Euthanasia

Euthanasia (from Greek: εὐθανασία; "good death": εὖ, eu; "well" or "good" – θάνατος, thanatos; "death") refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.

Taking the Wikipedia definition it's hard to tell who is responsible for ending the life. Would suicide count as euthanasia?

The way I understand it, euthanasia only applies when a person's life is ended by a third party, because the third party considers that the person in question is in too much pain or suffering too much to want to continue living.

This is why I was surprised reading one of El País' "Cartas al Director" ("Letters to the Editor") today. It was talking about sick people's right to die, and it says that "people who are against euthanasia claim that it's not within the list of human rights". Indeed, this is true. But of course it's not. Because the problem isn't whether someone has a right to commit suicide (in fact, in many countries one doesn't, but it's a difficult act to punish), the problem is whether anyone in any circumstance has the right to take someone else's life. Especially in a situation where the "someone else" can't decide for themselves.

Personally, I whole heartedly agree with the right to being euthanised, as long as one has signed a document indicating in which circumstances they would like it to occur or as long as one has the mental capacity to decide that it should happen (if one weren't able to commit suicide due to physical circumstances beyond their control). I think one should have the right to die, because one should be able to have a choice over their own life, and whether they want to live it or not. The discussion in euthanasia is not about the person dying. It is about the person ending the life.

The person ending the life is effectively killing someone. They are committing a homicide, or a murder or whatever one wishes to call it. Personally, I would not want to do it. But I would, depending on who asked me. If someone close to me were suffering and they asked me to end it I would do it. If I thought there was no other way out. If I thought all they had left was either suffering or being passed out under the influence of narcotic drugs, I would euthanise them. If they asked me, I would do it. They would make me a killer, but I think I would still do it. Because I respect people. And I respect their wishes.

Laws should be made to protect the individual from the actions of others. No one should ever be able to decide for me. But laws should not exist to protect the individual from themselves (except in cases of mental incapacitation). Individuals have the right to choose for themselves.

Some may say that choosing to die is wrong because it affects others, it harms others. I am tempted to agree. But if someone is ill, and they're going to die anyway, suffering, why does the state have any say in the choice of when or how they die? But it's more than that. An able bodied person, who is not in pain, can choose to die (almost) whenever they want. This can be made illegal, but it cannot be stopped, and it cannot be punished (I repeat this, but this is important: laws should make sense, and one that punishes a person killing themselves is ridiculous). Why is a person who is physically incapacitated stripped of this choice? Of course it will be said that a physically incapacitated person is being stripped of many other choices, such as murder or robbery. True, but this one choice makes a difference only to them. A huge one. Most of the time, their families support them in this choice even if they don't like the idea. Most of the time, these people have thought about it. For months. For years. Why can't they just decide over their own lives?

And I go back. Because it's not about them. It's about the person helping them.

I don't know what should be legal. I know I would do it if someone close to me asked me, but I don't know if that should make it legal. Maybe there should be a legal blank here, a no man's land. A hole in the legislation, where it wouldn't be murder but it wouldn't be "right" either. I don't know.

All I can think is that the person who has helped a loved one die (or not a loved one, simply someone, a person who asked) has to live with that for the rest of their lives. They probably did not want to do it but did it out of love and respect. They probably did not enjoy doing it. Is that not punishment enough?