What do you all think about this Right to Die case in Florida?

[Vinny]

I think that it's not really up to her husband, more up to her. I don't know how they could get her consent though. Maybe they could show her something in writing describing the situation and tell her to blink once for yes and twice for no or something like that. I don't know how they'd arrange getting her consent, but I don't think that the decision to die should be that of her husband's.

You know, there was a case about a year ago in the UK in which a woman whose body is paralized from her head down and has a serious disease which I think has to do with her bladder went to the court and, unable to commit suicide herself, asked the court to allow her husband to kill her without being charged for murder. The court ruled against her. Frankly, I don't think anyone has the right to decide whether you should die or remain alive. I mean I can understand it if you're just depressed, but if I was in her situation I would kill myself too. I mean, I'm gonna die anyway, so what's the point of leading an empty, ****ty, meaningless life?

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[Link47]

Originally posted by Lurch1982:
Oh yes L47, it makes much more sense in every aspect to let someone die by starving to death when they could die peacefully and without suffering through injections. So its illegal to humanely end someone's life, but legal to make someone suffer for weeks on end? Yeah, that makes sense...well, more sense than your Iraq analogy since there seems to be no WMDs in Iraq.

No, what i'm saying is that it's illegal, so until it's legal you have to abide by the law. And it shouldn't be legal to end someones life. How do we know she's not consious and understand everything but on the outside she just can't move or communicate? It we legalize euthinasia, then people will become like pets. When you get to sick you just kick the can, instead of trying to fight it out. Unless there's absolutely no chance to live, euthinasia is for quitters.

[Lurch1982]

What's the difference between euthanasia and pulling the plug? There is none, except one involves unneccisary suffering. If you are going to pull the plug, i see absolutely no reason why they shouldn't use injections so the person at least does not have to suffer.

on a side note, people like yourself make Euthanasia out to be something that people would use if they got the flu. No. In almost every single case of Euthanasia, people are suffering something like this, or they're facing horrendous cases of cancer. HMOs and insurance companies could never make euthanasia the preferred method of treatment due to the massive public backlash. I really fail to see why it is illegal, especially when cases pop up (like this one) where people are pulling the plug/tube and reinserting it a few days later. Come on. Unneeded suffering or quick and painless?

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

I've seen a similar article. Maybe it was this same one. I've only skimmed it, so I'm not too well-informed about the issue, but I'm going to say no. THE ONLY REASON to take someone's life is if they are a threat to you and there is no other option for you. I wouldn't compromise that standard even if somebody wanted me to kill them--in this case, it doesn't appear that the woman is able to communicate with either her husband or her parents, so, obviously, she isn't going to have much of a choice in this.

If you want to "put her out of her misery"...are you kidding? Death by starvation? Do you have any idea how long that can take? Two weeks or more! If you've ever fasted for a day or two, imagine the amount of time you spent dizzy, fatigued, hardly functional...times seven, getting progressively worse.

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

I'm sick and tired of you fundamentalists trying to impose your morality and your religion on everybody else in this country.

By holding an opinoin that this woman should live, we are imposing our religion on everyone else in this country?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but in this topic, NOBODY has even made a reference to God, Jesus, Allah, or any religious figure. It is, however, an issue that will require moral judgement that may be derived from faith. Do you think that this question, a question of life and death, can be answered with science and logic?

[ October 27, 2003, 09:32 PM: Message edited by: Princess Zelda of Hyrule: God Bless ]

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

Silvie's right. If a "Coalition" member and an "outsider" have arrived at the same conclusion, then how is one of us being a bigot and the other being reasonable?

[ October 27, 2003, 09:36 PM: Message edited by: Princess Zelda of Hyrule: God Bless ]

[Zelda the Beautiful]

Any reason to keep someone alive in such a state is selfish - I know if I were in an irreversible coma, I'd much rather be let go than have to spend the rest of my life trapped in a useless body with zero dignity just because, for what little it's worth, my family wants to keep me "alive."

That being said, starving her is inhumane and just plain ridiculous. Why not just give her a lethal injection to get it over with quickly and painlessly?

[ October 27, 2003, 09:52 PM: Message edited by: Zelda of Hyrule is sick of homework ]

[Lurch1982]

Because religious political groups have pushed Euthanasia into that land of never happening.

This brings up a point: is someone like this actually alive? If she were not hooked up to machinery, she'd die (hence this case). What is alive? Is it mearly beating hearts and brainwaves, or is it actually functioning somewhat in society?

[Zelda the Beautiful]

^ Then couldn't her parents take care of that?

[Princess Zelda of Hyrule]

Because religious political groups have pushed Euthanasia into that land of never happening.

I'm assuming you're responding to me. So there are religious groups who try to ban euthanasia. But nobody on this board has mentioned any affiliation with the particular religious groups you're talking about, and until somebody does, these groups have nothing to do with the "VGF Christian Coalition".

And why is it okay to be an activist on some sets of values but not others? These religious groups are just like you: they want the best for us and our country.

This brings up a point: is someone like this actually alive? If she were not hooked up to machinery, she'd die (hence this case). What is alive? Is it mearly beating hearts and brainwaves, or is it actually functioning somewhat in society?

Someone who is asleep is not functioning in society. A baby isn't functioning in society. An animal isn't functioning in society, and neither are people who are unconscious due to an injury. That's a lot of dead people.

I'm going to have to say beating heart, brainwaves, functioning organs, etc.

[ October 27, 2003, 10:17 PM: Message edited by: Princess Zelda of Hyrule: God Bless ]

[Lurch1982]

I was just stating why its illegal, not really responding to anything.

You dumbass. Sleeping and being hooked on machines to live is completely different. Babies are a different case, animals aren't even remotely related. The only thing you have in your grasp for something relivant was injuries, and when someone has been incapacitated and hooked on tubes for 15 years and not even responsive, they aren't functioning or even (arguably) living.

Starving? You're kidding, right? Leathal injection is much more humane and doesn't involve something that resembles torture. Starving takes weeks, injection takes about a minute.

[ October 27, 2003, 10:26 PM: Message edited by: Lurch1982 ]