Euthanasia: Yay or nay?

IF that's the patient's desire and the professionals see there are good reasons for it, not just the presence of depression.

In Oregon it is legal with a doctor's OK.

But by personal choice, not Obama death panels!

If it's the decision made by that person while he is of sound mind.

Absolutely 100%! If I want to die in a painless way I should have that right. Anyone should. Forcing someone to suffer is wrong and I mean mentally, emotionally or physically.

If all of our lives aren't valuable then none of them are.

You can't decide that someone else should die, just because they're old or handicapped. Some Billionaire could decide that because you're not a billionaire your life isn't worth living either.

Ideas have Consequences.

We are kinder to animals. We don't make them suffer.

Isn't that sad? We treat cats and dogs and bald eagles better than we do our own kind.
We must be the most back-stabbing creatures on the planet.

If it was at the request of a person of sound mind and had made their wishes clear beforehand. Suffering is so hard on anyone!

I don't think any person has the right to tell another person when their life is or should be over...

I've told my wife many times that, when I can no longer control my bladder and bowels, and when I can no longer be in control of my faculties, to put me down...

I understand my last wife went through a proceedure where they were running a wire up through an artery and they punctured a hole in the veinacava and she was brain dead for 41 minutes before they became aware of it. Myself with the help of her children made the decision to pull the breathing tube. A very hard decision to make.
Yes, I was talking to a nurse in the operating room and i heard the saw in background as they opened her chest to massage her heart.

oh, that must've been hard.. and a real unnerving thing hearing the saw..

Yes it was and the nurse lying to me did not help.

I know if I was too old or my quality of life was really bad I wouldn't want to be alive.

Yay in just extreme situations that there is no absolute way for improvent for the best

So you think you want to be able to make the decisions for someone else.

Not really. Only in cases that the person that is in bad shape cant make the right decision.

as long as the person requesting it is in a capable state of mind to be making that choice.

I agree

Voluntary euthanasia should be legal. If we have to pay for mandatory insurance in 2014 we should have the right to die no matter what. Some people are going to make choices between eating & paying rent or buying insurance. When it gets down to that we should just be able to get out once & for all.

If Obamacare goes through I will probably be homeless. I cannot afford it.

Come to Oregon it is legal here.

It's not the same as voluntary euthanasia. You already have to be bed ridden in Oregan.

I say this from a spiritual point of view. Taking one's life- even in the throes of a terminal and debilitating illness- forfeits the chance for spiritual experiences that can be of benefit to the dying and any one involved with them. I know this from personal experience, since my best friend committed suicide in 2006.
In the use of artifices, such as machines and whatnot in long term coma or brain death cases, that should not be used, as this brings on a false sense of hope, not to mention horrible decisions, for those friends and family who would survive. I know. My significant other had to "turn off" two friends within a three week period. He must suffer with those decisions every single day now.

THere are many people who have none of your belief systems. You have no right to inflict your beliefs on them.

As long as this is a site asking for my opinion, I have the right to state as I choose. You, on the other hand, have no right to tell me I'm wrong or what my agenda is.

I have the right to say any thing I want. Just like you did.

Anyone who basis their entire life on superstitions, fairy tales has no right to dictate to anyone what is right for others.

Most people have a lot more compassion for others than you displayed in your post. We even treat our animals better than that.

I beg your pardon, I WAS being compassionate. Compassionate to those who must carry on when their loved ones are gone. How compassionate is it to keep someone brain dead living on machines for possibly months or years, forcing a family to visit this pale fragile shell void of any vitality or life, on a regular basis, with a possibly false hope when they may never come around? Not to mention draining a family of financial resources?
That does NOT sound like compassion to me.

You were however showing nothing to those who were dying, many of which are in excruciating pain for months or even years befor the end actually comes. Sadly you had absolutely no thought for their pain at all, either physically or emotionally. Death is a person experience for an individual. The entire focus should be on the one who is dying, not the ones who are simply standing around and watching it happen


For the living life always goes on. The fact that America has no decent medical care system to provide for their citizens in your fault and no one else. You people are just plain to selfish to take care of the unfortunate and needy. That could be a very good reason why some people do chose to deal with death on their own terms instead of letting your high profit medical system take all their money away from the families involved.

Where I live, no one is devastated by long term illness or medical bills at all. We take care of everyone here.

Hey, don't blame me personally- I'm just the messenger. I agree with you 100%. I think it's awesome that you have a great medical care system, and that everyone gets treated well. Unfortunately, we have some greedy, lustful people who currently hold the reins- I just pray God that these people and these businesses get a clue before it's too late...

but it really depends on the situation..

If they are sane and want to die, if they have a living will, or they will have a very poor quality of life if they live, I support it. I have never understood Conservatives' views on it, you can't terminate a foetus, you can't kill a baby, but if you don't want your child to have a life saving blood transfusion, you're allowed to let them die. You can kill criminals, but if someone wants to kill themself they can't!?

They have too many kids over there as it is.

Nobody has the right to tell others how to live or end their lives.

Some people suffer terribly at the end of life. We have no problem euthanizing our pets when we see they are in pain with no hope of recovery. Why not do the same for our loved ones if they are suffering terribly and there is no hope of recovery? People should be allowed to die when they can no longer live with the suffering. It should be their choice to die with dignity in the company of their family and friends and without further suffering.

What I don't understand is how our government can be okay with killing a fetus which has had no chance yet to live, without it's permission, and be completely against killing an old person who has had long life, with their permission. It's baffling.

NOBODY should have "the right" to tell anyone they HAVE to live, if that is something THEY no longer want to do. To say otherwise, and be pro choice, makes you a hypocrite.

You want to die, go ahead.
After all, just like with gay marriage "who are we to tell others what they can and can't do to make themselves happy?"