rfaberh

My dear lovely brother in Pink.

I think that this discussion is so hard because we stand between two important arguments; the rights to autonomy and the human inviolability. The first comes from an individualistic thought (we are in the best right to decide what is best for ourself) and the other argument is very religious (the fifth Commandments;Thou shalt not kill.) You can also discuss this in a philosophical way; utilitarianism and deontology (I don´t know the english word for this?). The point is that it´s a question about what we believe in. I have written a report about this subject and I find it very hard myself to decide whether it is right or wrong. I´m not against people who decide to get euthanasia, but I think persons who get it shall be terminally ill. I also think that if a terminally ill baby will suffer a painful death (which also is very hard for the parents)then it´s okay to hasten the death....which in fact is already done in a legally form as morphine. Sorry this is really hard for me to explain in english. I hope you understand my point?

"I'm writing them off" You are the only one who can decide whether it´s the best to write your family off. But before you do so, then think it through, and don´t do it because you are angry right now. And... don´t forget that those who loves you most, also is the ones who can hurt you the most.

"how do we win the war in Iraq?" I can´t say how US will win this war, but I sure hope that something good will come out of it. I think that the military and the US needs to have a different strategy and show the iraqi people (and the rest of the world) that this is not about winning a war, but about helping people to obtain peace and rebuild their country. Unfortunately many of the Iraqis people believe that US can do no good, and therefore many of them is fighting for what they believe in. I do not like the background for this war, neither the way it has been done. If it contains this way then it will take years to rebuild the country and it will be diffucult to obtain faith from the Iraqis people.

Thanks to all of you for the answers. I´m Faber´s sister. I have some questions I hope someone of you will help with. I would like to hear a little more about the TV shows "leave it to beaver and Ozzie and harriet. The book I have read points out the TV-shows. Can anyone of you explain how you look at the shows;is it just for fun or do you see it as a real familieform in the 1950s? Would you wish to go back to such a family form, if it really existed? (I have never heard of the tvshows before and I have therefore never seen it, so I don´t know much about it !)

Euthanasia is assisted suicide. So when you say you " euthanize your pet" then it is not euthanasia as I understand it. Your dog has never requested to be killed and you have made the decision. Euthanasia as I talk about is when a patient is dying and asks to be killed. It´s the patients decision not the doctors, not the families and not the nurses decision. I think you might talk about Non-voluntary euthanasia where a patient is killed without requesting it - here is it someone else who has made the desicion. Euthanasia is Greek and means the good death - not a happy death (eu= good, thanatos=death). the good death is a death without any pain. Many patients choose euthanasia as the last way out of pain and therefore it´s a good death for them.

Very interesting point. I think it´s the most difficult question as you also say. Many times patient are keept alive eventhough they are braindead, we save earlyborned babies but let 7 month capable of living babies die because they have some sort of defect. I think if someone should have the option to get active euthanasia there should be some provisions. - the patient is dying and has only a month to live in and will suffer a very painfull death. Also see my second post to read some other provisions you could make if euthanasia should be legal.

I have heard this argument many times. Some say that a patient who asks to be killed is crying for help because she/he doesn´t want do die at all. Some say that some patients might think that they are a trouble for the family and the hospital! But I think if euthanasia should be legally it should not be an offer, but a option if the dying patient himself express the wish of euthanasia. After the wish the patient should be comfirmed with a psychologist, a priest and two doctors - those will decide if it´s a real wish of an earlier death.

I’m writing about euthanasia (help to assistant suicide to a dying patient who has requested to be killed) in relation to my study. I’m studying at a Danish university where I study the humanities. This year my topic is philosophy and sociology. I have chosen to write about euthanasia because it’s not illegal here in Denmark but a majority of the Danish population seems to wish that it would be legally. It’s legal to stop a treatment if it doesn’t have the suitable effect or give morphine to a suffering person even though that the time of death will be hastened. Why not also legalize euthanasia? There are a lot of arguments for and against legitimation of euthanasia some religious, some mention the slide “effect” and some sees the human life as inviolable etc. We can control almost anything in life, but the question is if we also should control death? Or is it not what we are already doing? I would like to hear your opinion of this subject and hear yours arguments for or against euthanasia.