physician assisted suicide

[Jiblethead]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/05/gloria-taylor-b-c-woman-at-centre-of-assisted-suicide-court-battle-dies/

Quite a touchy issue, all i am going to say is i believe a person, who is of sound mind, has the right to decide when their own life ends.

[Guest]

http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/10/05/gloria-taylor-b-c-woman-at-centre-of-assisted-suicide-court-battle-dies/

Quite a touchy issue, all i am going to say is i believe a person, who is of sound mind, has the right to decide when their own life ends.

I agree. It is a gross violation of human rights to force someone to live on when they don't want to.

[Smallc]

I agree. It is a gross violation of human rights to force someone to live on when they don't want to.

I completely agree. I don't understand why someone who is going to die anyway from a terminal illness, and is suffering, shouldn't have the choice to end that suffering.

[cybercoma]

It's interesting because DNR orders are not illegal.

[dre]

I agree in concept but remember as soon as this is legal there will be an INDUSTRY built around it. Youll see ads by pharmy companies for new drugs to kill you in a nice pleasant way, private death clinics etc. And youll put doctors on the spot and probably cause a lot of legal issues for them, and divide them into ideologic cliques.

Really what we have now is pretty good. People who are terminally ill can get large morphine doses and they can overdose themselves, or a family member can do it.

I like the law as it is now. People can get "relief" from life if they really really want to, but we dont open boutiques to make it easy, and the government avoids having an official role and getting dragged into another never ending culture war squabble that will get people fighting over yet another thing that really doesnt matter much.

This stuff is already going on all the time.

[Guest]

I can't understand why a society that, quite rightly, imho, will not force a woman to undergo 9 months of pregnancy and various medical procedures, even though that will result in the death of something that doesn't have a choice in the matter, will force someone who does actually want to die to undergo medical procedures and quite possibly a lot more than 9 months of something considerably worse than a pregnancy, rather than let them have their wish. Seems weird to me.

Edited October 6, 2012 by bcsapper

[Jiblethead]

you make a good point about the potential industry built around the profit to be made from killing people. The pharmaceutical industry is already disgusting in the way it over prescribes pills for profit, especially to children. When the parent hears from a doctor this pill will make your life easier, the wrong choice is made far too often

[Guest]

There's quite an industry built around abortions. It's no reason to ban them.

[kraychik]

I believe a person, who is of sound mind, has the right to decide when their own life ends.

I agree.

[Bonam]

I agree in concept but remember as soon as this is legal there will be an INDUSTRY built around it. Youll see ads by pharmy companies for new drugs to kill you in a nice pleasant way, private death clinics etc. And youll put doctors on the spot and probably cause a lot of legal issues for them, and divide them into ideologic cliques.

Really what we have now is pretty good. People who are terminally ill can get large morphine doses and they can overdose themselves, or a family member can do it.

I'm not sure I agree. What is fundamentally wrong with a "death clinic" except that it is distasteful to you? I'm sure some people find abortion clinics similarly distasteful, and yet one would not propose that everything is fine as long as people can improvise their own abortions at home, like you seem to suggest here regarding suicide.

A clinic which allows one to die peacefully and comfortably and takes care of all the surrounding issues could potentially be very helpful for people with terminal conditions who do not want to live any longer.

I like the law as it is now. People can get "relief" from life if they really really want to, but we dont open boutiques to make it easy, and the government avoids having an official role and getting dragged into another never ending culture war squabble that will get people fighting over yet another thing that really doesnt matter much.

This stuff is already going on all the time.

This point I am more inclined to agree with. The last thing we need is more stupid social issues for people to squabble over instead of focusing on much more important issues of economics, foreign policy, etc.

[Jiblethead]

There's quite an industry built around abortions. It's no reason to ban them.

not at all, the industry is unavoidable.

[MiddleClassCentrist]

There comes a point when you feel like it is your time to go. Your friends might have already passed on or you may have a terminal illness.

I want the ability to choose when I'm older.

I fully support it.

[Guest American Woman]

I agree in concept but remember as soon as this is legal there will be an INDUSTRY built around it.

There's already an industry built around keeping people alive as long as possible, sometimes against their wishes, often costing big bucks, as well as physical and emotional pain for the individual involved. Why would this be any worse? In fact, it likely would counter-balance the other.

There comes a point when you feel like it is your time to go. Your friends might have already passed on or you may have a terminal illness.

I want the ability to choose when I'm older.

I fully support it.

I want the ability to choose at any time. Young people are hit with terminal illnesses and pain and suffering, too.

Edited October 6, 2012 by American Woman

[Guest Manny]

I want the ability to choose at any time. Young people are hit with terminal illnesses and pain and suffering, too.

Well I think it's fair, under certain circumstances but not all circumstances.

Like if there is no life-threatening illness, but the person is mentally depressed and wants to end their life.

Of course, developing products and technology like this will make it easier to be successful in attempting suicide.

[Guest American Woman]

Well I think it's fair, under certain circumstances but not all circumstances.

To clarify, I'm speaking of circumstances where there's no hope of getting any better - all one is doing is putting in time, and not quality time, at that.

[Guest Manny]

To clarify, I'm speaking of circumstances where there's no hope of getting any better - all one is doing is putting in time, and not quality time, at that.

Sounds like my work-week.

[Guest American Woman]

Sounds like my work-week.

[Guest]

To clarify, I'm speaking of circumstances where there's no hope of getting any better - all one is doing is putting in time, and not quality time, at that.

Not me. I'm thinking more like first episode of Futurama.

I just think that if you wanna die, you should be allowed to.

[eyeball]

I completely agree. I don't understand why someone who is going to die anyway from a terminal illness, and is suffering, shouldn't have the choice to end that suffering.

I think you need to be religious to understand it. If anyone is aware of any atheists opposing the right-to-die I'd like to hear their arguments against it.

[eyeball]

I agree in concept but remember as soon as this is legal there will be an INDUSTRY built around it. Youll see ads by pharmy companies for new drugs to kill you in a nice pleasant way, private death clinics etc. And youll put doctors on the spot and probably cause a lot of legal issues for them, and divide them into ideologic cliques.

Really what we have now is pretty good. People who are terminally ill can get large morphine doses and they can overdose themselves, or a family member can do it.

I like the law as it is now. People can get "relief" from life if they really really want to, but we dont open boutiques to make it easy, and the government avoids having an official role and getting dragged into another never ending culture war squabble that will get people fighting over yet another thing that really doesnt matter much.

This stuff is already going on all the time.

That's a sensible argument. Perhaps what we need is a law that forbids the government getting into it. I.E. it's a matter between a doctor and their patient or patient's loved ones.

[eyeball]

I'm not sure I agree. What is fundamentally wrong with a "death clinic" except that it is distasteful to you? I'm sure some people find abortion clinics similarly distasteful, and yet one would not propose that everything is fine as long as people can improvise their own abortions at home, like you seem to suggest here regarding suicide.

A clinic which allows one to die peacefully and comfortably and takes care of all the surrounding issues could potentially be very helpful for people with terminal conditions who do not want to live any longer.

We have these already in the form of palliative care clinics don't we?

[Guest American Woman]

Not me. I'm thinking more like first episode of Futurama.

I just think that if you wanna die, you should be allowed to.

Well, there's no law against suicide, so basically if you're not at the mercy of someone else, ie: doctors keeping you alive, you are allowed to die.

[Guest]

Well, there's no law against suicide, so basically if you're not at the mercy of someone else, ie: doctors keeping you alive, you are allowed to die.

Yes, but I don't want it to be criminal act to help. I realise that would be a moot point if there were a suicide booth on every corner.

Would it be against the law to lend someone the quarter?

[Guest American Woman]

Yes, but I don't want it to be criminal act to help.

So who do you think should be legally allowed to "help?" - and to what extent?

I realise that would be a moot point if there were a suicide booth on every corner.

Would it be against the law to lend someone the quarter?

No, since it's not against the law to lend someone the money to buy a gun if they want to commit suicide.

Edited October 6, 2012 by American Woman

[Guest]

So who do you think should be legally allowed to "help?" - and to what extent?

If doctors were allowed to assist openly, there wouldn't be a problem. Culturally, it might take a while to find a doctor to off you because you have a particularly troublesome hangnail, but give the Earth's population another couple of billion and that might change.