The right to die

I for damn sure want to be the person making the descision, I dont want some lawyer telling me that no matter what I will live untill something vital in me wears out. I think it is an issue of dignity and quality of life, and each persons wishes should be respected.

The key issue is being of sound mind....however I was recently talking to a 3rd year Psych student..according to here, over 80% of the worlds population has some form of mental defect...if that is the case then no one is of sound mind...I understand psychaiatrists need to earn a living but really let the person die if they are in agony.

[ 03-07-2002: Message edited by: MagiK ]

[Tancred]

Fom the perspective of the doctors, it's a difficult thing. They've taken the Hippocratic Oath, it's their duty to save life in all its' forms, even from itself. They claim that given some time learning to adapt at her own home she might well want to live. I'm for letting those of sound mind make the decision of their lives, but the issue's a lot more clouded than the media would claim it to be - plus of course the English media just LOVE panning Doctors...

[Ronn_Bman]

Damn that's a hard question!

I'm generally in favor of the right to death with dignity, but if it's only been 11 months since this event which took her mobility, is she really able to rationally make this decision? How long has she been fighting for this right? Things like this don't usually make the news quickly.

I ask myself, how long does it take to come back mentally from an accident of this magnitude? I personally don't know, but I'd really want to be sure a 40ish year old was making the right decision. I generally hate "what if's", but what if an amazing break through takes place in the next 10 years?

Ulitimately, I do believe it's her decision to make, if she's rational, but I'd have to be DAMN sure she was completely and utterly able to separate the trauma of the event from the prospect for future life before I'd say yes.

[ 03-07-2002: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

[Ladyzekke]

Is a really tough dilemma. On one hand, if the person requests it for themselves, it is their life, and that should be respected. But on the other hand, from a religious standpoint, if you tell someone to take you off of life support, is that actually suicide in a sense? I mean, is your life over if your limbs do not move? Can you still learn things with your mind if you remain alive? I say this cause I think we are all on this earth for a reason, to learn something, even though none of us knows what that is. If you take your life, you are essentially possibly halting and ending whatever it is you were supposed to learn. But none of this is written in stone, just what I'm pondering right now re the subject.

Again, it would be a tough dilemma for me!

[Yorick]

quote:

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Originally posted by J'aran:
What does the law say about euthanasia, because that's what we're talking about here, have to say where this is taking place?

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I think you'll find euthanasia and this scenario are totally different. This is talking about refusing medical treatment (which will result in death) Whereas to my knowledge, euthanasia is ASSISTING someones death.

In others words, it's proactive. What we are talking about is inaction.

But then, maybe it is the same thing. If you can help say a crime victim and don't isn't that the same thing as doing the crime?

I'd agree that the woman should be allowed to refuse treatment.

I don't agree with assisted death though. I'm more, for increasing the effectiveness of pallative care, and avoiding creating a culture where the terminally ill or elderly, feel that deciding NOT to take euthanasia, and live out till the very end creates too heavy a burden for their family to bear. Thus making a decision to die early based on 'not wanting to be a problem'. That would be an awful scenario would it not?

Such a sensative topic this is. What is 'right' and which action is actually the most caring is often a blurry grey.

[John D Harris]

quote:

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Originally posted by MagiK:

over 80% of the worlds population has some form of mental defect...if that is the case then no one is of sound mind...I understand psychaiatrists need to earn a living but really let the person die if they are in agony.

[ 03-07-2002: Message edited by: MagiK ]

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ROTFLSHISMB-NAPMP (Rolling On The Floor Laughing So Hard I Shallowed My Beech-Nut And Pissed MY Pants)
Sorry to sideline a serious subject

[Donut]

quote:

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Originally posted by Elif Godson:
I agree with Epona on that, if she is of sound mind and know's what she want's, let her go. There are cases like this all the time in state's. Usually held up by a relative who doesnt want to let go.
But yes by all mean's let her slip quietly and knowingly into the void
of spirituality and be at peace from the physical realm.

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I don't think there are cases like this all the time. Usually a decision to with draw life support is made on behalf of a patient. In this case the woman is intelligent, lucis and totally aware of the decision she has made.

It is also different from cases of euthanasia where treament is given to cause death. This is a case of treatment being withdrawn.

[Donut]

quote:

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Originally posted by J'aran:
What does the law say about euthanasia, because that's what we're talking about here, have to say where this is taking place?

As for my personal opinion, I agree with the others. If someone has good reason to end his/her life, for instance severe suffering due to an illness or injury without hope for a cure, and if he/she is mentally fit to make such a decision, then there is IMO no reason to deny them their peace.

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Euthanasia is illegal in Britain. But this is not euthanasia. If someone refuses chemotherapy and eventually dies of cancer we would not call it euthanasia.

[Donut]

quote:

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Originally posted by MagiK:
I understand psychaiatrists need to earn a living but really let the person die if they are in agony.

[ 03-07-2002: Message edited by: MagiK ]

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She feels no pain and two psychiatrists have said she is capable of making her decision.

[Redblueflare]

quote:

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Originally posted by MagiK:

The key issue is being of sound mind....however I was recently talking to a 3rd year Psych student..according to here, over 80% of the worlds population has some form of mental defect...if that is the case then no one is of sound mind.

[ 03-07-2002: Message edited by: MagiK ]

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Umm... Magik i'm not trying to be mean here, but that guy doesn't know what he's talking about! I'm taking psychology at the moment, and I know for sure 80% of the world is not mentally defective. If that were true, *normal* wouldn't apply to very many people now would it? [img]smile.gif[/img]

Wait a second! Isn't there a paper you can sign telling the doctors to let you off life support? Or is does that only exist in America?

[ 03-08-2002: Message edited by: Redblueflare ]