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From: Nadine.Thomas@p1.f7.n300.z1.fidonet.org (Nadine Thomas)
Newsgroups: misc.handicap
Subject: Re: Euthanasia
Message-ID: <15789@handicap.news>
Date: 23 May 91 20:18:03 GMT
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Hi!

I read your post to Joe and I wanted to bring this back to the point that I
think is being missed.
Euthanasia is something to be decided by THE PERSON WHO HAS THE TERMINAL ILLNESS
or whatever - not the people outside to decide for that person.

If *I* have a living will I EXPECT it to be carried out because it is *MY* wish
- no one else is deciding yes or no because I have already made the decision
when I signed the living will.

Now, if I did not make a verbal and/or written statement then my fate is in
the hands of others.  I would find it very difficult, at best, to make a decision
like that for someone else.

I do not believe anyone here is saying "fry everyone who even looks ill".

When I see outsiders trying to stop a family from `pulling the plug' on a family
member who EXPRESSLY REQUESTED to NOT live on life support I get angry.  Those
OUTSIDERS have NO right to interfere with a VERY PERSONAL decision that was
made when the person was of sound mind and body.

The elderly man who was on trial for helping his wife kill herself because she
was terminally ill and wanted it this way - I think it is a disgrace to put
that man through what they did - he suffered enough without the circus that
was created.

Dignity!  Where is dignity allowed?  Why can't a person decide they want to
die with dignity instead of rotting away and having all those UNdignified things
done to them?

Having to have a home health aide come in to help me shower twice a week has
really allowed me to appreciate the elderly and their terrible embarassment
when their `dignity' has been taken from them - I have to block out all thoughts
in my mind while the aide is here.  When the worker initially came out to do
an intake she asked if I would mind a male aide and I thought I was going to
die just thinking about that!  Heck NO!  NO male aide!

Thanks for listening.

Nadine

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