Sandra Kanck's parliamentary display last month was irresponsible and dangerous. The South Australian state government should keep euthanasia illegal and not perform a conscience vote in parliament. Actively killing someone is wrong. We do not have the right to decide when we die. I agree that the removal of medical treatment is acceptable as this is letting nature take its course but actively killing yourself is considered suicide and people who commit suicide are not in the right state of mind. Even worse, family and friends deciding to actively kill someone? This is almost murder and can be very dangerous in the wrong hands. People should be receiving more psychological help and care than allowing them to freely kill themselves.

Is it necessarily true that people who kill themselves are not in the right state of mind?

What is "the right state of mind"?

In particular, can one conclude that the right state of mind is one in which people do not kill themselves without including that as part of the definition?

If someone is suffering from an intractable and unpleasant illness, how can we say that they are not in the right state of mind if they choose to end their suffering by ending their life? Doesn't the rationality of the decision to do so depend on a value judgment about the quality of life that the person has? Who is in the best position to make that judgement?

I continue to be concerned that the present laws against euthanasia force some people to terminate their lives prematurely for fear of reaching a point where they are no longer capable of doing so.

Cruelty comes in many forms, and the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Sylvia.

What a ridiculously ignorant opinion. I have worked in hospitals for nearly two decades. Most people who die of cancer or disease in palliative care are actually killed by pain killers. High doses of morphine or other opiates eventually stop the heart. Is that murder? Have you ever even attended the death of a cancer patient? Have you even seen what happens behind the closed doors of hospitals? Obviously not. You are prepared to base your opinion on your ignorance. Ignorance is your luxury. It is a luxury that dying people don't have. Voluntary euthanasia should be everyones choice. Whether you make that choice should be up to the individual. Who are you to deny me my right to the death of my choice when or if I am facing a hopeless painful death?

We do not have the right to decide when we die. I agree that the removal of medical treatment is acceptable as this is letting nature take its course but actively killing yourself is considered suicide and people who commit suicide are not in the right state of mind. Even worse, family and friends deciding to actively kill someone? This is almost murder and can be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
Posted by MmMm, Tuesday, 24 October 2006 6:54:01 PM

You state your position as if it is a fait d'accompli - why do you think we dont have the right to decide when we die - what is that belief based on?

As for 'letting nature take its course' it might be nature taking its course to let crocodiles eat your children too but you are not going to do that. That is a facile piece of rationale with little intrinsic support.

And dont mix voluntary with involuntary euthanasia - they raise some fundamenatally different issues - no-one has 'family and friends deciding to actively kill someone' when they end their own lives.

So what do you intend to do if someone fails in an attempt to commit suicide. Drag them through court and sentence them to death?

MmMm

As someone living with terminal, incurable, cancer. I find your post extremely offensive. I will decide when I die.

I can assure you I will be in the right frame of mind, there will come a day when you have to face your own mortality perhaps you will then see the error in your thinking.

Until then stop moralising to others who must make this decision.