It's time again for some seriuous debate.

BBC News

Eluana Englaro has been in permanent vegetative state since a car accident 17 years ago.
Her father battled for 10 years with the system to allow Eluana to die.
Finally 1 month ago the High Court decided that it was legal to allow the doctors to stop any medication but most importantly they allowed the medical staff to stop feeding her.
In Italy Euthanasia is illegal, it is not illegal though for patients to refuse treatment.

The main issues of controversy in this case are 2:
-Many believe that she shouldn't have died because she didn't actively refused treatment, in fact her father decided for her by saying that her daughter told him so before the accident.
-Many believe that food and water should not be considered as part of a treatment, therefore medics should't be allowed to stop feeding her.

This issue has been splitting Italy for the last month, the government even tried to pass a uncostitutional decree in order to save Eluana, but the President didn't rectified it causing a constitutional conflict, apparently the first one in 60 years of Italian constitution.
I have to say though that considering Italy is widely a christian country, many Italians (if not the majority) supported her father decision to allow Eluana to die, even going against the church will, which pushed the government to intervene swiftly.

So Euthanasia is one of the most controversial issues ever, even within religious community it cause great divides.
Therefore my question is, providing the person in question has a terminal and painful disease or in the case of Eluana where the person is in a permant vegetative state, are you in favour of protracting life at any cost, or are you in favour of allowing people to decide for a dignified death istead?

I think it's a really grey area there. Personally if I were to be in such a state I have it in my will that I wish a dignified death, because really in such a state the people that love and care for the incapacitated person die a bit every day seeing their loved one suffering knowing they can't do anything about it.

On the other hand though I wouldn't want euthanasia to become something that should be taken lightly or easily chosen. Coming from a family that has mainly doctors, euthanasia should be the absolute last venue to look for, many times patients in such states have recovered but also we don;t want to fall into a slippery slope.

 No.  I think thats just awful.  

No one should be starved to death.  Well, perhaps some people.  In this situation, no.  Shes a vegatable, take her home and take care of her if you want her alive.. If she wants to die, give her the lethal injection..

I dont know if vegatables can feel hunger? But if you think about it, its kind of tourture? Just take that needle filled with some good death cocktail and pump it into the persons veins.  This ways, you wouldn't have to wait a week and watch you spawn shrivle up and die...

Its easy as 1, 2, 3.. 

Living wills for the win.   if I ever get that way...I wish to be euthanised.   Don't try to keep my body alive if the brain is not capable of working as it should and I am pretty much a veggie.  Just let me go.

These people in vegitative states..

I don't know if this means simply their boddies, but if so.  Of course freaking not don't let them die.

If I was able to think..my god I would not at all mind having all the time in the world to think, never acting.  That's like a dream come true almost.

Seeking enlightenment in myself through realization..that is the best thing I can do.  That is what I am not able to do, as when I stop to think someone else is always there to prod me along.  All they have to do is put some plants in the gals room and she is still a benifit to the rest of mankind.  If they consider 6 foot of space to be a burden to share then bring the girl home if she wasn't. 

All in all I think the father is selfish, extremely selfish.  "Oh I didn't have a daughter with the life I wanted her <ME> to have i'm now sad, and there's not really anything left.."  Very twisted sorrow he has their.  It's like he thinks his childs purpose in life was to please him.  I know some parents do feel this way and it is horrible for the children as in some aspects the parents feel ownership over a human soul, which is nothing less than slavery. 

No matter what you say he flat out killed her.  She never said "Daddy, I don't want to keep living if I can't have a life" or anything so it's just murder.  I don't want to beat him over the head and make him feel guilty for the rest of his life about killing her, but he needs to be able to acknowledge it and move on.   At least she was in a vegitative state when he did it.

I know if I was her I would damn hell not want to die.

it would be pure horror knowing tomorrow that my parents would kill me in any amount of time after I had a coma or something which was tohappen the next day. 

Originally posted by kengiczar

If I was able to think..my god I would not at all mind having all the time in the world to think, never acting.  That's like a dream come true almost.

Seeking enlightenment in myself through realization..that is the best thing I can do.  That is what I am not able to do, as when I stop to think someone else is always there to prod me along.  All they have to do is put some plants in the gals room and she is still a benifit to the rest of mankind.

 

If you really do mean this.. That is the most righteous thing I have ever heard anyone say.  I give you respect for actually meaning that.  I do love to think, and its something I cannot completly do, like you said. Unless I'm in the shower, and I just sit there.. I guess meditate? I find doing that for about 45min is really peacfull to me. 

But I think if I were ever in the situation I would have to see. Of course I've never been in the situation, but I cannot judge how I would feel right now about dying or not in that situation. The only thing that would possibly get me would be the change.  From 21 years of my life of me being able to 'act' to completely nothing, might have some shock on my mind set.

I like the idea of plants added to the room.  You're absolutely right.

Originally posted by kengiczar

These people in vegitative states..

I don't know if this means simply their boddies, but if so.  Of course freaking not don't let them die.

Ahemmm...............actually it is the opposite.
The brain is not working, while the body theoretically works fine.

We are not talking about someone like Stephen Hawkins, where the body doesn't work but the brain works very well.

We are talking about a braindead person basically, hence the definiton of vegetative state, like plants they live but they don't have any complex brain functions, like thinking, feeling pain, express emotions and so on.

Also it might help to know the difference between Coma and Vegetative State, to avoid future misanderstanding.
From Coma you can wake up, but if that happens usually is within 6 months, although there are some cases of people waking up after 1 year.
Of course it should always be illegal to authorise an Euthanasia to people in a Coma.
Medically though, after 2 years of Coma, the definiton changes to vegetative state, which means that the person have no chance (or very little) to wake up.

If you're in a vegetative state, all higher brain functions are gone. You're not really even conscious. You might be able to respond to external stimulus like a needle or a poke, if you're lucky, but you won't do it actively.

You are no longer human. You're just a human-shaped machine. You take in food and put out waste.

You also suck up all the money of the friends and family who loved you in life, for nobody's gain.

If I was ever in a state like that, I would hope that I would be taken off life support swiftly. I don't want to put my family and friends into debt for nothing when there's no hope of recovery and I'm not really alive.

If someone is conscious and decides they want to die after serious consideration, that is their right in my opinion. 

If they are in a vegetative state and don't have a living will stating what should be done, I'm not sure what to do.  I'm all for people controlling their own lives, but when you physically can't, it's a tough call.