All of you should read this article about the assisted suicide of paralysed rugby player Daniel James last month.Should we legalise euthanasia? What are the dangers if we do? Whose rights do we need to consider? Is it morally right or wrong? The Telegraph says that hypocrisy and mercy is the best we can do. A philosopher says we have a moral obligation to change the law. This group would argue it's a slippery slope..
Have a look at what the European Court of Human Rights said in their judgment in the tragic case of Diane Pretty.
What is for sure is that it's a very sad case and a tragic end to the life of a very talented young man - Daniel was a good enough rugby player to have represented England U16s as well as a dedicated student.
Comments welcome below - have your say on this important issue. Please leave your name! Anonymous comments will probably be deleted. The best comment by a Loreto student wins a prize.
I think we should have the choice to end our own life with the help of other people.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, this young talented persons life was destroyed by this accident as he could no longer take part in rugby which was one of his true passions.
He saw his body as a cell and didn't want to live a life where he would need constant care.
Even though it is a shame that he decide to end his life, I think if he thought it was the right thing to do, we should all accept that.
His mother and father must of been devasted when they seen their soon unable to cope in that situation, and for them to do that must of been heartbreaking.
I do believe in legalising euthanasia but only in cases where the patient has a terminal illness and will suffer more by being kept alive both physically and physcologically.
Gary Molloy
If you have the right to life then you also have the right to death.
ReplyDeletePeople over the age of 65 could be "euthanized" if they were so unfortunate as to acquire the flu, or did not measure up a so-called "quality of life," which could be an arbitrary standard devised by liberal eggheads so why the change now?
The government are against the idea because they will not be able to handle the number of cases because they think it’s morally wrong, I think it’s just an excuse, they don’t want to shatter Britain’s so called reputation. I think every person who thinks otherwise enjoys the suffering of others like all Democrats and Republicans they're all the same to me.
People with terminal illnesses who suffer from extraordinary, excruciating pain should be able to choose the time of their death, if the suffering is long term euthanasia should be legalised for them only, if the pain is short term they should defiantly not be allowed. We all in our advanced age or with grave illness should be able to die with dignity of our own choosing. We weren’t born to think of our death in terms of cowardliness.
Some people may disagree and argue that many people just want “the easy way out”, but that isn’t the case. I strongly believe that everyone should have free will and that the government has no right to choose whether someone should live or die, only we hold the key to our life and death.
When someone has been on a life support machine for years, doctors think its fine to pull out the plug but why do they get anxious when the word “euthanasia” is mentioned? I seriously think is cowardly. In certain circumstances it is needed, I’m not protesting for suicide or anything of that sort but a chance for people to break free of the struggle they will suffer for years to come.
So why shouldn’t euthanasia be legalised? It’s a fear for the government but a relief for thousands of terminally ill individuals in the UK, and as I have already mentioned only we have the right to choose whether will live or die.
I think that life is not ours to control..It's in God's hands and he is the one to decide when our life should start or end..Therefore I think that Euthanasia is wrong and it's murder.
ReplyDeleteRaghad - what about assisted suicide though?
ReplyDeleteAssistent suicide is also a crime as no one other then God has the right to choose when we are born and when we die.
ReplyDeleteAdam Ahmed
lawteacher- I know what you mean. But assisted suicide is also a type of euthanasia and it's called (voluntary euthanasia) where the patient asks other people to end their lives. But there is also another type which is non-voluntary euthanasia which is much more worse...where other people decide to end the patient's life which is murder!!!!
ReplyDeleteAll those I regard as a type of murder...because only god controls life,,, and we don't know mericles might happen!!
Raghad - good post. So does an individual not have the personal right to decide what happens to their life? And if they make this considered choice, do you think assisting them to reach a position where they can do this themselves should be an offence? It's clearly very different from murder isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWould be interested to hear your view!
lawteacher- Yes, It is different.
ReplyDeleteand, yes people do have the rights, bacause God gave them the right to decide what's right and what's wrong, but he also showed them the difference between right and wrong in the Holy Bible. So they are the only ones who have the responsibility on their lives, and no one else should contribute to end their lives. Nevertheless, in my point of view I think it's still against God's law (sanctity of life)!
Raghad you make a good point. But there are many secular people out there who don’t turn to God or religion in dire situations, but also many who do. However you can’t possibly say it’s in Gods hands, that’s like ignoring are rights to be in control of our lives. We are all independent human beings and should be able to choose what we want to do. I can tell that you are a very religious person but Gods not always the answer to all of our questions. I, you and everybody else should be given the right to choose whether we live or die when we can no longer suffer the pain we are in, especially when its terminal.
ReplyDeleteMurder and euthanasia are very different. When we are debating about whether it should be legalised or not, no judge or lawyer will look at it in religious terms. I hope I haven’t offended you in anyway, but like many others I don’t see god as the being that can solve this debate.