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Right to Die


Tiger

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I looked for topics about the right to die, but the one's I found were locked. I figured started a new one was a bad idea. So I'm going to talk about it here. I was watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy. A woman with cancer wanted to die, and it just so happened that a state where physician assisted suicide is legal, which is Washington. Only two other states allow such measures, Oregon and Montana, though in the latter, all that is allowed is the buying of a prescription that will kill you. Texas, ironically, has a law that allows for physicians to pull the plug with a court order regardless of whether or not the family wants it. I think that is a good thing, because some people are too afraid to let go while their loved one has no chance of recover and has a need to die in peace. In my opinion, both options should be legal in every single state. There is an established right to live so why not a right to die? It is more compassionate to allow someone to die than it is to allow someone to suffer. Even animals are treated better than humans. It is actually a legal requirement for veterinarians to end the lives of suffering animals in similar circumstances. I don't understand why people have that level of compassion for animals but not their own species. It's totally f**ked up.

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  • Site Administrator
Cia

Posted

When a family member had a major life ending heartattack the entire family supported the decision to pull the plug. The doctors waited a few days for certain legal paperwork issues but were quite supportive of everyone's choice. But then again, a lot of us have worked in the medical field and know that just because the body is still working on machines it doesn't mean that person is still "alive". I am quite adamant about never wanting to be kept alive on a machine, that is not a life imo. I will sign whatever paperwork I have to, make whatever choices I must to prevent my loved ones from having to do so for me. It's called a living will, everyone should have one. The right to die is a personal choice, I want it on my terms if it is possible. No one else should have the right to say yea or nay for me. I fully support assisted suicide being legal. I've seen patients who are able to feel pain and only pain, kept alive by tubes of food and fluids, tubes there to take away waste, tubes keeping them breathing... it's inhumane in so many ways. No thank you!

 

 

Bleu

Posted

I agree with both of you. I watched my love die of cancer and I'm just glad no decision had to be made about ending her life.

Her parents and I didn't view the situation in the same light. Basically they were in such denial they saw a miracle as the only possible outcome even though the doctors were finally (!) being honest about her chances. If she had been on life support I don't know how long they would have wanted to keep her that way. They were not ready to let go.

There is no legal right to die over here (France) either but the issue keeps being pushed in the media and I think the law will eventually change. At the moment, those who can and dare go to Switzerland.

 

By the way, "pull the plug with a cord": was that an intended pun? blink.gif

Tiger

Posted

I've changed that part. It was supposed to be court. I think it's great that people from France at least have somewhere nearby. Only two US states let you go to the hospital to end your life, and they're both in the same part of the country, so it's far away no matter what unless you live in or close to those two states.

Bleu

Posted

Yes, I figured it was "court" but it was still a good pun.

Overall, you're right. You can't expect people to go and travel thousands of miles for that. Most of the time the patient cannot be moved at all, so it's not even a question of how far.

Law has to change but I'm afraid it will take quite a bit of time... especially in Tx.

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