. Stances on euthanasia vary greatly; it is called murderous by some and merciful by others. Such controversy arises in part from the serious moral issues attached to the subject and in part from the fact that "euthanasia" is an umbrella term that describes a number of different methods.
Euthanasia may be conducted with consent (voluntary euthanasia) or without consent (involuntary euthanasia). Involuntary euthanasia is conducted where an individual makes a decision for another person incapable of doing so. The decision can be made based on what the incapacitated individual would have wanted, or it could be made on substituted judgment of what the decision maker would want were he or she in the incapacitated person's place, or finally, the decision could be made by assessing objectively whether euthanasia is the most beneficial course of treatment. In any case, euthanasia by proxy consent is highly controversial, especially because multiple proxies may claim the authority to decide for the patient and may or may not have explicit consent from the patient to make that decision.
Euthanasia by means
Euthanasia may be conducted passively, non-actively, and actively. Passive euthanasia entails the withholding of common treatments (such as antibiotics, pain medications, or surgery) or the distribution of a medication (such as morphine) to relieve pain, knowing that it may also result in death (principle of double effect). Passive euthanasia is the most accepted form, and it is a common practice in most hospitals. Non-active euthanasia entails the withdrawing of life support and is more controversial. Active euthanasia entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill and is the most controversial means. An individual may use a euthanasia machine to perform euthanasia on himself / herself.
Discuss!

What is your view on the subject?
 
I honestly don't know on this. If yes, then definitely only when it's voluntary. We have no right to take the life of a person who has done nothing wrong and wants to live. I don't see why it shouldn't be allowed but at the same time, I think that suicide (which is basically what it amounts to as long as it's voluntary) is not good. Hmmm, explaining myself has made me change my mind I think. I withdraw my vote from "No opinion" and hesitantly put it in the first option ("only voluntary")
 
What is your view on the subject?

I'm totally agreeing that a willful and voluntary euthanasia procedure will spare many death-ill patients from spending their last days on Earth with unneccesary pain and self-tortue. If your illness will turn out deathly and and you're suffering constantly unbearable pain, then I don't see the point from refusing this person his right of taking his own life. Involuntary euthanasia OTOH is just wrong though.
 
I don't like suicide. I don't think it's a good thing. Plenty of people commit suicide even without the Easy-Bake Oven of death these machines seem to be. Are the people who want to commit suicide but don't afraid of the pain? Or is this something only done for sick people?
 
Well, involuntary euthanasia is murder, so of course it's wrong.

EDIT: Oh, I see, we're talking about incapacitated people. Well, that's a whole different can of worms...
 
I don't like suicide. I don't think it's a good thing. Plenty of people commit suicide even without the Easy-Bake Oven of death these machines seem to be. Are the people who want to commit suicide but don't afraid of the pain? Or is this something only done for sick people?

What is your justification for preventing people from taking their own lives? That you "don't like" suicide? I'm sure you'll agree with me that we need a more substantial justification than that to abridge people's rights.
 
What's an "Euthanasia Device"?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia_machine
A euthanasia device is a machine engineered to allow an individual to die quickly with minimal pain. The most common are those designed to help terminally ill people die without prolonged pain. They may be operated by a second party, such as a physician, or by the person wishing to be euthanized. There is an ongoing debate on the ethics of euthanasia and the use of euthanasia devices.
The "Death Machine"
The "Death Machine" was invented by Philip Nitschke. It consisted of a notebook computer and software titled "Deliverance", which asks the patient a series of questions, and automatically administers a lethal injection of barbiturates if the correct answers are made. The system and questions are so constructed that the supplier of the machine cannot be held responsible for ending the life of the patient, who takes responsibility by operating it.

The machine was used legally under the Rights of the Terminally Ill Act 1995, which was later overturned.

I'm surprised that such a thing actually exists...
 
I don't like suicide. I don't think it's a good thing
I don't like it either. I truly believe that it is generally a cowards way out. People have lived through what they're going through now and worse so why can't they? Still, I don't think that it is my place or anybody else's place to tell those people who feel that they can't survive any longer that they need to keep living through the pain. Certainly it is my place to try to discourage them from that course and try to show them that life is worth living but ultimately that decision is one that only the person in the situation can make. And doesn't everyone want to avoid unnecessary pain? Especially if they are dieing specifically to get away from the pain?

Please don't tell me I don't have any experience with suicide; I do. One of my close friends attempted (and thankfully failed) suicide about four months ago and an uncle tried and succeeded a few years before I was born.
 
What is your justification for preventing people from taking their own lives? That you "don't like" suicide? I'm sure you'll agree with me that we need a more substantial justification than that to abridge people's rights.
I just said I didn't like suicide and it's not a good thing. I don't like Dane Cook's comedy either but I wouldn't necessarily prevent people from enjoying it. I don't like the idea of these machines very much but I guess it's better than somebody shooting themselves or hanging themselves or jumping off a bridge or something.
 
For people who vote against involuntary: do you defined it as "voluntary" if people set conditions where they would want to be euthanized (think the Schiavo case, but not quite). The actual action would have to occur while they are incapacitated, but the decision would have been made prior.

As for me, I am in favour of involuntary as well, as I do not see a plausable scenario where it would not be much more borderline "voluntary". And for voluntary euthanasia, I'd see it as more beneficial in applicable cases.

Suicide in the general sense would be negative, but the problem lies in the situations leading up to the suicide, not the suicide itself. The only legal action we would have to prevent suicide that I see are things like limiting access to guns, or knives, or pills, or bridges, and so I don't support that. I support voluntary on this basis as legal actions to prevent it would be fruitless.
 
I just said I didn't like suicide and it's not a good thing. I don't like Dane Cook's comedy either but I wouldn't necessarily prevent people from enjoying it. I don't like the idea of these machines very much but I guess it's better than somebody shooting themselves or hanging themselves or jumping off a bridge or something.

Okay, but the tone of your post implied that suicide being painful is a good thing, because it prevents people from killing themselves. Opposing a technology that makes suicide less painful is (obviously) equivalent to wanting to prevent people from killing themselves through the disincentive of pain. Can you please explain your justification for that to me?
 
Okay, but the tone of your post implied that suicide being painful is a good thing, because it prevents people from killing themselves. Opposing a technology that makes suicide less painful is (obviously) equivalent to wanting to prevent people from killing themselves through the disincentive of pain. Can you please explain your justification for that to me?
I was trying to determine if euthanasia being a legal and readily available thing would mean more people killing themselves. The tone of your post implies it would be so.

This issue is like abortion for me. I don't like the idea of more abortions but I don't know about whether it should be legal or not.
 
I was trying to determine if euthanasia being a legal and readily available thing would mean more people killing themselves. The tone of your post implies it would be so.

This issue is like abortion for me. I don't like the idea of more abortions but I don't know about whether it should be legal or not.

In the majority of countries in the world Euthanasia is still forbidden, so if people who aren't able to clarify their own decisions for being incapacitated would have actually the choice of ending their "meaningless" lifes (yeah, I said it), many of them would actually do it, thus the suicide rates would rise.
 
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