Do the Terminally Ill Have a Right to Die?

[Katrina]

With names like Dr. Jack Kevorkian and Terri Schiavo making international headlines during the past few years, the complicated subject of euthanasia remains on everyone's mind. But when considering the plight of the terminally ill and their potential suffering, is "pulling the plug" a matter of dying with dignity or tragically playing God?

[Perseus]

I feel as though that they do. They shouldn't be left there to slowly die if they don't want to.

[karl]

A woman found guilty of murder after giving her brain-damaged son, 22, a lethal heroin injection to end his 'living hell' lost an appeal against conviction today.
Frances Inglis, 58, of Dagenham, east London, was jailed for life with a minimum term of nine years at the Old Bailey in January.
Three judges at the Court of Appeal in London today rejected her conviction challenge, but reduced the minimum period she must serve before becoming eligible to apply for parole to five years.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1329027/Frances-Inglis-gave-son-lethal-heroin-injection-jail-term-slashed.html#ixzz154yqJZOy

[Death]

Of course they should have a right to die. It would be cruel to just let them suffer. However, they should always give concent beforehand and really must be dying; I wouldn't want to think that people were abusing that right (as in doctors killing patients who didn't want to die).

[Fact]

Of course they should have a right to die. It would be cruel to just let them suffer. However, they should always give concent beforehand and really must be dying; I wouldn't want to think that people were abusing that right (as in doctors killing patients who didn't want to die).

I agree with Death.
If a person is suffering and they're only going to get worse, not better, why prolong that pain?
The only issue I have here, is if the person who is suffering is unable to give consent. I think then, it should maybe be passed on to close family members to decide?

[steve1234]

They definatly have a right to die.

The problem with the UK (and USA I think as well?), is that its still against the law to help someone die, unless you travel to Switzerland.

I should be made legal to help someone terminally ill die, BUT only with strict rules, so that people have to inform the government, and it has to be done in a clinic of some sort.

[Korashk]

Everyone, terminally ill or not, should have the right to end their life in any non-aggressive manner they choose. For the most part they do.

[Fact]

Everyone, terminally ill or not, should have the right to end their life in any non-aggressive manner they choose. For the most part they do.

People who commit suicide, in the UK at least (as far as I'm aware) end up having different rights than people who die of natural causes.
I think that their life insurance doesn't pay out, amongst other things. Therefore, their rights are restricted.

[Fiction]

Everyone should have the right to die, especially if they are terminally ill.

[Korashk]

People who commit suicide, in the UK at least (as far as I'm aware) end up having different rights than people who die of natural causes.
I think that their life insurance doesn't pay out, amongst other things. Therefore, their rights are restricted.
I'm pretty sure they don't care. They're kind of dead. Dead people don't [shouldn't] have rights.

[Amnesiac]

It should be legal. If someone is in so much pain that they want to end their own misery, by all means let them.

[Kohta]

Anybody should be allowed to take their own life no matter what, this should not be a choice for somebody else to decide unless a person cannot make the choice on their own.

[Laurenzo]

If they're in great suffering and they're going to suffer a long, painful death anyway, I'd say yeah, they have the right to a quick, painless, dignfied death.