Euthanasia. Should it be allowed in the U.S.?

[bradly1101]

I was just reading an article about it in Belgium where it's been legal for eleven years and enjoys 75% support. They are considering allowing it for minors with obvious restrictions.

When I think about it, I'd much rather go out on my terms, rather than waiting to die while I'm wracked with pain and suffering. If it's good enough for dogs, shouldn't we have the same consideration for humans?

 

[Atreus21]

I was just reading an article about it in Belgium where it's been legal for eleven years and enjoys 75% support. They are considering allowing it for minors with obvious restrictions.

When I think about it, I'd much rather go out on my terms, rather than waiting to die while I'm wracked with pain and suffering. If it's good enough for dogs, shouldn't we have the same consideration for humans?

Fine, as long as it's people making decisions about their own lives, and not about others (disabled infants, for example).

 

[Scotteq]

Hmmm.. Widespread enforcement of such a scheme *could* be made to serve as a rather effective means of reducing welfare and unemployment.

Save the Taxpayers a lot of money. () D:

 

[PokerGuy]

I've always been a big proponent of people having ultimate control of their life, and that includes when they want to end it. I don't understand why it serves society to force people who don't want to live with certain conditions or in constant pain etc to keep living.

As long as each person makes the decision for themselves, I'm all for it. The Belgians (and Dutch) have that one right.

 

[Doppel]

Probably. I will say I see a terrible irony in somebod who would be against it and yet for capital punishment. Such a view would ultimately hold that the state is a more capable decider of one's worth to live than oneself.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

I've always been a big proponent of people having ultimate control of their life, and that includes when they want to end it. I don't understand why it serves society to force people who don't want to live with certain conditions or in constant pain etc to keep living.

As long as each person makes the decision for themselves, I'm all for it. The Belgians (and Dutch) have that one right.

Agreed.

 

[child of wonder]

I don't understand why it serves society to force people who don't want to live with certain conditions or in constant pain etc to keep living.

Hospice care, prescription drugs, nurses, aids, hospital visits.... the suffering infirm and dying are job creators!!!!!!

 

[PokerGuy]

I suspect it really comes from religious views about all life being precious and such. Life is indeed precious, but if someone has decided that they've had enough, who am I to decide that they are wrong? Let each person decide for themselves.

 

[Zaap]

No, let them take care of their own damn kid.





Oh come on. Someone had to say it.

 

[piasabird]

This could never be abused . . . .

Maybe everyone at the age of 60 or 70 could be required to give up their life for the next generation. Look at all the health care savings.

You first.

Lets say I have my doubts. We were taking my mom to the hospital like once a week or more sometimes for pain medication. However, she had some kind of electronic device installed and helped to block the pain connected to her spine. Since then she is enjoying life a little bit more. When pain is your constant companion, I could see how you could make a decision like this.

 

[PokerGuy]

This could never be abused . . . .

Maybe everyone at the age of 60 or 70 could be required to give up their life for the next generation. Look at all the health care savings.

You first.

Uh, nobody in Belgium is being forced to do anything. As long as each person is making choices for themselves, there should be no problem.

If you take a leap of logic to "someone has to be forced to die", that's no longer someone's own choice, that's an entirely different subject.

 

[jhbball]

Seems like common sense at this point; an issue both R's and D's should be able to get behind.

 

[sttubs]

I'm a nurse & I think it should be legalized in the US. Right now if someone is dying and goes on Hospice, they are given Morphine & Ativan every 2 hours keeping them mostly unconscious. For the people that are farther from death & on Hospice you basically keep them drugged up & they die of starvation several days later. For those not on Hospice they may die with horrible pain, like bone cancer victims. I also think the parents should be allowed to euthanize the profoundly mentally retarded. Some of those guys are kept in a bed most of their life. Sometimes they are restrained so they don't hurt themselves or their caregivers. They have no way of communicating pain so they may be in agony all of their life. Those people also end up dying from a respiratory infection at some point and if they are a ward of the state every effort is made to keep them alive. They call that living?

 

[OBLAMA2009]

I'm a nurse & I think it should be legalized in the US. Right now if someone is dying and goes on Hospice, they are given Morphine & Ativan every 2 hours keeping them mostly unconscious. For the people that are farther from death & on Hospice you basically keep them drugged up & they die of starvation several days later. For those not on Hospice they may die with horrible pain, like bone cancer victims. I also think the parents should be allowed to euthanize the profoundly mentally retarded. Some of those guys are kept in a bed most of their life. Sometimes they are restrained so they don't hurt themselves or their caregivers. They have no way of communicating pain so they may be in agony all of their life. Those people also end up dying from a respiratory infection at some point and if they are a ward of the state every effort is made to keep them alive. They call that living?

yes we already have euthanasia in american hospitals, they just dont call it that, esp with elderly people. they have a heart attack or stroke, the family has dnr writen on the chart, they remove the machines and feeding tube and they die

i dont know about retarded people/"useless eaters" proposition though. should we euthanize homeless or unemployed too?

 

[z1ggy]

I'm all for it.

But I bet the lobbyists for the big pharma companies who produce the drugs who keep these suffering people alive will have a big problem with it.

 

[Mai72]

Hospice care, prescription drugs, nurses, aids, hospital visits.... the suffering infirm and dying are job creators!!!!!!

And BIG money makers! Dying is big business. I saw a documentary on American health care and it was absolutely appalling. As a society we don't deal with death well. If I am 85 years old and out of it I'd want to be put to sleep.

I'm a firm believer in prevention. I will use Jack LaLanne as a perfect example. He took extreme care of his body. He watched what he ate, and he exercised daily. The guy was 96 years old and he was able to conduct his life as if he were 60 years younger. He wasn't riddled with disease like your average American. I guarantee you that if more people were to take care of themselves we wouldn't have the problems that we now face with our health care.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_LaLanne

 

[desy]

I think people should have a right to die w dignity, I just had both parents go through this however, how would the insurance industry react?

 

[Zaap]

I've never really seen what's the problem with allowing it.

What is so humane about choice 1:

"Hi, you have a terminal illness that IS going to kill you, very, very painfully and horribly with terrible amounts of suffering involved. Also, your family will be bankroupted while they struggle to keep you alive to experience every agonizing minute until you croak."

vs:
"You have a terminal illness that IS going to kill you, very, very painfully and horribly... but the good news is you don't have to go through the worst of it, we can just help you go out peacefully, on your own terms, with minimal pain and suffering, and minimal cost and negative impact on your family.

Gee, which will it be?

 

[Atomic Playboy]

This could never be abused . . . .

How on Earth would this be abused? "Here Grandma, sign this birthday card for me... SYKE! It's death with dignity papers! Alright, unplug her, let's go."

 

[bradly1101]

I'm a nurse & I think it should be legalized in the US. Right now if someone is dying and goes on Hospice, they are given Morphine & Ativan every 2 hours keeping them mostly unconscious. For the people that are farther from death & on Hospice you basically keep them drugged up & they die of starvation several days later. For those not on Hospice they may die with horrible pain, like bone cancer victims. I also think the parents should be allowed to euthanize the profoundly mentally retarded. Some of those guys are kept in a bed most of their life. Sometimes they are restrained so they don't hurt themselves or their caregivers. They have no way of communicating pain so they may be in agony all of their life. Those people also end up dying from a respiratory infection at some point and if they are a ward of the state every effort is made to keep them alive. They call that living?

Thanks for sharing an opinion from the health-care field. I am of an age that I've been close to a few who have let go from this world. Whether we live on or not, it is a time to finally realize that everything's temporary. Not everyone lets go peacefully or in the way they'd like. Would this be a way for people to 'die with dignity'?

My mom had a few strokes, and had expressed a desire to end things before it got worse. The final stroke knocked her unconscious. When I held her hand and spoke to her she tried to move her mouth, but her eyes never opened. She didn't want to be kept on machines, and the only one she was connected to was draining mucous. So she had to die drowning. If she had any awareness at all, I know she wouldn't have wanted to go that way.

We have drugs that let you let go very comfortably and peacefully.

And that's just my experience. I know nurses and doctors deal with this every day.

There's only one thing that's almost as bad to me as suffering, that's seeing someone else suffer. I truly honor those in health-care who care.

 

[bradly1101]

I'm all for it.

But I bet the lobbyists for the big pharma companies who produce the drugs who keep these suffering people alive will have a big problem with it.

Yes the almighty dollar trumps logic.

 

[bradly1101]

It certainly would save trillions in healthcare.

 

[Zorba]

I've always been a big proponent of people having ultimate control of their life, and that includes when they want to end it. I don't understand why it serves society to force people who don't want to live with certain conditions or in constant pain etc to keep living.

As long as each person makes the decision for themselves, I'm all for it. The Belgians (and Dutch) have that one right.

This

 

[hans030390]

My (deeply religious) great-grandfather would often say, "When you turn 80, they should just shoot ya!" as a semi-joke, but there's a lot of truth to it, especially for older folks that often suffer so much towards the end of their lives. Life is inherently temporary and will come with suffering at some point. Why can we not choose to opt-out when we are no longer willing to live? Why can't we choose a pain-free, comfortable exit instead of being forced to suffer? (But, as mentioned above by the nurse, clearly things are already not this black-and-white, thankfully.)

 

[nageov3t]

I've got no problem with it, although perhaps a psych evaluation should be performed beforehand to ensure that they're of sound mind.