German suicide machine sparks outrage

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CNN.Com

I know that this is a controversal topic, but I say bravo to this man. If a terminally ill person is in pain and wants to end it, then it's up to that person. People don't have a say in it because they are not in the shoes of the patient and religon has no say because they don't have the right to impose their beliefs on the whole country.
Especially if the patient is a aeitheist, the church has no right to interfere with that person wants.

Like Roger Kusch said, it's not their business.

I agree.
A person can't decide when, if and how he was thrown into this world.
If a person isn't even allowed to decide when, if and how he leaves it, what rights does anyone truly have?

Are we considered property to society?
Slaves to the nation?
Isn't it a persons own inalienable right to decide anything that concerns his own life?

As someone who has felt depression, especially to the point of wanting Suicide, I strongly disagree. Sure, at the moment I may feel that I want to take my life, but after I got treatment, I was glad I didn't. Why? Because when you feel that bad, ususally you are not thinking rationally. At the time it does feel like it will be a relief, but that is because it is felt as if it is a minor thing, something that is seemingly going to have no impact. And this state of mind, while it is going on, is actually kind of a delusion. And I at the time of it do not think that if I went through with it, I will be putting my family members through hell with guilt and grief.

Lastly, if this kind of suicide were to become acceptable, what other forms of killing would become "right?":
Killing someone because they are deemed too old to be any good to society.
Killing someone "disabled" because it is more merciful then letting them live.

This is a machine for terminally ill patients, not the depressed. People who are depressed can get treatment and life a long life, the terminally ill can't and we don't know that kind of pain they have to go through, which is why it's their right to have a choice.

Weither we agree or disagree ultimately dosn't matter in the end.

Last edited by Chibi_Neko on 04 Apr 2008, 11:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

OH, I feel the terminally ill absolutely have this right.

There's the TV and movie version of dying, then there's the real life version. The real life (death) version, once viewed first hand, will likely change the mind of anyone opposed.

And I don't mean stop-by-and-visit experience; I mean taking care of someone for an 12 hour shift with raging cancer mets to the brain or other major organs.

I would support the decision for the dying to end their life on their terms.

If I were terminally ill, or paralyzed from the neck down, or in a permanent coma, something that was so bad that I really do believe my life would not be worth the experience, than I should have the right to choose. Under extreme circumstances, so should anyone else.

I am opposed to euthanasia in all but the most extreme circumstances. It is really a form of suicide or assisted suicide, and I consider suicide to be an act of both desperation and stupidity. This is an objective opinion, based on my own considerations of what life should be about. Believe me, I don't think the church's views on euthanasia are worth squat.

He may only offer the services of the machine to people after a strict psychological and medical evaluation, but I think it should only be used in the most extreme circumstances. Life is to experience. You only get one shot. And there are many people who died who would, if capable, dearly want the lives that were thrown away.

I do not make this assessment lightly. I have had experience of a relative dying of a terminal illness. My maternal aunt. She died too young, in fact. I only visited her twice, mostly due to the fact that I hadn't met her that often when she was alive, but my mother and grandmother visited her often. But her state struck me. I don't think she ever asked to have it finished. In fact, I think she wanted to hang on as long as she humanly could, to say goodbye in the best fashion.

What if they were in the wrong frame of mind hand had no idea what they were doing????

The only people this applies to are people in a lot of pain, suffering from the last miserable effects of a crippling and terminal disease... it's not as if it's intended for use willy-nilly on anyone who decides they can't bare to live with minor annoyances.

What it is intended for is not necessarilly what it will be used for. As a result, it isn't as easy as people would like to throw aside metalwolf's concerns. The very existance of this machine can and will lead to abuse within situations for which it was not intended.

While I do believe that people should be in control of making their own decisions about how to proceed when they are terminally ill, I do not believe that anyone else should have involvement in the process of timing the end of life, should the terminally ill patient wish to assert control over it. This machine does move responsibility beyond the patient. The very act of creating it is involvement in the process, and it does, also, rely on medical professionals to set up the right drug mix.

Yeah, and I can already imagine evil family members making the decision for the person, and pressing the button.

I know.

It's absolutely terrifying.