Voluntary Euthanasia

Nurses Activism

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I think one of the cruelest things we do is let patients lay in nursing home beds without the legal ability to terminate their own lives. I'd be interest in what other nurses think of this.

If you ask active people who are in their 40s and alert and you say to them "when you get older and you lose the capacity to know your surroundings and you no longer recognize your family members, and if you reach a point where someone has to change your brief in a bed or feed you your meals, would you prefer to live your life like that or would you prefer someone terminate your life painlessly and peacefully?"

What do you think most people's response would be???

Mine would be termination of my life! But guess what that is against the law in most states.

I'd be interested in knowing what other nurses think about this. We get trained over and over again about abuse. Well to me, the biggest abuse we commit is we do not allow Voluntary Euthanasia over laying in a soiled brief in a nursing home bed where we can't even feed ourselves anymore. Voluntary Euthanasia is illegal in all states and PAD is allowed only in Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Vermont.

Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
No, it was a proposition to define marriage as between one woman and one man. It passed, resoundingly, but the court struck it down.

Resoundingly??? It was 52/47, by no means a landslide. Thank God it was overturned.

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Specializes in hospice.
How in the world does my marriage effect you?? And voting against prop 8 was a vote FOR gay marriage. Yes, your morality should have nothing to do with legislation. If you don't believe in gay marriage, abortion or euthanasia then don't get it. But don't stop me from getting something based on your morals.

Okay, so then only those who hold traditional moral views shouldn't be allowed to influence legislation?

Because voting against Prop 8 was just as much a statement of a moral position as was voting for it.

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Specializes in Emergency Room, Trauma ICU.
Okay, so then only those who hold traditional moral views shouldn't be allowed to influence legislation?

Because voting against Prop 8 was just as much a statement of a moral position as was voting for it.

But what makes your morals right? What makes your opinion better than mine? Nothing. Except for the fact that the people voting against prop 8 weren't trying to take away the rights of their fellow people based solely on sexual orientation.

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Specializes in Emergency.
Okay, so then only those who hold traditional moral views shouldn't be allowed to influence legislation?

Because voting against Prop 8 was just as much a statement of a moral position as was voting for it.

What scares me the most whenever the word "traditional" is thrown around in these conversations is that it is inevitably connected to "bible" Utter terror! These conversations always end up this way...of course people in the USA do not have the right to choose their own death/marry who they want/do what they want with their own bodies...it goes against "tradition"-Don't you know that? Yes I am harsh in regards to this...I no longer have the time nor life energy to argue that which can be dismissed w/o evidence...as it was asserted w/o evidence!

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Specializes in hospice.

You're advocating viewpoint discrimination. You think that people with certain views shouldn't be allowed to exercise their inborn rights as citizens of this country and their state. The problem with that is that once it becomes accepted, it invariably turns back around on those who advocate it. It won't only apply to viewpoints you don't like.

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So you would say the same to people who voted against Prop 8 in California then, right? Their moral views should not impact legislation.

I didn't exactly say that moral views should not impact legislation.

By my post, I meant that a person's view of what is right and wrong can, and probably should, be different that what they feel should be legal and illegal. Those who voted for Prop 8 voted in a way that inhibited others from marrying someone they love, thereby forcing their own morals on a group of people who do not share the same viewpoint. I know if I was not allowed to marry my husband based on some arbitrary fact about him I would be very upset.

Those who voted against Prop 8 did not necessarily have to be pro gay marriage. Only that thinking it's wrong isn't a good enough reason to make it illegal.

You might think that voluntary euthanasia is wrong, and that's fine. But what makes you think that you should be able to make that decision for another person? What is it that makes someone think that they are so right about something that is so personal, that their personal views should outweigh a dying person's final wishes? Really. What is it?

There are lots of things I think are wrong, but if in some odd universe I was able to vote on them, I wouldn't try and make them illegal. I think cheating on your spouse is wrong. I think using speakerphone in public is wrong. I think having a big dog in a tiny apartment with no yard is wrong. I think it's wrong to eat fast food every day after Medicaid just paid for you to have a CABG. But I don't think it's up to me to decide how other people live their lives, and I therefor wouldn't vote for legislation that would make them illegal.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
Okay, so then only those who hold traditional moral views shouldn't be allowed to influence legislation?

Because voting against Prop 8 was just as much a statement of a moral position as was voting for it.

Here is the way it breaks down-

Is the law FORCING you to DO something against your beliefs?

Is the law ALLOWING you to FORCE your beliefs on others?

I don't believe anyone should be able to force their RELIGIOUS (and that is what it boils down to) on others. Period.

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Specializes in hospice.

You might think that voluntary euthanasia is wrong, and that's fine. But what makes you think that you should be able to make that decision for another person? What is it that makes someone think that they are so right about something that is so personal, that their personal views should outweigh a dying person's final wishes? Really. What is it?

The belief in objective right and wrong. There are things that are always wrong regardless of prevailing opinion. There are things that are always right, regardless of personal opinions. When you hold a belief in objective right and wrong, you act accordingly. It's not that in voting I feel like imposing my own personal view on anyone. It's not MY view. I'm being obedient to the One whose view it is.

No one has to agree with me or join my Church. But I have the right to use whatever guidance I find appropriate in determining my votes and how I live my life. Just like anyone else does. Advocating that I should not be allowed a voice due strictly to the fact that you do not like my viewpoint is bigotry.

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Specializes in hospice.
I didn't exactly say that moral views should not impact legislation.

No, you just said it's immoral for people to use their moral viewpoints in voting.

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Specializes in School Nursing.
The belief in objective right and wrong. There are things that are always wrong regardless of prevailing opinion. There are things that are always right, regardless of personal opinions. When you hold a belief in objective right and wrong, you act accordingly. It's not that on voting I feel like imposing my own personal view on anyone. It's not MY view. I'm being obedient to the One whose view it is.

No one has to agree with me or join my Church. But I have the right to use whatever guidance I find appropriate in determining my votes and how I live my life. Just like anyone else does. Advocating that I should not be allowed a voice due strictly to the fact that you do not like my viewpoint is bigotry.

Doesn't the One also give us free will? Aren't you going against that God given, inalienable right, when you cast those votes? How many laws are put forth that are asking you to live your life in any way other than that of which you have chosen? Shouldn't EVERYONE have the right to live life in the way they choose for themselves?

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Specializes in hospice.

Yes, He does give us free will. But we are supposed to exercise it in accordance with His law. Listening to one's conscience is only valid when that conscience is well-formed. I'm paraphrasing, but Dietrich Bonhoeffer was very wise when he said that if it seems God always agrees with you, you're not listening to God, but your own ego.

I'm not advocating that my religion be encoded in this country's laws, any more than I would advocate Sharia. But in using my God given free will, I choose to vote my conscience.

Everyone should have that right. My opponents use their moral codes as guides for their choices, behavior, and votes. And I have all the same rights they do.

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Specializes in hospice.
Here is the way it breaks down-

Is the law FORCING you to DO something against your beliefs?

Is the law ALLOWING you to FORCE your beliefs on others?

I don't believe anyone should be able to force their RELIGIOUS (and that is what it boils down to) on others. Period.

There are many people who don't support gay marriage and are not religious. There are even gay people who don't support legalized gay marriage. Why do you insist on seeing your opponents monolithically when they are not? Why do you force characteristics onto them that they do not possess?

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