by Marie & Solenne (Nov 29, 2003)

Read the letter written in November 2002 by handicapped Frenchman Vincent Humbert to President Chirac before his death from an overdose administered by his mother:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3142366.stm

At the end of September, the death of Vincent Humbert upset France and re-opened the debate of death under assistance... and without ordinance!

And if it were you? If it were you who were paralysed, nailed on a bed in hospital, a deaf person, a dumb man, almost blind, unable to communicate with outside except by pressing the thumb on your mother’s hand ? Wouldn't you prefer to die? 

In France, to help someone to die comes down to kill! Euthanasia is regarded as a murder. Admittedly the courts are lenient and take into account the evolution of mentalities. But this act is always condemnable. Today, should euthanasia be autorized? Here is a question which remains unanswered...

Four French out of five are in favour of a legalization of euthanasia but the members of parliament hesitate.

In any case, nowadays in France, it is forbidden to give death. But the close relations of one dying have the possibility of transgressing this interdiction in agreement with the doctor and the patient.

Then, are you for or against euthanasia? If you do not have a clear opinion, you can read Vincent Humbert's book: "I ask you for the right to die".

What do you think about it?

I am for euthanasia, because I think that euthanasia is a liberty like the others... If somebody would like to die, if a patient is about to die, and of course, if he really wants to, the doctors can/must practise euthanasia. It's his wish, we can't go against his will... Well, this is just what I think.

Victoire L (LAT, Blois)

I have mixed feelings about euthanasia. I agree with people who suffer too much and who want to stop their pain. However I believe it's the patient who must choose if he can die, not his family. In my opinion, he must be conscious of his act because no one has the right to life or death on somebody, even if this patient can't make a choice !

Lili (LAT, Blois)

In my opinion, I believe that we shouldn' t leave people to suffer in this way. If the patient wishes to die, and if he won' t get bettter, we should let him die. We can give them what they ask for in extreme cases such as that of Vincent Humbert.

Coco (LAT, Blois)

Should euthanasia be legalized? It's a real question.

I agree with this idea. It's a good thing if the patient wants to die. But it's very risky because bad men can kill people who don't want to die and who would prefer to get better. I think in some cases a man (like a president) could give permission for a seriously ill man to die without suffering.

In my opinion the French government should legalize euthanasia but I understand its position because it's dangerous. If people were more reasonable and if people weren't nasty to others, euthanasia could be legalized. But men are dangerous and unpredictable. So a law is tricky because politicians don't like dangerous situations .

I just read your article and I want to react to it because it is very important to think about that. For me, to die is a right and only the ill person can choose, nobody else.We cannot imagine their situation and react for them. That's why I think that euthanasia is important. But it can also be very dangerous if people don’t use it well. We all have to think about it because every one could be concerned by this problem.

We think it's a very good article because it speaks about a subject which must be exposed. Some people think that it isn't good to do that but if they were in this situation they would want the doctors to stop the suffering of the patient.

People can't choose between life and death if they didn't live this situation.
The article shows this situation in its reality.

We think Vincent Humbert was right. If we are paralysed, nailed on a bed in hospital, a deaf person, a dumb man, almost blind, unable to communicate with outside except by pressing the thumb on our mother’s hand, we should be helped to die. We kill animals because they are ill or for nothing. Who has never killed animals?

I read your article and I had already heard about Vincent Humbert's story. It's true that his story had enormously touched me. Moreover, I wanted to buy his book. I think we shouldn't prevent somebody from deciding if he has to die or not. I totally agree with you. Imagine if you were in his place? But we can't imagine, it is so horrible, we have to live it before believing this situation. I agree with the legalization of euthanasia but only if it is with the patient's (who has to be old enough) and the doctor's agreements.

In my opinion, we can't really talk about euthanasia for Vincent Humbert. He was sick and his disease was incurable. He was paralysed, nailed on a bed in hospital,... It is not a real life for a human being. With his mother he had decided to die. He wanted to stop his pain and his mother wanted to help him. It was his choice. So it is not really euthanasia. In this case, doctors have to respect his choice, so it is not a murder. The justice should not be opposed to Vincent Humbert and his mother's wish. There is no problem if there is an agreement between the doctor and the patient. Unfortunately, it is only my opinion but it is not the law which forbids these practices.
I think it is a good thing to talk about this issue to make things move.......isn't it?

Ciloo (LAT, Blois)

I think euthanasia is a very important problem in our society. Vincent Humbert's case has re-opened the debate of death under assistance in France. The members of Government forbid euthanasia because they consider that it's as a murder, it's a crime. But I think it's very different because people who are suffering are more appropriate than the others to choose between life and death. I think that if a person chose to die rather than to live, it's because she suffered too much and she knew that she's terminally ill. I can understand that people who are suffering so much prefer to die. Moreover, euthanasia is a sort of suicide to the patient because it's often people who are paralysed who resort to euthanasia. Therefore, I don't understand why euthanasia is forbidden in France because I think people who suffered so much have the right to prefer to die. I think that people who choose to use euthanasia have no longer any hope and they know that their decision will be irremediable. We can't know how they suffered, so we can't decide for them.

I think this is a very important subject. Vincent Humbert was paralysed, a dumb man, almost blind. He couldn't communicate with the outside world except by pressing the thumb on his mother's hand. He wanted to die.The mother accepted her son's decision and decided to administer drugs to him. If I had been in Vincent Humbert's place I couldn't have lived without a daily assistance. Likewise, he couldn't manage alone. In a way he was already dead. To me, the doctors should have listened to the patient's wish. I understand that his mother helped him. Personally, I'm in favour of the legalization of euthanasia. When the patients ask to die, we have to respect their choice. It's their life. Euthanasia is still more important especially when the patients can't live without assistance

Talking about euthanasia remains a taboo subject. Indeed, people are shared between using or not euthanasia on people who are seriously ill. I know that in some countries euthanasia is legalized. The decision has been taken by the government that the sick person's parents could put an end to the life of one who's sick by stopping curing him.

I lived this situation. Two months ago, a person I really like died because of a cancer. I saw her suffer so much from her illness she had had for more than one year that I would have used euthanasia to cut short her sufferings.

Even though this way of dying is sad, I think about people who are suffering and I'm saying that "killing" a person is horrible but using euthanasia is to give them their liberty back.

To conclude, I totally agree with the fact of legalizing euthanasia in France, only in extreme cases as incurable illness.

I respect this man's decision on wanting to take his own life because he felt there was no better alternative, but I have to disagree with the entire matter of euthanasia. I feel that nobody has the right to take away another human being’s life. It is not our duty to decide who stays and who goes. We can't play God. It's not up to us. If we were meant to stick around on this earth, then we will. We might misss out on something miraculous if we just jump to conclusions and pull the plug. I think we must respect life and let everybody’s lives live out to the fullest hour.

Euthanasia is a major concern in the 21st century . It can be compared to a murder or a form of help to the victim. It's very difficult for the judges to decide if the culprit is a murderer, and the laws are not adapted.

I think it is a difficult and high decision. The different governments have to answer on this question which is very important. If there is only one exception the legislature will become very different and you'll never know if the person has to die or not. Each person is different but I think that Vincent Imbert could have had euthanasia. He prefered to die but he couldn't do it alone. So he had to be "killed" by another person. His mother was that person and I find that good because he was born thanks to her, he couldn't stay alive and she "killed" him. It's like a symbol. With all of their problems he couldn't stay alive or he'd have suffered too much. His mother doesn’t have to go to prison for her act.

I am for euthanasia but on one condition: there must be no excess.

I think everybody has the right to choose between life and death. If I was in a bed, paralysed, I would be very unhappy. Dreaming of the time when I could run would depress me, and I think I would ask to die. Vincent Humbert's mother had a lot of courage to let her son die. Her choice mustn't have been easy. But seeing a person we love unhappy is terrible for all kind-hearted people.

I agree with the legalisation of euthanasia in the world for the people who really suffer and have an incurable disease. 

Let the family mourn their relatives!

I have mixed feelings about euthanasia. I think if the person suffers too much and he wants to end his pain also he has the right to kill himself. But if it's just a problem for a short time it's not authorized.

I'm for euthanasia because I think that people who suffer in hospital must be able to say if they want to die or not. If they know that they will die and nothing will change that, they should be able to choose, it's their life and nobody can make this choice for them.

I think it's important to imagine the situation : how would you survive when you know that you will die and all the rest of your life will be spent in a hospital with suffering ?

I know it's difficult for the family to accept the choice of a family member but they shouldn't decide about the life of the other.

"Death solves all problems... no man, no problem."... (Joseph Stalin)

We always try to help people whom we love and care about. Sometimes, to stop their pain, we have to make decisions, which then could be misunderstood by others. Euthanasia is one of the most debated issues nowadays, and unless it is legalized people will not have a chance to end their pain and die with dignity.

What is euthanasia? Euthanasia is an act of intentionally killing a person, by their own wish and permission, in order to shorten the period of suffering. Mostly it happens when a terminally ill patient begins realizing his life is worthless and does not want to live any more. Most people do not realize the whole meaning of euthanasia and often confuse it with murder, but we should remember, unlike murder, in euthanasia the ill person makes a request to die. Euthanasia can be of different types. The difference between active and passive euthanasia, is that, active euthanasia means doing something to end a patient’s life deliberately, nevertheless, passive euthanasia means doing nothing to save a patient’s life. In voluntary euthanasia a patient is able to make a request to die himself. But in nonvoluntary euthanasia a decision is taken by the close people of the patient. Such cases usually happen when the patient has been unconscious or paralyzed for a long period and cannot talk, and longer life of this patient is senseless and brings suffering to family members as well. But, if a physician just provides a patient with lethal drugs and lets him end his life by himself, it will be "assisted suicide". All these types of euthanasia are different, but the result is the same.

The reasons for using euthanasia may be different: Firstly, if a person is terminally ill and has no will to stay alive and his life becomes pointless. Secondly, if a patient requests it more than once, so that he is sure in his own words. Thirdly, if a patient has an extreme pain, which cannot be stopped. In my opinion, the most important reason for using euthanasia is not because of physical death, but emotional. If a man is deadly ill and has lost any interest to life, it is better for him to be dead than alive. Otherwise they will be "walking corpses" or "worthless people". For example: for people who are HIV or cancer infected, life becomes limited. They want to memorize only good sides of life and that is why they usually do not wait until their awful death comes but use euthanasia. Another example is children with a syndrome of "down". People usually give them to children’s house, by what increase the number of orphan children. In other words, they will become one of those "worthless people". Such problems cannot be stopped or prevented, but can be solved.

One of the main arguments against euthanasia is religion. Many Muslim, Christian, Jewish people do not approve an act of euthanasia and believe it is a sin. They think people are not masters of their own life, and only God can take it back. But we should remember, there are a great number of atheists, who also have rights, and no churches may solve for them, "to live or not to live". However, the Christian Church has always accepted passive euthanasia. But active euthanasia is not legalized yet. In 1991, in Washington people voted for legalizing euthanasia, but it failed. About 10 % were opposed because of religious reasons. There are such organizations as "Dutch Society for Voluntary Euthanasia" and "Ministry of Justice" which play a great role in legalizing euthanasia. Some physicians are afraid of using euthanasia, because it is illegal. After it has been legalized, physicians will be able to use euthanasia when it is needed.

Euthanasia or "mercy killing" mainly helps to shorten suffering period of the patient, whose death is foreseen. Usually not only a patient but his/ her family members also do suffer. Some people would like euthanasia to be legal. For example: Diane Pretty had a very bad disease and she wanted her husband to help her die, but it would have been a crime. She later died from her disease. When she was alive she strongly supported euthanasia. Dr. Geertruida Postma was accused of killing her mother by the injection of morphine. Actually, her mother was suffering, partly paralyzed and hardly ill and she asked her daughter to help her die. As professor James Rachels said: "Active euthanasia is morally permissible since it produces the greatest happiness and promotes the best interests of everyone". Euthanasia is already legalized in the US, Australia, the Netherlands, GB and France.

People have the right to choose their future themselves. If their death is foreseen, it is better to shorten their pain, memorize only good sides of this world and be able to die with dignity.

Nilufar Kasimova, 18 (Tashkent, Uzbekistan) 

Euthanasia should not be legalized because people can say that they have cancer and not have but die cause they want to. Another reason is the black market....crazy people can get a hold of it and kill themselves or other people. There is so many reasons why Euthanasia should not be legalized...these are just a few of my thoughts.

Bob (Barstow, California, USA)

This story is incredibly moving, Does anyone know where one could obtain an English version of the book?. I would love to read it.

To my knowledge, it has not been translated yet.

Well I think that euthanasia shouldn’t be legalised because the person in question who is either terminally ill might not know what he or she are talking about and it also gives no one the right to terminate someone’s life just because THEY think it’s for their own good . But I guess as a christian I would think that way, but it is different for others and I can’t say that they have no right to do it because they are the ones who are making this choice and we all have our own views of life, but to me life is the most important thing there is .

Dec 16, 2004

Yes, this story is very moving but also very tragic.
Firstly because of the position that this young boy was placed. It is obvious after reading the extract, that he thought that he was merely a burden on his mother and ultimately everyone around him. Yet where was the support for his mother (both financial and emotional). Surely, governments worldwide should be providing some kind of support for these kind of situation.
Secondly, if this boy thought that his life was a burden on his mother etc., how can you possibly say that it was a free act....more accurately it appears that he wanted to end his life because it was not valued by others!!!! (the fact that his mother assisted his suicide....proves my point)
This is the root of our problems in regards to assisted suicide; it is not about killing to save the patient from pain (pain is not really an issue with the medical advances of today....we can relieve pain with morphine etc)...it is about saving the bystanders from suffering and work. Surely we should work to remedy this later problem before we introduce 'mercy killing' which is so permanent and not without its abuses. After all whether an Atheist, Christian, Agnostic or Muslim etc., we can all agree that we only get one chance in this life.
Cheers,

Pauline (New Zealand)