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The choice illusion : Comments
By Paul Russell, published 6/1/2012With euthanasia there is no real choice for the patient.
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Posted by VK3AUU, Friday, 6 January 2012 10:41:51 AM
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A number of years ago I visited my aunt in the hospital. She was suffering an agonising death due to cancer. Devices attached to her body and monitored by electronic circuitry were keeping her alive. She was unable to speak but nodded her head toward the electic outlet clearly wishing that I pull the plug. Considering the consequences to myself I did not pull the plug.
Some time later I visited my mother in a nursing home. She was conscious that she was losing her grip on reality. She said, "I want to die." The staff characterised her as 'antisocial' citing the fact that she did not want to watch the soapies on TV in company with the other inmates. She had never watched them on the outside and did not want to be reduced to that. She retained her physical strength for some time, and an alert staff member stopped her as she raised a chair over her head to bring it down on another old lady. She subsequently spent seven years in bed in a vegetative state before she died. I wish my aunt and mother could have ended it when they wanted to. I am a member of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society of Queensland. Posted by david f, Friday, 6 January 2012 10:49:52 AM
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Yabby
You are describing assisted suicide, which involves a person of sound mind making a decision in the present. None of my business, but why do you need an industry to assist you to do this? Having businesses which profit from people deciding to kill themselves is to open for abuse in my opinion. Some people have become quite rich from it: Not all that altruistic either, I suspect. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10461894 Posted by Fester, Friday, 6 January 2012 10:54:20 AM
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Sorry Yabby, I'll amend the question:
Do you think it valid for a present self to be dictated to by a past self or future entity not in existence, or should the decision be made by one of sound mind in the present? Euthanasia is naturally emotive, but making bad decisions to ease suffering can open the door to unintended and unfortunate consequences. Posted by Fester, Friday, 6 January 2012 11:27:38 AM
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Fester: Some people have become quite rich from it.
So what, it's a service, like any other service. It serves a purpose. If these people have traveled purposly to Switzerland with the express purpose of dieing with dignity, then "So what." They haven't been forced against their will. It's their choice & they pay the going price for the service. The pre-requisite for the service is that the person has to be terminaly ill with no hope of recovery & in pain. As stated in the article. If the Government puts down Laws regarding the practise & it's regulated, where is the abuse? Posted by Jayb, Friday, 6 January 2012 11:29:33 AM
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*You are describing assisted suicide, which involves a person of sound mind making a decision in the present. None of my business, but why do you need an industry to assist you to do this?*
Fester, I remind you that the palliative care business makes serious money out of dragging out peoples final deaths, as long as they can. They have good reasons to oppose assisted suicide, it would cost them big money. It might be none of your business, but why do you want to stop me from having a right to make a decision about my life, if I were say paralysed completely, unable to move anything but my eyes for instance? What if you were in the same position? As it is, I feel empathy for the people in these circumstances, even if you are unable to do so. Read again the article made by the doctor from Exit and point out to me where he is wrong. Then give me a reason why I, living in Australia, should not have the same human rights as a Swiss citizen, who lives in a more enlightened country it seems. Posted by Yabby, Friday, 6 January 2012 11:39:03 AM
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David