Thread: ITALY: President Sparks Euthanasia Debate

Rome: President Giorgio Napolitano has sparked a debate in predominantly Roman Catholic Italy over whether the country should consider legalising euthanasia.
Napolitano, in a letter to a paralysed, terminally ill man whose case has moved the country, called for "unhurried reflection" on his request to be able to die with dignity.
Piergiorgio Welby, who suffers from advanced muscular dystrophy, has been appearing on news programmes confined to a bed, attached to tubes and speaking via a computer that interprets his eye movements.
Napolitano, a former communist who was elected last May, sent a letter to Welby at the weekend saying he was "moved as a person and as a president".
"I accept your message of tragic suffering with sincere understanding and solidarity," Napolitano wrote, saying it should lead to "sensible and thorough debate".
"The only unjustifiable position would be silence," the president wrote.
Euthanasia is illegal in Italy and doctors who perform it can face prison terms of up to 15 years.
The Roman Catholic Church forbids euthanasia, teaching that life begins at the moment of conception and ends at the moment of natural death.
Supporters of euthanasia hailed Napolitano.
"I think denying euthanasia to a person who is asking for it and is completely lucid is pure and simple torture," Umberto Veronesi, a doctor and former health minister, told the newspaper La Repubblica.




What are your thoughts about euthanasia?

What are your thoughts about euthanasia?

If it is done with the express permission of those who clearly have no will to live then I dont see a problem

Provided however that it does not become a state function.

Euthanasia for humans is extremely debatable. Yes, living as a prisoner in your own body and unable to enjoy even the simplest things in life without no chance of recovery is a terrible tradgety.

Without bringing religion into it, the standards conflict with themselves on what is doign the right thing and what is wrong. Killing anybody, legal or not, is a huge choice to remove someone from the planet... and removing whatever little fraction of hope there was.

Did I mention hope? Sure did. This is the delima. Say we legalize this and specialists help euthenize thousands of people who are paralyzed from the neck down and will never be able to function again and wish to die with what dignity they have left.

10 years later, stem cell research clears major hurdles and they actually cure the problem. People who are parapalegic can now walk with the proper therapy and resume a life. What of the thousands who died needlessly?

Hypothetical, yes. But it's a real possibility of happening. Ultimately, I would have to ask myself... if I was in that situation, would I want to be put out of my misery? I would answer myself no, because it's too similar to suicide, which is contrary to my religion as acceptable. If I qualify for Heaven, I would like to qualify without my own blood on my hands. But... that is me.

Hehe, yes, the debate can be very thick over this. If anything, the individual should be able to decide his own fate. And if this was true for everyone everywhere, there would be no more jobs available for suicide prevention hotlines.

Originally Posted by Orthodox Marxist

If it is done with the express permission of those who clearly have no will to live then I dont see a problem

Provided however that it does not become a state function.

Do you mean that Doctors shouldn't be the ones to help somebody die?

Originally Posted by Oberdan

Euthanasia for humans is extremely debatable. Yes, living as a prisoner in your own body and unable to enjoy even the simplest things in life without no chance of recovery is a terrible tradgety.

Without bringing religion into it, the standards conflict with themselves on what is doign the right thing and what is wrong. Killing anybody, legal or not, is a huge choice to remove someone from the planet... and removing whatever little fraction of hope there was.

Did I mention hope? Sure did. This is the delima. Say we legalize this and specialists help euthenize thousands of people who are paralyzed from the neck down and will never be able to function again and wish to die with what dignity they have left.

10 years later, stem cell research clears major hurdles and they actually cure the problem. People who are parapalegic can now walk with the proper therapy and resume a life. What of the thousands who died needlessly?

Hypothetical, yes. But it's a real possibility of happening. Ultimately, I would have to ask myself... if I was in that situation, would I want to be put out of my misery? I would answer myself no, because it's too similar to suicide, which is contrary to my religion as acceptable. If I qualify for Heaven, I would like to qualify without my own blood on my hands. But... that is me.

Hehe, yes, the debate can be very thick over this. If anything, the individual should be able to decide his own fate. And if this was true for everyone everywhere, there would be no more jobs available for suicide prevention hotlines.

I agree. I don't see myself wanting to die, but of course I am not in the situation this man is in, and I can't imagine how I would feel.
How ever, I believe it should be legal. People should have the right to decide.
I also think the "service" should be provided by the hospitals, of course leting the doctors refuse to do it in case it doesn't fit with their values.

My mother signed a DNR three days before her death as she did not want to "live" on machines once her major organs failed. My brother and I were called in to talk with the doctor and sign the papers. We did it willingly because my mother was adamant about living that way. I'm thankful that we didn't have to make that decision for her, but if we had to, we would have chosen to take her off the machines. She knew that it would have been hard on us to decide that for her.

If you're being tortured by your own body, I feel you have the right to decide how to end your own life.

If it is done with the express permission of those who clearly have no will to live then I dont see a problem

Provided however that it does not become a state function.

Do you mean that Doctors shouldn't be the ones to help somebody die?

No I was referring to the historic abuses of such a system (Nazi Germany) and the role of the government in such a process.

I see what you mean now Marxist. We have a different name for that in Spanish.
needless to say I don't agree with anything that takes aways individual liberties.

To make the topic a little more controversial, I will ask you some questions:
do you think it makes a difference if the person is suffering a lot of physical pain, or it's just unable to move (except from the face muscles)?
This is different than unplugging a machine

To make the topic a little more controversial, I will ask you some questions:
do you think it makes a difference if the person is suffering a lot of physical pain, or it's just unable to move (except from the face muscles)?
This is different than unplugging a machine

If the person in question wishes to end his/her own life the choice should be left up to them.