[openeyes]

I too hope the discussion on this thread will be able to remain civil and informative.

My family has had fairly close contact with the idea of euthanasia over the past few months. In March my dad had a major stroke that initially left him unable to move his right side: not his right leg, right arm/hand, nor the right side of his mouth. Mentally he’s still very much present, but physically for the first time since infancy he’s dependent on others. His initial feeling was that if he couldn't recover enough to be able to care for himself, he would prefer (and seek out) death. My brother and I both told him we understand, and we won’t blame him for whatever he decides to do.

I feel that once someone is beyond the point at which they can lead a life they can be satisfied with, whether because of serious physical or mental illness, it’s fine for them to choose to move on. It’s nice to have a chance to say goodbye, but no one should be forced to live longer than they wish, if there is little hope for improvement. As my dad says, he has lived a very full life, and the current way he is living is unacceptable long-term. Still, there’s a lot one can adapt to over time. How much may vary, and I try to respect each person’s choices.

No one should be cooped up in a hospital/nursing home for years on end (unless they personally want to be) surrounded by people they don’t know, people who are too busy and overworked to bring much light to them. I’m not sure what I would do in my dad’s situation. Maybe meet with everyone, say my goodbyes, and then stop eating/drinking. Within two weeks I would have peacefully passed on, taking long enough to not be making a rash decision. It may be necessary to get out of the hospital or have a living will that could prevent intravenous injections after becoming unconscious.

On the other end, I would hope that healthy infants could be given a home rather than aborted, but I try to understand each person’s situation and difficulties. I wish that people had universal access to safe birth control until they felt ready to have children. Few methods are without side effects.