I've always been amazed at how we acept the responsibility and make "quality of life" decisions, as painful as they are, for our pets but are willing to let our loved ones suffer the agony and indignity that sometimes occurs at end-of-life. What REALLY pissed me off was when I worked in ICU's and the patient's children were many states away, on the phone, saying "do EVERYTHING that you can for them" and they had no idea what our technology and medicine were capable of doing in order to fulfill that request. When they finally (and in many cases, they never did) came down to see their parent, they were shocked, appalled and angry when they saw the shell of their loved one lying in bed being kept "alive" but the person was either not there, or were suffering. The families blamed us. "What have you done to my mother/father/grandparent??!?!" Not realizing that their order to "do everything you can" is why there was a husk of a person suffering in that bed. It is my sincere hope that current and subsequent generations learn what the real implications of "do all that you can" means for a patient. That it can prolong suffering despite there being no hope of recovery or improvement. That it's not all that difficult to keep a body breathing and a heart beating. That there is more to life and more to being alive than having a pulse and respiration. That we learn to see when someone we love is suffering, and can act in a way that respects their wishes, their desires and accept the incredible responsibility that comes with deciding when "they've gone through enough". PS: I am not even speaking of active euthanasia. I am speaking about allowing medical technology to "prolong vital signs" when there is no hope of recovery or improvement. Not "putting the person to death" but simply "allowing them to die". We (many of us) don't even do that. As family, we're terrified that any decision other than "do all that you can" is tantamount to euthanasia or murder. But the number of people who ask medical caregivers to "do all that you can" won't even take the time to look and see what that means for their loved one. That, to me, is more common, widespread and inhumane than the subject of euthanasia.