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"Euthanasia"

A.K.A. mercy killing.

I had to do an essay on the arguments for and against the legalisation of euthanasia in the UK today. After 1 week's research, 90 minutes of typing and 6 sides of A4 I have to say I'm thoroughly convinced that, with proper safeguards, euthanasia is the way to go rather than palliative care.

Surprising fact turned up by me during the research: Suicide was legalised (or should we say decriminalised) in 1961. There ya go, I never knew that.

I think I'm against euthanasia for the simple reason that I wouldn't like to ask someone to kill me. That's a burden no one should have to face. Doctors [or whoever would administer the fatal drugs] should not be put in that position. If it was made legal, a doctor could end his career knowing that he'd "put down" hundreds of people - that doesn't sit right with me somehow.

Bloddy hell. Next it will be "baby chutes" and the government will slap a tax on it.

oh yeah - this was america also in case you needed me to tell you.

yeah, well get this - I saw an article in a newspaper about a year or two ago. There was a 'pet bank' at a highway service station, where you took your dog or cat. You pushed it through a little door, it slid down a chute into a small room, where they were collected daily by the local animal pounds where they would be destroyed. You had different chutes for different types and breeds of animals. They said the rooms were about the size of a garden shed, and the temperatures rose to those akin to a sauna.

Can't remember which newspaper, but it wasn't a tabloid.

Unbelievable.

*topic degenerates into Yank bashing*

It's probably why the word 'American' doesn't appear under the word 'tactful' in the dictionary :)

now that is sick, like some twisted science fiction film or something.

In Oregon, where euthanasia is legal, they used to have Farewell Cards with messages like "I hear you'll be leaving us shortly". Not sure if you can still buy them though.

Yeah, seemed a little silly to me, I remember a joke on a post card :

"Man denies committing suicide"

Made me laugh, although I chuckle mindlessly at anything.

ßora† SagdiyeV wrote:
> I was under the mistaken impression that suicide was illegal.

Legal, I'm 100% sure of it. The reason it was legalised was to prevent suicides. It was bad enough prosecuting attempted suicides, I'd have thought they were miserable enough without having to face a court case as well.