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Curious what others think about helping a terminally ill person end their life.
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Hey guys,
Last night I heard on the news that someone is trying to legalise assisted dying. Here's a news link, mentioning some of the stuff I heard.
In some ways I think this is okay. If someone is very ill, in a lot of pain, can hardly move and the only thing they can think about is death then I do think assisted suicide should be allowed in cases like this.
I don't think it should be allowed for everyone though. There may be some people incapable of making a decision properly, so I feel that these people should not be allowed to decide when they die.
I know this is a topic that some of you may feel quite strongly about and there might be some very mixed opinions but I'm hoping for an interesting debate You may disagree with other peoples opinions, but everyone is entitled to their own, just as you are. Looking forward to hearing what other people think..
Last night I heard on the news that someone is trying to legalise assisted dying. Here's a news link, mentioning some of the stuff I heard.
In some ways I think this is okay. If someone is very ill, in a lot of pain, can hardly move and the only thing they can think about is death then I do think assisted suicide should be allowed in cases like this.
I don't think it should be allowed for everyone though. There may be some people incapable of making a decision properly, so I feel that these people should not be allowed to decide when they die.
I know this is a topic that some of you may feel quite strongly about and there might be some very mixed opinions but I'm hoping for an interesting debate You may disagree with other peoples opinions, but everyone is entitled to their own, just as you are. Looking forward to hearing what other people think..
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Comments
But I do think that someone should be allowed to make the decision, as long as they're mentally able and understand it all.
The person who helps them shouldn't face charges for it. The article says that they want to be helped to die with the aid of a doctor, which to me is fair enough.
Perhaps there should be an impartial person/committee to decide on a case-by-case basis. I really don't think the decision should be left to the person alone, or even their family.
Is it though? I watched my grandmother suffer from dementia for nearly 15 years - it was incredibly though for her and everyone around her. Watching someone slowly losing control of their own body, not knowing who they are and being reliant on other people to feed, change and wash is more painful, in my opinion, than watching them die with dignity. She would get very distressed daily and it was cruel having to continuously force to do basic things, but there wasn't another choice.
Terminal or degenerative diseases so frequently mean that people have no control or dignity, allowing them to die in a less painful manner is offering them the respect they deserve and ends years of suffering for them and their family.
But it's even worse to sit there and see them suffer. Especially if they're terminally ill and will die within the year or so. It's not up to the family members. Yes, it's not nice to allow someone to die. But how is it fair to see them slowly dying and slowly losing bodily functions?
I have a relative who is slowly dying from cancer. It's awful having to see how he is and hearing how his wife is struggling with caring for him. Especially as both are elderly.
it's not just the ill person who suffers. It affects the whole family. I have a friend whose wife has Dementia. She's been given 3 and a half years to live. Because of his own health issues, she's in a care home. It's awful having to listen to him say that she's slowly losing her bodily functions.
Personally I feel that people who have consciously expressed a wish to end their life and who cannot do so themselves, should be allowed to have an assisted death. I'm not sure exactly who is benefited by removing this option, or making it more complicated than it otherwise needs to be.
Obviously there is a far trickier argument around the group of people with a diminished capability to come to a decision, but I don't see why the two groups of people necessarily need to be handled in the same way.
But at the same time someone shouldn't be stopped because their next of kin don't want them to - as long as they have the capacity to make such a decision.