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The Forum > Article Comments > A failure of moral leadership > Comments

A failure of moral leadership : Comments

By Neil Francis, published 28/11/2014

Victoria's political leaders look the other way on voluntary euthanasia law reform leading up to Saturday's vote.

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Hi there HASBEEN...

My friend, I have no illusions as to who should shoulder the Lion's share of the blame, apropos my ex Wife's death...mea culpa. Still my accounting for all her hurt, loneliness and sense of abandonment , is down to moi ! And I'm receiving my just punishment here and now !

Yes Mate, concentrate on establishing the correct line into those tricky corners, whether a 'turn in' or 'apex', expert braking technique is vital, you'd know all about that ol' man ? All important decisions that need to be made, in split seconds. All helps to redirect you thoughts and mind, away for the levels of your pain HASBEEN ?

I've never raced in my life, but I did the NSWPOL pursuit course in the 1975/76 Falcon 5.8 V8's, and it was great. But, though being deemed competent, I wasn't much of a high-speed driver though ! I tend to 'moozy' along at more of a steady pace, rather than being a quickie. To each his own I suppose. Stay well old mate !

Hi there RHROSTY...

Gezz, sounds like you've had a bad time of it also with your back ? I sincerely trust you have your pain levels under some semblance of adequate control ? There's nothing like unrelenting chronic pain to deter one's thinking and concentration ?

Also I noticed you spoke quite derisively about Morphine Sulphate in all it's forms ? I must confess I've been on the stuff twice daily now, with the same dose for about eight years now; specifically -> -> am 10 mls. of Ordine 5 & Kapanol 50mgs. And exactly the same dosage of both meds in the pm ? Other than being highly dependent, I've not noticed any other side effects, other than a little afternoon lassitude ? Still I'm 75 years of age, so it's to be expected I guess ? I noticed you mentioned some quite bad side-effects ? Would you care to share them with me please ?

Many thanks RHROSTY.
Posted by o sung wu, Saturday, 29 November 2014 2:37:10 PM
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ojnab

It's one of those weird paradoxes that, despite some exceptions, those who are all for war and military solutions to conflicts (and often the death penalty) also tend to be all against euthanasia, rational suicide and abortion.

The fundamental difference seems to be that the former grants power over life and death to those who control society. The latter grants power over life and death to individuals. To these people, it's assumed that those in power can always make the right choices about who lives and who dies, but individuals are inherently clueless and can never be trusted to make the right choices, especially about ending their own lives on their own terms.

So is it all about the right to life and/or quality of life? Or is it all about good old fashioned authoritarian control?

Rhrosty et al

Ask yourselves which gender is it that comprises the overwhelming majority of those nurses and carers who have to slog it out 24/7, making the final agonising weeks/months/years of a person's life 'comfortable'?

While it's mostly a small minority group of wealthy male, middle-aged leaders who dictate our moral code on life and death (despite opinion polls showing overwhelming mass majority support for euthanasia and abortion), it's low-paid women who end up shouldering the hard-slog burden of 'caring'.
Posted by Killarney, Saturday, 29 November 2014 9:53:19 PM
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Switzerland has an excellent policy, allowing assisted-suicide for whatever reason and by any assistant(s) (not necessarily doctors), so long as the assistant(s) are not selfishly motivated: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euthanasia_in_Switzerland

A legal question:

Is it currently an offence in Australia to knowingly assist someone to leave for Switzerland for this purpose? For example by the travel-agent issuing the ticket, the driver who takes the person to the airport, perhaps even the airline itself and/or its employees who are aware of the purpose of the trip?

(and what about the same, but when a healthy person decides to permanently migrate to Switzerland, so that whenever their time is near they could have this facility?)
Posted by Yuyutsu, Saturday, 29 November 2014 11:09:49 PM
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Unfortunately Rhosty, some forms of terminal cancer and other terminal illnesses, involve not only intense pain but also constant nausea, vomiting, haemorhaging, breathlessness, and incontinence of urine and faeces......all of which can be so bad as to not be relieved by any medicine we currently have on hand.

As good as our palliative care teams are in this country, even the most experienced of these professionals can tell you which of these fatal diseases can't have their symptoms controlled, and wish they could legally use euthanasia for.

Yes, you can use strong anaesthetic drugs to knock them out, but is that 'living' ?

Suicide and voluntary euthanasia are completely separate issues.
Someone who kills themselves alone commits suicide and causes horrible angst for their relatives.
If voluntary euthanasia was legal, the sick person doesn't die alone, and the relatives have time to say goodbye etc.
Not the same thing at all...
Posted by Suseonline, Sunday, 30 November 2014 12:45:07 AM
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O Sung, Suse, eternally hostile, always extremely unreasonable, man hating, invariably judgmental Killarney; as a soldier, my only motive was saving/protecting lives/liberty!
As a medic my motive was saving lives, as a paramedic, my motivation was saving lives.
It is part of my nature/DNA.

Yes, most but not all the carers are women, many of who cast very admiring glaces, when they saw me at mum's bedside during those rare occasions she needed to be hospitalized, and they saw it was a mere male running the usual laundry service.

I have nothing but undying admiration for nurses, who almost invariably, give well beyond normal caring duty!
Simply put, there aren't enough superlatives to adequately describe my unending admiration.

If anyone cares to read my previous posts, they'll discover the problems I have with morphine; which as pain relief, pales into insignificance beside the heroin it's made from.

One well reported case saw an elderly Scot, well into her sixties and suffering unbearable unending pain, was given legally sanctioned heroin.
Instead of the few months predicted, she lived for five more years; out of hospital and doing what gave her quality of life; which by the way, included playing golf again.

And if I had my druthers, medicinal marijuana, would also be part of the suite of pain relief.

Morphine, if adequately administered to control pain and suffering, will eventually result in an induced coma and eventual peaceful death.
Controlled doses, will and does relieve chronic pain, without harming the cognitive abilities.
Heroin even more so.

However, we just don't need to keep someone, whose quality of life is Shiite, alive with this or that medicine, when all that need be done, is to make them comfortable as is possible.
With some clinicians withholding all other life support, including normal nutrition/hydration. (no food means no feces)
Y'all have a very nice day now. y'hear.
Rhrosty.
Posted by Rhrosty, Sunday, 30 November 2014 9:35:27 AM
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Rhostry people who create wars are mentally unstable and tend to be looking after their own interests, Bush as an example, Abbott a so called Christian but enjoys the trappings of killing innocent people, isn't this euthanasia at its worst, but some person like yourself do not want me to have a say in how I end my life, I am just one person,not thousands who had no say in their ending when a bomb drops. The majority of people want VE so please allow them to do so as they wish, you make your own decisions for your end of life decisions.
Posted by Ojnab, Sunday, 30 November 2014 11:56:48 AM
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