Celivia,

So we're talking about suicide, not euthanasia ? Surely this is the point - how to separate:

* suicide, from

* euthanasia, from

* murder, or at least manslaughter, or culpable death ?

Yes, suicide should be legal, as long as there are strong, well-publicised and supportive counselling mechanisms to talk people through their inclinations to end their lives. So how does this differ from 'euthanasia' ? The involvement of other people instantly complicates the situation, it potentially compromises a person's autonomy, their right to make their own decisions. And that can too easily slide into the last category.

As an atheist, I believe that we each have one life, here and now, with nothing to come afterwards. This is all there is. I'll leave the promise of an after-life to wishful-thinkers. Death ends it all, forever. Don't rush it 'out of compassion', 'to stop their suffering', etc. It's not your call.

Joe

Loudmouth a way to address your concerns would be to require a pre-written statement giving permission to be euthanised, and indicating conditions upon which the decision can be made and by whom - if the person is not able to consciously or intelligently make the decision themselves.

That's all legislative detail and doesn't justify a blanket rejection of euthanasia altogether.

Many of these comments demonstrate the problems with Euthansia I identified. The talk of euthanising people who suffer from Alzeimers is a prime example. Even if someone expressed a wish to be euthanised at some point in the past, who is to determine if they still feel that way once they have lost their marbles? May they have changed their mind? If such a thing were to occur you could imagine the climate of fear in nursing homes around the country when the doctor visits. "Have I now been deemed senile and so am going to be killed?" This is a slippery slope we should not go down.
Yes, the means to kill ones self in a reasonably painless manner should be available to those who wish to use them, but that is entirely different from euthanasia where another person kills you.
And to those who think abortion is a private matter for the woman alone to decide seem to ignore the fact that there is someone else involved who has a much greater stake in the decision. That being the unborn child who stands to lose exactly what any one of us would lose if we were killed. The opportunity to live out the rest of our life with all the good and bad that that entails. I am yet to meet a single person who wishes they were aborted.

>>If such a thing were to occur you could imagine the climate of fear in nursing homes around the country when the doctor visits.

Rhys this is an argument to think long and hard before committing to being euthanised for dementia, not an argument against legalising it. Don't you think this is a consequence someone will weigh when they draw up their conditions? I know I certainly would. I'd be putting the decision firmly in the hands of someone I can trust, coupled with a doctor of my choice - and any other number of pre-conditions.

To me it seems like you have a pre-existing aversion to the idea of euthanasia at all and you are creating hypotheticals to cater to it. So let's extend the hypothetical further. What's to stop those in nursing homes from anulling their previous stipulation, if they're so afraid of being deemed senile and euthanised? Do you really think there will be a situation where their wishes will be denied? "No, you already agreed!! Too late. We get to kill you now." At which point they are dragged out kicking and screaming.

Highly doubtful.

It really is pointless to make a comment after Celivia has expressed my feelings so well.

However, everyone seems to have missed the big point and that is that the fear in making make items as euthanasia an acceptable practice is all based on the influence of the church in this "non-secular" country of ours. May not be the reason that they state, if they ever state one at all, but it is the insidious influence of the church and the timid and corruptible politicians who, when they get a seat in what they see is 'the ultimate place of power' in this country, do not want to lose it and alienating the church is one sure way to do that.

Why can't I at almost 80 clearly state to someone that if I want to leave the only world I will ever know, then I should be able to state this NOW, while I make sense.
Look then at the idle and worthless religious practitioners as the devil in this story. Then count your lucky stars that you don't live in the US where 90% of the elected politicians are all Zion-prostitutes, selling their votes for Zionist largesse. So when 10 people are murdered and the hopeless President said that the position is 'unsustainable', it was the strongest condemnation he uttered. Similarly, we toe the line too, this time not yet because of Jews but the church, any colour you choose.

All our respected politicians may not be as dominated as the feckless Abbott, who would vote against everything progressive such as abortion and euthanasia, a loyal Roman soldier and Pell-prostitute down to his toenails. But few are like Julia Irwin, Federal Member for Fowler, NSW whose Adjournment Speech last week shows clearly she fears no one but hates hypocrisy and injustice.
Where do we find another 50 like her to let some light into our thinking processes while at the same time removing the Abbott's of this world, who would have been better suited living in the first decades of the 20th Century.

The fact is that the bleeding hearts will not acknowledge that tortured souls are being euthanized every day of every year by compassionate doctors (with or without consent) so why not pass the responsibility onto the families who have received written express wishes from their loved ones in the event of a painful and intolerable existence?

These expressed written conditions could also be officially lodged at more than one agency - perhaps a government agency and the AMA to ensure compliance?

The alternative is that a few patients wanting to end the agony but are refused a dignified exit, may be able to shuffle out on two legs (if they're lucky) to the hospice’s back garden and hang themselves from a tree and then botch it!

I discovered that my mother was euthanized by a compassionate doctor (without my consent) but after witnessing her chronic state of agony (and my profound inability to help her), I will be forever, eternally grateful that she was released from her misery.