Terminal

Terminal

Discussion topic 2

Most people, young as old, find it very difficult to talk about death. What is even worse is the discussion about cheating, conquering and controlling death. Our views on these things differ very much in general public. Even experts find it hard to decide what is ethical correct and wrong.

Modern science and technology has brought many good things to our world. For somebody it means greater life quality, and for others less. Nowadays we are able to cure serious diseases, which in former times where terminal. Doctors are also able to delay deadly diseases, and push death forward through medical help. Likewise doc-tors are capable of precipitating death.

The ill woman in Ð''Terminal' is very ashamed of the contraption attached to her body. She is "carrying around her dirt, as even the cat buries it". Her illness has had a great influence on her daily life. The colostomy bag that is now a part of her, as she formerly laughed at, is now controlling her daily life. She cannot work anymore. Actually she can, but she is definitely incapable of showing this contraption to any-one. Not even her husband. The doctors keep telling her untruthful fairy stories, which she does not believe in at all. By now she has lost all hope for a forthcoming joyful life. At this point she is ready to pass away and leave all her sorrow.

When human beings are feeling this way, should we not help them? Should we not put an end to their misery? The big questions here are; if we allow euthanasia, how do we decide what fits this category. Is it a matter of age, gender or intelligence? Should miserable teenagers be allowed a deathly injection, because of an unhappy love affair? Do mental patients know when it is time? What about the surviving rela-tives? Do they have anything to say? Do you have to be in a special state of illness before euthanasia is allowed?

At my point of view, you would have to be fatal ill, or in some other way have lost your life quality and your dignity, to be allowed euthanasia. For instance that could be paralysation. Then again you could ask, when has a person lost all his life quality and dignity? Is it enough, if you lost your one and only love, or do you have to be ill?

Besides we know that not everybody is ready to face death. We can assure that. So at some point there is need of an age limit, for euthanasia to work. However some people might state, that a terminal ill child, is self-confident enough, to make such a decision.

Another very important aspect to the discussion is the family and the relatives'