Euthanasia is pretty easily organize, just admit your oldie to a Queensland hospital, they'll fix them.

My 98 year old mother was still living a semi independent life in her self contained granny flat, beside my home. Sure we provided her meals, & did the cleaning, & we had in home care helping with showering 3 times a week, but she was independent otherwise, doing her own thing, & in contact with her unfortunately diminishing circle of friends.

When she suffered a bleeding ulcer she was admitted to the nearest large hospital. The doctors were excellent. In a couple of days she was sitting up, all bright eyed & bushy tailed, demanding a mirror, & cosmetics. Old ladies must have their lipstick on when in public, don't you know.

I wanted to take her home on Friday, but the physiotherapist's said no. She was not yes strong enough to get out of bed unaided, & required another day or two.

Unfortunately the weekend staff did not bother to find out that she was bed bound. They forgot to feed or water her throughout Saturday. At 11 am Sunday her table was out of her reach, with Saturday, lunch & dinner, Sunday breakfast, 4 packs of the specially thickened water they had prescribed, & a cup of cold tea all there.

She was shriveled like a prune, & incoherent. You probably heard my explosion, it was not quiet.

She never walked again, & spent 2 unhappy bed bound months in a very good nursing home before she went.

She wanted to come home, but I was not enough to handle her. I needed a lot of help to get her into, & out of a car for an outing.

So if you want to get rid of your oldie, try the Queensland health service. Success is almost assured.

Monty 3 nov.

None of that applies to me , why do you insist my philosophy must conform to yours?

Dear Montgomery

Just ensure if voluntary euthanasia ever becomes reality - and so it should for those who are terminally ill with unmanageable pain and stress - that your family and carers know you are not VOLUNTEERING.

Problem solved!

As for others - let them make up their own minds. As a society we treat our end of life people far less kindly than animals. There are laws against cruelty to animals. So far there does not seem to be the same outrage when it takes a terminally ill person weeks, months to die even if that person is suffering poorly controlled pain, total incapacity and begs to be 'put down' and of course isn't.

For the next 'anti' poster who claims this should never be the case and good palliative care is the answer .... yada yada .. All I can say is: Good palliative care is hard to find. Unless you or your loved one has access to a dedicated palliative care unit, your chances of recieving the standard of care required to alleviate most of the suffering is Buckleys. Better pray to die with your boots on ...

Elder abuse is a reality and a scourge but I'm failing to see any real connection with 'voluntary euthanasia'. Any legislation would exclude 'coercion by another' and 'depression resulting from abuse' as a basis. If a 'carer' under such circumstances, wanted the victim to 'suicide' then wouldn't it be easier to stand over them and force them to take an overdose? Plus I'm sure there are a number of undetected murders each year which were deemed accidental death or suicide.

Regards protecting the elderly from abuse - there are far far better strategies than opposing assisted voluntary euthanasia. If the author is serious about Elder Abuse he may wish to suggest more realistic approaches for reducing it.

abortion started out all about the poor 15 year old girl who was raped and should not have to bear another person's child. Then it became about the woman's right to kill the baby because it lives in her body. Now we have about 100,000 per year mostly for convenience and some close to birth. Can you trust the social engineers who now argue that Euthanasia is about relief of pain! Why are many suspicious.

*He shouldn't have to make a living will to indicate he wants to live. Life should be the default, not death.*

In that case I should have the right to make a living will now,
that when the time comes, I want the choice to decide about when
to end my life, not anyone else.

Injecting myself, would hopefully still be possible, if I was in
the physical state to do so. All I would need is the drugs. Blowing
ones brains out, swallowing some box poison (1080) are all rather
messy and painfull.

*It is cowardly because it demonstrates a fear of living out one's fate*

Cowardly? More like perfectly sensible and logical. IMHO the old
Catholic notion that "suffering is noble" is a heap of cobblers.

Who decided this fate that one should suffer for years? Lead your
life as you please, but please show some respect for others who
have different opinions to what I think are your wierd philosophies.

I have argued for years in favor of VOLUNTARY euthanasia. I still do.
It's a personal choice, and one I am comfortable with.
The arguments against it as presented in this article and in some of the comments do not sway me, although I can respect them all bar one: the epithet coward when applied to anyone who in their right mind chooses to go.
Consider for a moment taking that big step into the final unknown, and to then call anyone willing to make that call coward? I don't think so. On the contrary, it is a very brave act, and worthy of respect.
But that too is a personal call, as is my opinion that the true coward is the person who abdicates personal responsibility and lets 'god' do it.
To add a bit of fuel to the debate, I don't think voluntary euthanasia should be limited to those with terminal illnesses. Rather I think the option should be made available to anyone who for whatever reason wants to go.
Again a personal view, but if I choose to walk through that door, who is anyone to tell me that I may not?