Tracy,

>I don't see how murder by agreement is better than murder for murder? I can see the morality argument against the death penalty, but that same argument holds true about euthanasia. It is still killing. (this coming from someone who does agree with euthanasia in some cases). Here euthanasia in humans is illegal (suicide is illegal), but it's not illegal to dope them up so much that they don't feel pain during the final days.

So what happens in practise ?? I've seen cases (yes in my personal life) where they just gave a just large enough dose of dope that the patient would die. In anyway you put it. It already is happening, even in the US. You can fight it, but you cannot win. It is better to regulate rather than sticking your head in the sand.

BTW, Euthnesia <> Murder.

http://www.euthanasia.cc/dutch.html



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>>>>Grady,
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>>>>>I heard that lethal injections for old people are available in the Netherlands. Is that true?
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>>>>It does not have anything to do with 'old'. Lethal injections are avialable under the practise of euthnesia. It essentially means that if a person is suffering beyond what is reasonable and there is no hope for recovery a person can request 'Euthnesia'. Before that request is forfilled, at least two independed physicians must be consulted and the person in question must be able acknowledging the request.
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>>>>Though this is practised on a lot of people with cancer, it also has been applied to someone who was mentally suffering (don't ask me about the details). The rules are very strict. So no you cannot take your mother in law to practise euthnesia... NO, NO, you can't
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>>>And so Walter, with the permission of the 'life owner' and three doctors, murder of a human being is approved by your country.
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>>No, certain stricts rules have to apply as well (e.g. endless suffering without a forecast of improvement).
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>>Do you own a pet? Well I do. My cat is terminally ill (12 years old). She is doing quite fine now, but when she cannot eat, walk and clean herself, I'll have to release her of her suffering. Are humans that different from animals ? Why do humans have to suffer more than animals to die ?