Dutch Legalize Euthanasia

[Yo Ma Ma]

http://www.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/11/28/holland.euthanasia/index.html

Sounds like it's been going on for a long time, but they've formally legalized it now.

 

[Locutus of Board]

Please tell me Yo_Ma-Ma is the first subject for testing!

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

Why how very nice, it must be Christmastime.

 

[Zucchini]

Its about time.

 

[Slacker]

Hmmm, considering what effect this could have on the RC5 distributed computing contest, Hmmmmmm.............

 

[looskuh]

<< I'm a quarter black-dutch myself. >>


What a coincidence! I'm 100% Dutch!

Euthanesia has been tolerated for many years now. Only difference is that it is defined by law now.

 

[StageLeft]

I absolutely and totally agree with a person's right to take their own life if suffering from a fatal illness and even after much treatment they'd still rather die. If they can't do it themselves I'd have to commend a person for helping them out, if its done responsibly.

 

[Double Trouble]

I'm Dutch as well

Euthanasia is one of those few topics where it's hard for me to go one way or the other. On the one hand, I firmly believe people should be allowed to make their own decision to end their life based on their circumstances. Nobody can know what another is going through and decide whether they should or should not suffer. A person should be able to control their own life.

On the other hand, I don't think it's a good idea to allow doctors or family members to make that kind of decision for someone, and I don't think we want doctors to just willy-nilly be helping people commit suicide. After all, people that are suffering or depressed may be very inclined towards 'a way out of it all' when in fact there is hope for recovery.

Tough call, but I like the way the Dutch government has it set up, it's a nice balance.

 

[StageLeft]

It should always be up to the ill person as to whether they decide to die or not. If they cannot make that decision, well thats a tough call...but for the times when somebody says &quot;yes I want to die, this sucks, please kill me&quot;, I think its grossly inhumane to say &quot;sorry, you have to live like this until you die&quot;. Thats a load of bullsh*t and I have a great deal of sympathy for people who aid in the suicide of a fatally ill loved one and end up in jail.

I know that if it is legal it should be strictly controlled, ie. a couple of doctors have to give recommendations, everything is video-taped, etc. etc.

 

[sweetrobin]

Having watched my grandmother suffer for 13 months dieing with breast cancer .. And watching my dad suffer for 6 months before he died . I can completely understand the need for Euthanasia ... I think if someone is suffering that bad they should be able to choose to die with dignity rather than a slow lingering death

 

[StageLeft]

Agreed, I wonder how many people who don't support it have had to watch a loved one slowly die?