[clyffehall]

First let me say thank you for the warm welcome. It's so gratifying to exchange ideas with people who think deeply about the issues of the day. ;)

However, I do need to clear up a couple of things.

"Why, you even know that a particular nursing home that wasn't named does not admit AIDs patients. "

I invite you to read my post more carefully. Nowhere did I say this about any specific facility.

"Are you here to tell us that involuntary euthanasia is good, especially if the patient is tortured to death?"

"Involuntary euthanasia" is a very vague term. There are certainly situations in which euthanasia, defined by Dictionary.com as

" 1. The act or practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or an incurable condition, as by lethal injection or the suspension of extraordinary medical treatment.

2. A quiet, painless death",

is good. In fact, euthanasia comes from two Greek words which mean "good death", so in that sense all euthanasia is good. If the patient in question is actually "tortured to death", then euthanasia was not in fact practiced, since the death was neither good or painless. I certainly do not approve of torture.

As to my "purpose for being here", in an existential sense it is to seek enlightenment and reach Nibbana. In a more mundane sense, I thought it would be enjoyable to discuss certain matters with others with a view to learning something and perhaps imparting some things.

I believe there is nothing in the founder's statement that contraindicates asking questions, clearing up misinformation, sharing knowledge, or verifying sources.

Are there any other concerns I can address for you?

[8mmMauser]

You must be aware you fit a profile we have seen ad naseum before. You came on as a poster very recently, dwell on this issue on this thread and the dirty laundry thread and add nothing except tired mantras repeated before, as taunts.

This tells me you came not as you pretend, but with an agenda to disrupt us.

I say you have an agenda to disrupt us. What say you?

8mm

[BykrBayb]

Second, let me say thank you for being such a gracious guest. It's so gratifying to exchange ideas with people who think deeply about the real life implications involving the issues of the day. ; )

However, I also need to clear up some things.

Euthanasia is not an abstract idea around here. And it's not the "good death" that George Soros has promoted it as. It is the extermination of "undesirables."

You'll find that passions run deep on this subject. That's to be expected when the wholesale genocide of an entire class of people is discussed as though there is a choice to be made.

The only way to justify exterminating people is to classify them as less than human, therefor less deserving of life. The Nazis used this argument when they were tried for the crimes against humanity that are being committed here and now. It didn't saved their necks from the noose.

They also tried the excuse that euthanasia is for the good of the patient. That argument didn't work either.

Euthanasia is not the alleviation of pain and/or suffering. It is the ending of a life. No one can argue that the removal of a ventilator or a feeding/hydration tube alleviates pain and suffering. On the contrary, it causes pain and suffering, and eventually death. Lethal injection is sometimes appropriate, but only after a conviction for a very heinous crime. It is never for the good of the person being killed.

Let's be clear about something. We are not discussing the proper use of pain medication. We are all aware that the administration of enough pain medication to alleviate pain may hasten death. Eating fatty foods might hasten death. This has nothing to do with euthanasia, unless it's used in excess for the purpose of causing death.

In post #396, pickyourpoison told us that a friend had said patients were leaving a particular nursing home, and being replaced by AIDS patients. In post #401 you said that pickyourpoison's friend is mistaken. I'd still like to know how you know what's going on at that nursing home, when the rest of us don't even know what nursing home it is. Or were you just trying to pretend to know more than you do?

You say that you don't approve of torture, but I wonder if your definition of torture is as misleading as the definition you accept for euthanasia. Do you consider starvation to be torture? How about dehydration? Suffocation? These are all forms of euthanasia that are practiced today. They are called "passive euthanasia," as though those committing the act aren't directly involved.

An acquaintance of mine recently treated himself for an ingrown toenail. He thought he had it under control, until one morning he woke up with a massive infection and swelling that went halfway up his leg. He got medical attention, and is recovering. If he'd been elderly, or disabled, it's quite possible that he would have been denied treatment, and forced to die from the infection. If that isn't torture, what is?

JR encourages honest debate. If that's what you're here for, you've found the right place. But if you're here to disrupt, disguising your attempts as merely asking questions will not fool him or the moderators.

Some things are simply not open for debate. Whether or not an entire class of people should be eliminated through murder is one of those issues that's been settled. On Free Republic, we are free to advocate any side of most issues, but not that one. We are not free to advocate genocide against disabled people, Jews, Mexicans, or anyone else. Not even liberals.

Let the ashes of trolls who tried it serve as your guide.