5 replies to this topic

[Deathblow Luc]

Probably most of the members who live in America will know what this is about.

Ive just read that theres a person, which name i cannot recall, which is using a life support, and has been in vegetative state for 13 years. Her family are in different positions, her parents want to keep the life support on, while his husband wants it off, cant recall if its as an act of piety or because he has lost hope on the womans awaking. Yet doctors said the state was irreversible

The thing is, the case was taken to court and theres a veredict in favour of taking off the life support, so it was done a week ago. Now, the legislatives of Florida have given Jeb Bush the power to veto that decision and put the life support back on.

As controversial as the case is, and leaving the whole moreal problem behind, im wondering:

If the Judicial Power, one of the 3 natural parts of the power division in democracy makes a decision, and the legislatives give the right to the executive to veto the decision of the judicial power. Is it still democracy, as division of powers is broken? Is it actually broken or not?

(Besides that trivial fact, feel free to discuss on the ethical and moral part of the subject)

[Beowulf]

Oh dude, please don't give me a topic like this. I'm studying this kind of stuff in American history right now and I don't want to see it right now.

Anyway, as much as we strive for democracy, it cannot be done. There is ALWAYS corruption in the government. It cannot be avoided. Like this above, the executive branch is beginning to have more power than the judicial and legislatives... it is one of the inevtiable truths of government.

As for moral, I would leave it off. I don't like seeing suffering and the people who want it on are suffering needlessly. They could do their mourning and get on with life. It's stupid to MAKE yourself feel bad....

[Deathscythe1911]

Personally, I think the woman should die. I know it sounds heartless but I don't think any of us would want to go on retarted and in a vegetative state. People are obsessing over the fact that this woman is only being kept alive by life support and if life support did not exist, this woman would be dead now.

Now that thats off my chest, the Exectutive branch is prevented from becoming more powerful than the legislative and judicial branches. Personally, I think the veto could be overthrown easily by the supreme court if sufficient evidence is presented.

[Ash]

I agree. If I was the woman, I'd want to die. I mean what kind of life is it to be a vegetable, kept alive by the efforts of a group of doctors and a machine?

Euthenasia should be legal if it's that bad. I mean, she can't help society, she is draining health service resources, she is probably in an infinity of agonies if she has any central nervous system and she's creating anguish, conflict and pain upon her family and the state judicial system.

Would YOU want to live if everything your body did was supplemented by a machine? She IS dead (w/o that machine she would be, hence she technically is dead). What moral issues can that bring about? To me it doesn't sound cold, it sounds like common sense and decency.

I mean, you can put down dogs and cats if they're terminally ill to put them out of their misery. Why can you not put down a human in the same circumstance? Just because we are human means it is a bad thing to put someone out of their misery? Mercy isn't one of humanity's best-known traits, but surely doctors could show some in this sense.

[Deathblow Luc]

I was right when i said something about debates on Sleipnirs. They go along when everybody agrees. (Hell, this is unbelievable...)

I have the same position as described. Besides, theres only a 1/10000 chance or smaller than she ever wakes up.

[Tom]

To tell you the truth, how many people on a life support machine attually wake up? Its a very low percentage, about 1/1,000,000 people wake up. Possibly less. If i thought i was ever gunna get that bad i'd rather die that gone on one of those things.