The May 2010 Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Newsletter can now be found at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/Newsletters/Newsletter108(May2010)(RGB).pdf Bill C-384 was soundly defeated by a vote of 228 to 59. Check how the Members of Parliament voted at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/HowTheyVoted.pdf On June 5, 2010, we are co-hosting the US/Canda Push-Back Seminar at the Radisson Gateway Hotel at the Seattle/Tacoma Airport. The overwhelming defeat of Bill C-384 proved that we can Push-Back the euthanasia lobby in the US and Canada and convince people that euthanasia and assisted suicide are a dangerous public policy. Register for the Seminar at: http://www.euthanasiaprevention.on.ca/2010SeminarFlyer(RGB)(LetterFormat).pdf The Schindler family are being attacked by a Florida television station and Michael Schiavo. The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is standing in solidarity with the Schindler family. My blog comments: http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/05/att...
If someone is "helped" to die without specifically requesting it, that is, indeed, the definition of euthanasia.
ReplyDeleteHowever, when one asks to be helped to die, that is not euthanasia -- that is assisted suicide!
Specific words have specific meanings. Do not confuse them, please.
Actually the Oxford dictionary definition of euthanasia would include both involuntary death (without the person requesting it) and assisted suicide.
ReplyDeleteeuthanasia n. bringing about of a gentle death in the case of incurable and painful disease. [Greek - thanatos (death)]
"euthanasia
ReplyDeletec.1600, from Gk. euthanasia "an easy or happy death," from eu- "good" + thanatos "death." Sense of "legally sanctioned mercy killing" is first recorded in English 1869."
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=euthanasia
Etymologically, euthanasia has absolutely nothing to do with suicide, Wayne, assisted or otherwise.
http://www.onelook.com/?w=euthanasia&ls=a
I woud tend to agree Lady Janus that suicide is never referred to as euthanasia. Wikipedia seems to be saying that any death that is assisted (whether the victim consents or not) is considered euthanasia, but they don't seem to include suicide by the individual themselves as euthanasia from what I can tell.
ReplyDelete*sigh* I swear...one of these days, I'm gonna start charging money for language lessons...and I'll get rich real fast!
ReplyDeleteSuicide (from sui = self) is the killing of one's own self by one's own determination. Assisted suicide is still the killing of one's own self by one's own determination, but with the assistance of a willing second party. The decision to do so still resides within one's own self. It cannot, therefore, be classified as "euthanasia," which is the killing of something or someone without their own determination and consent.
Suicide is not euthanasia. The difference is not in how many people are present to accomplish the task, but in who makes the final decision!
Lady Janus,
ReplyDeleteWikipedia says quote
Euthanasia (from the Greek ευθανασία meaning "good death": ευ-, eu- (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of ending a life in a manner which relieves pain and suffering. According to the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics, the precise definition of euthanasia is "a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering."[1]
The judicial sense of the term "homicide" includes any intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, even to relieve intractable suffering.[2][3] Thus judicially, a "mercy killing" or euthanasia is generally considered to be a criminal homicide[4] and is normally used as a synonym of homicide committed at a request made by the patient[3]
Unquote
It says nothing at all about the patient giving his/her consent for it to be considered euthanasia.
Don't try to charge money for language lessons. It may be a losing proposition.
Lady Janus,
ReplyDelete"The controversy surrounding euthanasia centers around a two-pronged argument by opponents which characterises euthanasia as either voluntary "suicides," or as involuntary murders."-- Wikipedia
"It says nothing at all about the patient giving his/her consent for it to be considered euthanasia."
ReplyDeleteOkay, listen up. Etymologist speaking:
Suicide = self determined.
Euthanasia = NOT self-determined.
Wikipedia is useful in a lot of ways, but etymologist do not write the entries.