A real need...

(Baonghean) - "Living in such misery, it's better to die!" In life, we occasionally hear such mournful words from many people. Perhaps these words are uttered when someone is at their wit's end, desperate in life, but they may not truly want to. When faced with death, who wouldn't be afraid to cling to life, even for a short while longer?

But there are also people who truly want to die. Because, indeed, life is worse than death. These are people who are critically ill and beyond cure, or living in unbearable pain, or suffering so much that they are practically dead, confined to bed in misery and costing their families a great deal of money, time, and effort. For these people, death is a liberation from all suffering and distress. And in reality, there truly is such a need – the need to die!

Therefore, recently, when the revised Civil Code was put forward for public consultation, a proposal was made to add the "right to die." Immediately, this proposal caused a stir in society. Supporters, primarily the proposing agency such as the Legal Department of the Ministry of Health, argued that in cases where medicine has given up hope, such as brain death, prolonged vegetative state, or terminal metastatic cancer where life expectancy is only a matter of days, patients or their families should have the right to choose "euthanasia." They believe that such a death is humane and respects the citizen's right to self-determination, because the choice to live or die is a personal right, especially if that death benefits the individual and their family.

Those who disagree or are still hesitant argue that the right to life is paramount for every individual and cannot be taken away, no matter how slim the chance of survival. They also argue that even the most advanced medical diagnoses have a certain margin of error, and therefore, a person's life cannot be determined on this basis. Those who oppose "euthanasia" also do not rule out the possibility of it being abused to legitimize murder... Not to mention the cultural and spiritual reasons of Vietnamese people regarding this issue... Therefore, out of hundreds of countries in the world, only a few countries and territories allow their citizens to die peacefully.

In short, achieving a free and comfortable death according to one's own wishes is not easy. Let's discuss and debate freely, but we must do so with a realistic perspective to arrive at a direction or decision on this issue that is appropriate for the realities of life, not only now but also in the future, ensuring maximum freedom of choice for each individual. And one thing is certain: the need for a peaceful death is a real need. And as a need, it must be met.

Confidant