Physician Assisted Suicide

Use this forum to discuss the October Book of the Month "McDowell" by William H. Coles.
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Bavithra M
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Re: Physician Assisted Suicide

Post by Bavithra M »

According to me whether it is Physician Assisted Suicide or Actual Suicide both are wrong. Any kind of suicide is a crime.Whatever may be the problem or suffering everything has a solution. One should always look for solution. Suicide is never a solution for any suffering or problem as anything and everything is possible in this world. Trust and faith in God can bring unexpected miracles in one's life.
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Kibet Hillary
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Post by Kibet Hillary »

No one definitely has the right to take away the life of another person. I still believe that even those who are their worst state of health still have a chance to live. Hiram appears to be so heartless at some point in the book hence I tend to think that this is what sometimes informed his decisions.
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Post by Samisah »

This is a topic that has divided opinions for a long time. And it is no different here either. For those of us that believe it mercy killing should never be allowed, please try to put yourself in the shoes of the patient, who is undergoing immense pain and sorrow. If you were the one and you wanted it to just end, but somebody tells you, you couldn't, how would you feel? Ponder on it
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Post by ShareTheGift »

I think a couple of things make this decision an option for some. Either they see the death of their spouse as so overwhelming or the see their own fight for life with a serious illness as devastating to their family either emotionally or financially.

Cancer or other serious illness can wipe out the finances of someone who has insurance. Either with items their insurance will not cover or loss of insurance if they are no longer employed.

When I was a teenager a dear friend of mine lost her 85 year old grandmother and then a day later her grandfather left a note saying he could no longer endure life without his wife and then he shot himself so the could have their funerals together.
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Post by jwalker73 »

I think that the right to die should be the ultimate decision of the person dying. I do not feel that McDowell had the right to make that decision himself. If a person wants their life to end by euthanasia, I think the decision to do this lies with the dying person themselves and, therefore, must have the person's informed consent to proceed. I do not think it is a decision that can be made by others who think they may have a person's best interests at heart. Since McDowell's grandson was a minor, it makes the situation even more difficult, however, if such a decision was to be made it should have occurred with consultation with both his parents, not by some other relative, regardless of whether they have a medical background or not.
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Post by Lil Reads »

Whenever I think about assisted suicide, I always wonder about the relationship between that and Do Not Resusitate (DNR) orders. The idea of both is the same: prevent undue suffering for someone whose quality of life would compromised if life continued. Is one preferable to the other?
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Mich 234
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Post by Mich 234 »

The subject of euthanasia is a very controversial one, with diverse views, and there can be no right or wrong answers, as I believe each situation should be assessed on its own merit . In most countries and religions, murder of any kind is wrong legally and morally, but I believe circumstances surrounding the issue must be critically examined.
Referencing the book McDowell, no one is 100 percent sure Jeremy will not commit mass murder again, had he survived. So from his future victims' point of view, he is better off dead now, but if he repents and turns a new leaf, he should be given another opportunity at life. Who makes the judgment call? I don't think that is the job of the physician. The courts should decide.
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Post by jesdav16 »

I am totally against suicide in any form. I strongly believe that once there is still life, there is hope.
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Philip Chepsingil
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Post by Philip Chepsingil »

Euthanasia, in my opinion, depends on the situation. Sometimes the individual under life support machines has little chance of recovery. Doctors are able to tell that. In that case, would be in this state for long. In some hospitals especially in developing countries, these machines are few. What if there is another patient who needs the same machine and has a high probability of recovery? In such a situation, if the family would decide on euthanasia, I think it can be done.
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Post by jgraney8 »

William Coles gives us an extreme case for assisted suicide or euthanasia. It reminds me of the Terry Shiavo case in Florida a few years ago. I see no easy answer to the question. I did not think Hiram had the right to cause the death because he acted totally on his own. Had the whole family participated in the decision, it might have made it easier to accept. Hiram basically played God to rid himself of an inconvenience. If the author wanted to explore the issue, he should have included more discussion or debate.
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Post by Colletteblythe »

To be honest I don't think assisted killing is moral. It is not right to me for a doctor to assist you in killing yourself. I think it's murder which is punishable by law and also think it's suicide punishable by God.
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Post by Jsovermyer »

CommMayo wrote: 02 Oct 2018, 09:17
Sahani Nimandra wrote: 02 Oct 2018, 00:17 Life wasn't something that was given freely and we aren't eligible to take it away as well. Committing euthanasia is a crime worth punishing with death. No matter what his intentions were taking away a person's life is unacceptable.
Am I the only person who sees the complete irony in this statement?
If euthanasia is wrong, then the death penality should also be wrong. They are both the same thing.
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Post by aufsteigen »

Speaking from my perspective as a student studying medicine for a good three years now, it's still a thorny subject. Our occupation is one where we are inevitably surrounded by death, no matter how hard we work, some cases are beyond our hands. As a matter of fact, medicine still has much room for growth and development. And since we become surrounded by death and illness, Life becomes much more brilliantly precious for us. But things like this are a complete gray zone.
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Post by serendipity 27 »

I understand the reasoning behind why Hiram did it since his grandson had very poor quality of life. However, I still do not agree with the concept itself.
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Post by Connie Otwani »

Indeed this was thought-provoking. I could see where McDowell was coming from. However, his signature arrogance came into play again. If he really felt so strongly for Jeremy, why didn't he share his opinion with his family, before taking action? I think it is wrong for someone to be judge and jury of whether another lives or dies.
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