Should Euthanasia be Legalised?

Should Euthanasia be Legalised?

A review by allyoxley on Should euthanasia be legalised?
June 16th, 2006

Author's product rating:

Advantages:	Dignity, pain - free
Disadvantages:	would have to be done under strict laws to prevent mis - use

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This is a subject which I personally do not think is talked about enough or people choose not to discuss it. When my husband knew I was writing this he thought it was terrible, but if we do not express our opinions on these type of topics, how will anything ever change in this world.

Netherlands is the only country where Euthanasia is legal, apart from the Netherlands, Euthanasia is against the law and classed as a Criminal Act.

Although legal in the Netherlands, citizens from other countries cannot take part in Euthanasia in Holland (in other words you could not go over there and commit Euthanasia, this would be breaking the law).

The Law in Holland states Euthansia as " termination of life by a Doctor or by express or voluntary wish of a patient.

This is how I see Euthanasia and if the above was followed I can see no reason why it cannot be carried our by your own wishes.

Being an animal lover marks a great difference in my opinion. When the time comes that your beloved pet is so sick, or so old it cannot walk or perform a normal life, we get to make the decision to end their lives. To me it is the last loving thing an owner can do for their pet after all the years you have spent together, so why is it any different for members of your family.

I watched my nan spend nearly a year in pain with Bowel Cancer. She completely lost her dignity, and me as her granddaughter felt for her when I had to bed bath her, clean up after she had been sick, liquidise her food and much more. How must she have felt a lady in her 80's who had been through two world wars subjected to this demise and this embarrassment and for what, she knew she was dying, that it was only a matter of time and yet all we could do was keep her comfortable, watch her wince in pain and listen to her tell us she just wanted to die. She finally died in a comatose state where they had filled her body with morphine. How much nicer would it have been for her to have made the choice herself, to have decided when the pain had got too much, to have sat and talked to her, comforted her and watched her slip away peacefully, instead we sat with my nan who was unconcious unable to have that last chat with her, unable to comfort her and reassure her, I think it is just so unjust.

At the end of the day, many people with terminal illnesses like Cancer, are fed so much Morphine they are unable to interact, where is the sense in that?

If Doctor's could guarantee a high quality of life up to the moment of 'natural' death, euthanasia campaigners would lose their arguments, but this is something Doctor's cannot guarantee and I doubt ever could.

There are many debates in force at the moment inclduing The Millenium Debate of the Age which is organised by BUPA, Age Concern and Legal & General. These three organisations are trying to evaluate the Pro's and Con's of this issue, we will have to wait and see what they come up with, although by up-to-date statistics over 80% of this country are in favour of Euthanasia already.

The strange thing is that in a way Euthanasia already exists here to some extent. It is not illegal to take away artificial nutrition and hydration as regarded in medical treatment. But how hypocritical is that, it is blatantly obvious that if you prevent somebody from eating and drinking they are eventually going to die, and I would imagine they will suffer pain in many ways if this is done, so how can this not be classed as a evil form of euthanasia. Why can this be done and yet one needle is not allowed.

I agree that if Euthanasia did ever become legal in this country, many firm and strict measures would have to be enforced to prevent improper deaths (murder and the like). But if it is done under strict Medical Supervision, with withnesses, a member of the Police or other Security Personnel, this could not be illegally permitted. Also if it was legal, it would have to be made complusory that the patient signs a consent form, or a member of their family if they are unable to do so and obviously only in the cases where there is no recovery. Why should we live with a death sentence given to us and not have the right to decide to take it earlier before we suffer, and be remembered the way we want to be.

I would say the only thing that does concern me with regards the whole Euthanasia debate, and that is the Black Market, would medical personnel smuggle out the phials and sell them on to people illegally. I can't say I have heard of this happening in Holland, but it is a possibility as we well no in this dag and age, but that is my only concern.

We are born into this world to live our lives to the full, when we are not able to do this any longer, when our dignity starts to fall and when we are in pain and suffering is it not our choice to decide when enough is enough. We don't treat our animals like this so why do we treat ourselves like it.