The Logic Of Mercy Killing

Do you hold animal life
With as much respect or as much value as you do human?
Or maybe you hold it with more?
But ask this,
Do you support the Mercy killing under any circumstances of non-human
Animals?
And Hold animal life in as much value or more so than human life?
Then does it not logically follow that you should also support the
Mercy killing of humans?

[Nanobyte]

I have no idea what you're getting at. Do you have sphinx blood in you?

[True_Moose]

I think what he's getting at is this.

It is considered moral and ethical to euthanise a cat/dog/horse/other domestic animal when it is in extreme pain/suffering. Yet we hold human life and sentiment as higher than those of animals. Isn't it a bit hypocritical of us to sanction and encourage euthanizing animals, when we won't euthanise suffering humans.

I think...

[Mack_Attack]

Well I hope I do not get to much flack for this but I do not put animals before humans. It does not make any sense for me to do this. I love animals and yes I think they probaly have feelings as well. And would never wish any harm to any animal(my dog was killed from stricked-9 poison). I also believe in mercy killing human or not.

I had a co-worker that had a dog with cancer. He went to every doctor known to man I am sure, to find a cure for his dog he never did find one. So he started the dog on strong pain killers. The dog would just sleep all day and when the dog was awake it was in terrible pain. Is this right I would think not. After a month or so of doing this, he finale put the dog down.

[True_Moose]

I agree that humans should be put before animals...after all, we must protect our own first. I just think it's a wee bit hypocritical that animals get the luxury of being relieved of their pain, and yet a human must go on living.

The best example of this was in the book that the movie "We Were Soldiers" is based on. One soldier got napalmed, and got third degree burns to some outrageous amount of his body (like 75%-90%). Yet he didn't die for two days. Now if that happened to a dog, or cat, there would be no question about putting it to sleep. But as a human, he had to suffer horrendous, unimaginable pain for two days. Just doesn't seem right...

[Nanobyte]

They have something similar in Black Hawk Down. Of course, if you have ever seen Saving Private Ryan, you know that free will rules all.

[Redblueflare]

I know what you mean True_Moose. In a situation like that, why let the victim suffer. Some people hesitate to pull life support on a person that's terminally ill. Even if the patient *wishes* it. I also put humans above animals.

[Charean]

That is why there are living wills. So when you aren't in your right mind, or conscious, your wishes are known.

I think Dr. Kevorkian got a bad rap.

I know if I am in that situation, the very amusing idea that it is illegal in this country to let me die if I am terminal anyway is kinda silly.

But somehow this is going to get wrapped up in other laws...

[Sio]

I dont know why but ive always regarded an animals life above a humans, apart from only in cases concerning my family, after all nothing is more important that your family. But it seems that while humans are far superior and should be by ethics but above animals I cant help but think that animals innocence puts them above us, whereas we are so destructive and loathing, and jealousness of people better off than ourselves.
I just put animals lives above peoples except as I said family, and friends.
A little bit off-topic I know

[Timber Loftis]

Well, I've thrown at least one thread [img]graemlins/offtopic.gif[/img] a bit recently by noting that I am generally for the death of humans in whatever fashion until we get our cockroach-like rate of population growth under control. Plus, I married a PETA-freak, and we're vegetarians. So, I don't want to go too far into that portion of this thread. I will note two things.

1. It is my personal experience (with friend or relatives and their pets, farm animals, etc) that the majority of animals are euthenized not when they are in extreme pain but rather when they become extremely inconvenient to deal with.

2. Euthenizing humans in theory is fine - but in reality there's a problem. You see, if you *can* euthenize a person and there is a "right to die," then you are not too far removed from a situation where some elderly folks might think it's the best thing for their family for them to go ahead and remove themselves from the picture before they become too much of a burden. "The Practice" made this point a couple of years ago, and it struck me as very poignant. If I love my kids, why inconvenience them while I suffer in a hospital for 6 mos or a year? But, deep down, I may desire every last minute of breath I can get on this stinking planet. I see this as creating quite the problem.

[ 11-04-2002, 10:41 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]