Right to die

[silver72]

Susan Griffiths, who had to travel to Switerland to die when she wanted and not when her disease decided, reopens talks , especially on talk radio, should Canada make the right to die legal or should I say choice. Apparently, the feds want no part of this but Quebec is working on a plan to allow it.. They say that health care is a provincial matter and so is dying. Personally, I say, we should have a choice to choose when diseases make one exist rather than live life to the fullest. Thoughts? http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/canadian-woman-dies-with-aid-of-doctor-in-switzerland-1.1253308

[Guest]

It's an issue I'm fairly passionate about. I believe one of the most basic human rights available to a person is to stop living when they want to. If they can find a Doctor who is willing to help them do so there should be no other view considered.

[guyser]

It's an issue I'm fairly passionate about. I believe one of the most basic human rights available to a person is to stop living when they want to. If they can find a Doctor who is willing to help them do so there should be no other view considered.

We pretty much have it already , and they are DNR notices on a patients chart.

Now, what we don't have is the ' Hi Doc, I wanna die ' needle.

A little too much pain meds , relaxants and so on exists on a daily basis.

[TimG]

Now, what we don't have is the ' Hi Doc, I wanna die ' needle.

There are plenty of conditions that are terminal but require years of suffering before death comes (e.g. Alzheimers). There is no reason we cannot devise a system that allows people diagnosed with a physical illness to commit suicide with medical help even if they are not currently experiencing extreme pain. Forcing people in these situations to use a gun or rope is barbaric. Edited April 29, 2013 by TimG

[guyser]

There is no reason ....

Other than political will , the will of the Nation you mean.

[The_Squid]

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/goodbye-susan-a-privilege-to-know-you-204629281.html

The day after my story about Susan ran, I got a phone call from a distressed man. He wanted me to give him Susan's number. He was a Christian, he said, and he needed to tell her she'd go to hell if she went ahead with her plans. She was in Europe, I said, and an atheist with no belief in an afterlife. He insisted she was a sinner. I suggested, as gently as possible, that he add Susan to his prayer list. She was already on mine, I said. He said he'd pray she changed her mind. That was his right, I said.

The reason we do not have medical help for assisted suicide is people like the one quoted above and a government that agrees with this person.

Oregon has had assisted suicide since 1994....

[Guest]

There are plenty of conditions that are terminal but require years of suffering before death comes (e.g. Alzheimers). There is no reason we cannot devise a system that allows people diagnosed with a physical illness to commit suicide with medical help even if they are not currently experiencing extreme pain. Forcing people in these situations to use a gun or rope is barbaric.

Agreed. I can't understand objections to assisted suicide, other than religious ones, which should only apply to those doing the objecting.

[Melanie_]

I'm happy that the discussion is happening, at least on the grassroots level - I don't see a debate happening in parliament any time soon. The challenge as I see it isn't about religion, but about what constitutes a "rational" decision to commit suicide. Is it only about physical pain, or does mental anguish also qualify as a valid reason for assisted suicide? If someone truly believes that there is no hope left in life, and that their day to day life is too emotionally painful to endure, would they also be given the option of assisted suicide? Who decides? Does the doctor have to agree with the reasoning of the patient, or would there be opportunities to intervene with counselling, treatments, medications...? And would that intervention be ethical?

[TimG]

Is it only about physical pain, or does mental anguish also qualify as a valid reason for assisted suicide?

I would say there needs to be an independently diagnosable physical condition that will eventually cause death (or a least be a significant factor in death). Edited April 30, 2013 by TimG

[Guest]

I'm happy that the discussion is happening, at least on the grassroots level - I don't see a debate happening in parliament any time soon. The challenge as I see it isn't about religion, but about what constitutes a "rational" decision to commit suicide. Is it only about physical pain, or does mental anguish also qualify as a valid reason for assisted suicide? If someone truly believes that there is no hope left in life, and that their day to day life is too emotionally painful to endure, would they also be given the option of assisted suicide? Who decides? Does the doctor have to agree with the reasoning of the patient, or would there be opportunities to intervene with counselling, treatments, medications...? And would that intervention be ethical?

Quite honestly, I would like the option of a doctor assisted death for whatever reason I wanted. There would be no way to persuade a doctor to help if it was for a reason they didn't think justified the act, but I don't think physical pain needs to be a factor.

In the end, what we are doing if we deny the right to assisted suicide suicide is forcing life on a person. How can that not be wrong?