Euthanasia - Being a vegetable is not the Problem
Eluana Englaro has been in a vegetative state for 16 years and her father has been fighting in court all those years to disconnect her feeding tube, insisting it was her wish. You probably have not heard of the case but it has turned into a Terry Schiavo type right-to-die case in Italy.
FoxNews, Italian woman in right-to-die case worsens
This summer a Milan court granted his request, setting off a political storm in this overwhelmingly Roman Catholic country. Italy does not allow euthanasia, but patients have a right to refuse treatment.
Catholic and anti-euthanasia groups protested the ruling by leaving bottles of water in front of Milan's Duomo cathedral. Prosecutors appealed the decision and the father pledged not to disconnect the tube before Italy's high court weighed in.
Being a vegetable is not the problem; obviously a vegetable would not care if it were attached to a feeding tube for eternity. Of course, the vegetable could be an extreme burden to the family for no good reason. Before we start throwing around the slippery-slope argument that pretty soon we'll be killing people when they're over 30 years old and useless to society let's remember that we should be paying attention to the wishes of the patient not the government or to any religious body.
But here is where I think politicians and religious groups become cruel and barbaric pieces of crap: suppose the patient is suffering? Even if you are terminally ill, in unbearable, unendurable, constant, excruciating pain which even the best of medications cannot ameliorate, the bastards will still demand that you suffer in silence and not end the horror of your so-called life. Life is precious they will say. So precious that they can excuse the death of tens of thousands from a Tsunami or earthquake, but God forbid one person who wants to end his misery and torture is prevented by law from doing so.
Individual Euthanasia Should Be Put to a Vote
Here's how it should be decided: it should be put to a vote. But with one rule. Before you press the vote lever your toe must be put into a vise and pressed so hard that it turns blue. To turn off the pain the person can vote FOR Euthanasia at any time and the vise will be released. Those who want to vote AGAINST Euthanasia must wait one hour. Then we'll see how many people are willing to allow patients to suffer for weeks, months, or even years. I will bet lunch that these pious bastards will hammer the FOR Euthanasia lever in a matter of minutes. Perhaps then they will realize what patients with constant, unending pain really feel.
It's easy to be against Euthanasia when you are an unfeeling, insensitive, unimaginative oaf who because of his beliefs wants to prevent other people from dying with dignity. If you want to live with unbearable pain until you die of old age, then that's your right. But please don't interfere in my life. If I meet a person who opposes Euthanasia I like to step on their foot forcefully and then tell them not to worry - it's not as if the pain will last forever. Pompous assholes.
Meanwhile Texas Fred's tells us that Washington State is looking to pass a law allowing terminally ill patients to get lethal meds (1).
Yogi Berra never weighed in on the issue but if he had he might have said, "Always follow your relative's wishes regarding "Do Not Resuscitate" Orders, otherwise he won't follow yours."
Nancy, a real Washington voter, shows pictures of her husband before and after he reached end-stage brain cancer, and reminds us that her husband wanted the option of a death with dignity. [Click here if following video doesn't show.]
Many of the opponents of Euthanasia point out that the people of Washington can already choose to refuse any medical treatment they don't want. But that's silly, suppose refusing treatment only causes you more pain and no peaceful end to your life? How does refusing treatment make the pain more bearable?
Opponents argue that terminally ill patients can already choose to receive good end-of-life and hospice care, excellent pain control, and the relief of discomfort.
That's an interesting phrase, "relief of discomfort" as if thousands are asking to end their lives because they are uncomfortable! What morons, what imbeciles! People in unimaginable agony are not uncomfortable. How clueless are these people?
Like I said, let these idiots vote the way I prescribed.
Just an observation, these are the same people who watched Mel Gibson's "The Passion" and were revolted at the suffering of Jesus Christ and who, if given the chance, would have pulled the lever to stop the torture and the whipping. But a fellow human being? Let him bear the suffering.
Here's a full text of the Washington initiative PDF.
After a few minutes reading you will readily see there are more than enough safeguards to keep people who are merely uncomfortable from ending their lives.
We allow people to end the lives of dogs because we are considerate, compassionate and humane. But when it comes to human life we are vicious animals. Strange that.
ENDNOTES
(1):
The TexasFred Blog, Washington weighs lethal meds for terminally ill
Have you ever watched as a loved one died a horrific, painful and slow death? My wife’s mother died from breast cancer, my father died from lung cancer. It seemed like they went fairly fast, less than 6 months from diagnosis to death in my Dad’s case. My wife’s Mom was diagnosed with cancer and lived another year and a half, the last 6 months were really bad for her.
It’s called euthanasia! And it scares the hell out of many religious people. Maybe it’s the reason that I can’t affiliate with an organized religion. I am a strong believer in euthanasia. I personally believe that the practice of euthanasia is NOT murder, I believe it is the most merciful act that one human being can provide for a loved one.
