This was handled well on one of the early episodes of "Queer As Folk" (amazing how the writers go "off the board" and cover many other issues that aren't confined to gays). Ted, one of the characters, is in the hospital in a coma and it's revealed by his attorney (one of the Lesbian characters) that Brian has been chosen to "pull the plug" if is becomes necessary. The reason?
Ted awakens from the coma and Brian, being the narcissistic and hedonistic one in the bunch, asks Ted why he picked him. Ted explaines that his Mom couldn't do it, his other two closests friends couldn't do it, but Brian could because he was heartlness enough not to care.
The same things goes for euthanasia as capital punishement -- could one honestly pull the plug or trip the switch?
