Physician Assisted Suicide

[Mouricia Allen]

I think Euthanasia is not just a simple thing. For me, if you are sick beyond recovery and you are in great loads of pain, and you determine that you cannot bear it anymore, then once you are counseled over a period of time and you show no signs of changing your mind, then let it be done. No one should be forced to live in pain, especially when there is nothing that can be done for them, and they can only be in pain and think of their fast approaching death. However I am concerned that this system could be abused, and healthy people could be killed under the guise of Euthanasia.

[Sweetp120]

I think assisted suicide is acceptable when someone has no quality of life or their every moment is suffering.

The problem is who gets to decide what is quality of life and what isn't. The Nazis thought that the disabled and mentally ill were better off dead. I'm not saying that it would automatically turn into a system where everyone not deemed fit is killed, but no system is without abuse. For some people, that's just too much power to give to anyone.

I agree that it is a terrifying amount of power to give, but there is a big difference between the Nazi atrocities, in which the victims had no say, and what happens at least in Switzerland today, where absolute consent is a must and people administer the drugs themselves. Personally, I do not have a problem with voluntary euthanasia as I cannot judge the pain nor understand the situation anyone else is in, but I would be sceptical of a doctor taking that decision on anyone's behalf.

I agree for the most part with the final statement, however, I do not see nor do I understand the concept of suicide. I wont lie I have had suicidal thoughts when I was younger and growing up but I could never act on those thoughts. I honestly don't even understand completely the idea of voluntary euthanasia I mean I get the person would be out of physical pain nd no longer suffering but what about the pain the loved ones feel at the loss especially knowing this is the exact moment its gonna happen because in all honesty whether planned or not no one is ever really ready to lose a loved one. In my opinion it is not supposed to be anyones personal choice to die its Gods choice to say when our time is.

[PlanetHauth]

Assisted suicide should be left up to the person who wishes to do it. It's not for me to say you can't die comfortably and with help. Why should we deny people who are suffering from painful, incurable diseases the opportunity to stop that pain and suffering? I don't know that I'd personally use it, but after witnessing my grandmother dying of lung cancer, I'd want nothing more than to have had that option for her if she'd wanted it. Instead, she spent her days at home on hospice care, having lost so much weight she was essentially a skeleton, and so full of pain meds she was basically a zombie, but still in pain. So, yeah, I think assissted suicide should be an option for folks.

[Ice dragon]

I was introduced emotively to this topic by Terry Pratchett's campaign after his diagnosis of Alzheimer's.
The main ideologically is dying with dignity as opposed to chronic suffering and no concept of who you are.

I think if I had a terminal or a degenerative disorder I would want this to be legalised, as it would be in my comfort and choice. As opposed to the extreme violence and tragedy that is suicide.

I hate the idea of someone being by themselves when life is taken. The idea that you could be surrounded by loved ones is a comfort

[Ekta Kumari]

Hiram's act was a murder. Jeremy was not capable of mentioning his will to live; he had no other option but to wait. I did like that the topic of euthanasia was brought to the surface. I do think if a person explicitly mentions they want to end their life, then makin them live is cruel. But in Jeremy's case, he was not capable of expressing his opinion, so it was Hiram's rage that killed him.

[JordanKSmith]

I have no idea what I believe about euthanasia. It really depends on whether there is an afterlife, and what does this life mean relative to that afterlife.

If Christians are right, then I would say keep the kid alive. "Mercy killing" would just send him to judgment.

If there is no God and evolution is true, then it really doesn't matter. All of this would be a zero-sum game. I'd say exit this game whenever you want. That said, it would be a selfish move if it hurts people.

If Hinduism is right, then all of this is karma anyways. You'll just pop back into a new body to face the same problem again. You'll probably have some additional karma, but it doesn't change the end result of the reincarnation process.

It all depends on the context. Since I can't decide what I believe, I personally wouldn't rule it out. It's a complicated question, and we can't see all the angles.

[Jdalba2018]

The thing is that assisted or not it is still suicide, don't you think?

[Nusrat_Shabnam_]

Life wasn't something that was given freely and we aren't eligible to take it away as well. Committing euthanasia is a crime worth punishing with death. No matter what his intentions were taking away a person's life is unacceptable.

I completely agree with you. We have no right to take away person's life. That's totally unacceptable.

[Mr Benji]

In my own opinion, mercy killing is still a crime. If I were in his shoes, I would have let Jeremy live and repent during that last minutes of his life. It's God who gave us life, and He should have the only right to take it away.

As to the story, Hiram's aid on Jeremy's death was one of the twists that made the book thought-provoking.

[Mr Benji]

In my own opinion, mercy killing is still a crime. If I were in his shoes, I would have let Jeremy live and repent during that last minutes of his life. It's God who gave us life, and He should have the only right to take it away.

As to the story, Hiram's aid on Jeremy's death was one of the twists that made the book thought-provoking.

I fully agree that, it is God that has the right right to give and take life.

[MalMartin]

As I have stated in another forum. Many people in my family have died by physician-assisted suicide. I am for this. Most of the time when people choose this its because they have a terminal illness and just don't want to suffer anymore. I didn't agree with how Hiram McDowell did it though. I believe he should have waited till Jeremy could decide for himself again and then he could choose. However, after him killing all those people the court may not let him. They might have put him in prison for life, meaning he wouldn't have gotten what he wanted originally, which was to die. When a physician helps a patient with something like this there is a lot of legal rules in it. The patient has to sign a substantial amount of paperwork, along with DNR papers. I believe Hiram should have waited to see if that was something Jeremy wanted. However, I do not feel it was personally murder, but legally it is considered that way because there is no paperwork or permission given to him by patient/medical power of attorney.

[Shalu1707]

I think what McDowell did to Jeremy was justified. Many with not agree with Euthanasia but I think it is not wrong to end life of a non healing, permanently damaged body and mind. Because Even if that person survives somehow he/she will be left dependent on others for a lifetime and this cruel world will not forget to remind them on every step that they are far from normal and should have died instead of living a life like this. While others will always show sympathy even if it reminds the affected person that somehow he is not normal and that is the reason of these directed sympathies. Either way no one will let them have a normal life.
The affected person can never actually forget the trauma and Reason of his injuries but the world will not stop for anyone, It will move on from those reasons and knowingly or unknowingly will make that person's life hell. Hence I back physician assisted suicide.

[Theresa Moffitt]

Euthanasia is an extremely thorny issue. I do not agree with McDowell's view on physician-assisted suicide.

I agree - this is a very difficult topic to discuss especially if you’ve never had an experience with a family member having a Terminal illness or injury and truly suffering but I do t agree with physician assited suicide either

[KRay93]

I doubt that a person in a vegetative state (to give an example) has many desires to have a horrifying quality of life like the one that awaits him or her. As with abortion and capital punishment, I believe there are cases in which it is morally acceptable to end a life. Of course, the matter is reduced to the person making that decision, his mental state, and his own judgment as well as that of the society or the group of people with whom he lives, not to mention the rules of coexistence under which they are all ruled.

[Samantha Simoneau]

In my own opinion, mercy killing is still a crime.

My thoughts exactly!