Mar 23, 2011

Euthanasia - Yes or No?

...this is a difficult topic. So...I'll just start with how i got confronted with this in the first place...
About half a year ago I made an internship in an Intensive Care Home for old people with Alzheimer's and all other kinds of (mostly lethal) diseases. I never had any experience with any people older than 60 years (My Grandparents died quite young), so I was completely new to the entire topic. Needless to say, I was completely terrified. 20 old people, most of them uncapable of doing anything more than moaning. I felt helpless, I tried everything i could, with no results. It may sound harsh, but that was when i first started thinking about Euthanasia. Strangely, before my internship I was totally pro-life. I never thought that it could be possible that being dead is better than living. After this, to be honest, I don't think its a bad idea to end someones life if it only consists of suffering and disorientation.
 Should we pull the Plug?
But, as always, there are problems with Euthanasia, first off, I want to mention the Euthanasia-Campaign in the Third Reich, systematically killing off everyone seen as a 'Racial Hazard' or 'Race Desecrator of Aryans' in the Nazi-Ideology. That might be what People automatically think of when they hear of Euthanasia.
Also, there has been a Complex of Problems with Coma-Patients. What, if they are still awake inside and listen to their relatives wanting to end their lives? Creepy thoughts.
After all, I think we should find a reasonable balance. I'm not generally against keeping People alive for years, but if there is hardly to none brain-activity we should pull the plug. People just have to learn that life is finite. No one lives for ever. We just finally have to accept this and learn to part from our beloved ones if there is no other way.

31 comments:

  1. The nazis also killed disabled people, homosexuals and gypsies. But euthenasia isn't about that, and personally I think you're mistaken to bring that up. It's about letting people die with dignity, rather than dragging their lives out into suffering. That's my opinion.

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  2. problem is, the nazis killed disabled people and called it euthanasia, i just wanted to point out the fact that people might think about nazi crimes when they hear about euthanasia

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  3. Interesting topic! I'll stay out of "yes or no", however, for the moment. Followed.

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  4. Uggh this is always so difficult to think about. Nice evaluation though!

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  5. very interesting!

    followed

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  6. As long as it is their choice, I'm okay with it.

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  7. If they want to then that's fine I guess.

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  8. I worked at a nursing home for 2 years, and I think if our government could come up with a "will" type way of doing it so if someone has a stroke and is not capable of voicing their opinions about certain things they could have this done. I took care of a woman who didn't want to live as a vegetable if it ever came to it, and one day she had a massive stroke rendering her unable to talk and hardly move. She tried to kill herself several times and it was heartbreaking to see and made me dislike her family a great deal. Awesome article.

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  9. i appreciate your feedback :)

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  10. i believe under no circumstance should anyone not be able to decide whether they live or die. it's no different from a guantanamo inmate going on a hunger strike, or a kid shooting himself with a gun. just because someone is unable to do it themselves doesn't mean they don't have the same right. I realize it's against the law to shoot yourself, but you have FREE WILL to do it. and thus, dying people should also have said free will.

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  11. I believe as long as a person can be deemed mentally fit to make such a decision, and after a gap period, of say weeks to a month, between committing to the decision and enacting it has passed with no change in desire to go through with it, it should be acceptable.

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  12. I honestly cant pick a side with this, to many good reasons for and against it.

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  13. Idk. I think it's appropriate to address it case-by-case :\ it's never nice to think about, but some people ARE in enough pain that it warrants it.

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  14. its an interesting + CONTROVERSIAL topic but for me, i'm pro euthanasia

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  15. One they're gone you can never get them back...

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  16. This is a very delicate topic. followed, and thanks for the knowledge.

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  17. Personally, I wouldn't want to be alive if I was in a coma or disabled. So I'd have to say that I'm pro-euth.

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  18. If a person can be proved to be sane and wants to end their life I believe it should be their right

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  19. I agree 100% with danny murphy

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  20. If they're sane, then they should be able to choose

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  21. in really bad cases YES ofcourse....go see Mar Adentro movie :)

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  22. I'd say yes,'cause you are just saving someones pain....

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  23. im in two minds about it, don't think ill ever have a solid view.

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  24. Every human should be albe to write a doc where they tell if they want to be in a painfull coma or wants the pull plugged "at an age limited ofc" I hope that made sense :P

    cool blog =)

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  25. Yes. You want to pull it, you pull it.

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  26. This is hard to discuss.
    you can always say that you want euthanasia will living, but coming to a point where youll be the one lying on the bed not able to move or speak, you would probably want to tell your friends that they should not pull it..

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  27. I'm also okay witht his=)

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  28. I'm all for euthanasia it there really is no other option

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  29. What's wrong with the youth in Asia? Is there another strike? :P But seriously, people should be able to make their own decisions.

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